All articles tagged with #disease
A major review in Addiction synthesizes decades of evidence showing alcohol contributes to dozens of diseases and injuries across nearly every organ, weakens immune defenses and raises infection risk, and while some harms can lessen with reduced or stopped drinking, many damages persist; potential heart benefits of light drinking remain disputed.
A new review in Addiction confirms that alcohol causes more than 60 diseases and injuries that are entirely attributable to consumption, raises infection risk, and is linked to five broad non-communicable disease categories (cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, neuropsychiatric, and gastrointestinal diseases). Some short‑term harms and certain cardiovascular markers can improve with abstinence, but chronic damage such as cirrhosis and much brain injury are not fully reversible, leading to the conclusion that alcohol’s overall harms outweigh any potential benefits (with evidence for heart protection at low intake remaining inconclusive).
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne illness that can cause severe respiratory disease. It spreads when people inhale virus particles from infected rodents’ urine, droppings, or saliva or come into contact with contaminated materials. Early signs often include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches, with some cases progressing to coughing or shortness of breath as the lungs are affected. There is no specific cure; treatment focuses on supportive care, and prevention centers on reducing rodent access and avoiding disturbance of droppings in places like homes, sheds, and cabins.
Researchers studying noma in Nigerian children identified elevated levels of a previously unknown Treponema bacterium, Treponema A, suggesting this bacteria may contribute to noma’s mouth and facial destruction and could become a target for prophylactic antibiotics to halt progression.
The article analyzes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims that diet can cure disease, acknowledging that nutrition influences health but stressing that diet alone rarely cures diseases and that some of his broader assertions are oversimplified or not supported by mainstream science, urging nuanced interpretation and professional guidance.
An essay argues for embedding energy dynamics into biomedicine—finite energy budgets, trade-offs, and cross-species principles—to better explain aging, cancer, immune responses, and other diseases, and to uncover new treatment avenues alongside traditional molecular biology.
DeepMind's AlphaGenome is a sequence-to-function AI that can scan up to one million DNA letters at once to map the dark genome, predict how mutations affect gene expression and splicing, and flag disease-linked variants and potential drug targets, offering a major advance for obesity, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions—though it's still imperfect and will require refinement.
Scientists have developed a new genomic mapping approach that links genes to diseases by analyzing gene impacts across entire genomes and cell types, which could accelerate understanding of complex traits and aid in targeted therapy development.
A truck carrying lab-bred rhesus monkeys overturned in Mississippi, leading to the escape of some animals, who were later euthanized after authorities believed they might carry diseases; the university involved clarified the monkeys were not infectious, and efforts to locate the remaining animals continue.
A new study using ancient DNA analysis revealed that Napoleon's forces in 1812 were likely decimated by a combination of paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever caused by lice, rather than typhus as previously thought, highlighting the impact of disease and harsh conditions on their retreat from Russia.
A French research team used ancient DNA analysis to uncover that bacteria causing typhus, trench fever, paratyphoid, and relapsing fever contributed to the massive death toll of Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign, revealing how disease played a crucial role in the army's failure.
The WHO reports a significant rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with one in six tested in 2023 showing resistance, and a 40% increase in resistance over five years, posing a serious threat to public health.
Eric Dane's wife, Rebecca Gayheart, shares that their daughters are struggling as Dane battles ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which he publicly announced in April. The family is coping with the emotional toll, and Dane is advocating for a cure through a campaign aiming to raise a billion dollars for ALS research.
Six people in the US have died from rabies in the past year, a rare but deadly disease transmitted mainly through bites from infected animals like bats, raccoons, and skunks. Symptoms include flu-like signs, confusion, and hydrophobia, with nearly all cases resulting in death once symptoms appear. Prevention includes vaccinating pets, avoiding wildlife, and seeking immediate medical care after potential exposure. Post-exposure prophylaxis with vaccines and immunoglobulin can effectively prevent the disease if administered promptly.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Commission reports outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in deer across Mercer, Lawrence, Butler, and Erie counties, caused by infected midges, with no current treatments available. The bluetongue virus (BT) also affects deer, causing severe symptoms and potential death, but some deer survive with chronic issues. Domestic livestock can also be affected, and wildlife populations typically recover within a few years.