Nate Archibald, whose 14-year NBA career included a championship season with the Boston Celtics, suffers from an incurable heart disease, which he discovered by accident. Amyloidosis can affect any organ or tissue. But when it plagues the heart, death can arrive at any moment.
Disease
We all want physicians to use evidence-based medicine, but sometimes the early evidence is literally "too good to be true." A recent study demonstrates the Proteus effect when early studies are often contradictory and fail to reflect real-world practice.
Last year, Italy had more than 5,000 cases, for an incidence of 8 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the United States had 118 cases, for an incidence of roughly 0.04 per 100,000 people. The populist politicians and anti-vaxxers are to blame.
We have yet another tragic flu story in the news. This time it's a 38-year old mother who died because she thought the flu drug she was prescribed was too expensive. The only problem? The media got everything wrong. The flu drug would not have made any difference.
Every single day, you take several IQ tests. You just aren't aware of them.
Did you look both ways before crossing the street? Did you get a flu shot? Did you buy that $4 organic banana? These are all IQ tests, and the result is either pass/fail. Occasionally, flunking one of these daily IQ tests has very real consequences.
The CDC reports that, in August 2016, at least 17 people in Colorado flunked an IQ test when they consumed raw milk and became sick. Milk samples and patient samples both tested positive for antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter jejuni, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Recently the incidence of syphilis has been increasing in newborn babies and pregnant women, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force has reaffirmed guidelines emphasizing the importance of pregnant women being screened for the disease. It's relatively easy to cure syphilis with antibiotic treatment, and caught early it would prevent devastating effects on both babies and moms.
Exposure at an early age might increase the likelihood of developing an allergy to the family kitty, according to some researchers. But according to others, it could be protective against such an allergy. So which is it? A recent study indicates it depends on the age at which the allergy is assessed.
Heartburn does not involve the heart or a burn, although the discomfort may be described as burning. What underlies this common complaint?
James Cagney might call these "dirty, double-crossing rats," but they're likely not dirty, and they don't mean to do it. But according to the CDC, pet rats can carry and pass along a type of hantavirus – the Seoul virus – that can make their owners pretty sick.
Flu season most often peaks in February. Buckle up, says the little rodent from Punxsutawney.
The benefits of breastfeeding for a mom include quicker recovery from delivery and, according to a new study, less risk of developing diabetes. Also, both white and black women seemed to benefit, and the longer the duration of lactation the stronger the link.
Naked mole rats, which are neither moles nor rats, have unusually long lifespans compared to other rodents, and also seem to not develop cancer. Researchers are diligently searching for the key(s) to their success, and recent work sheds some light on how these critters manage to avoid both.