#HealthDay News

[vikas7890]

AI Could Predict a Nonsmoker's Risk for Lung Cancer

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter (HealthDay) WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Artificial intelligence (AI) can help assess lung cancer risk in nonsmokers, a new study shows. The “CXR-Lung-Risk” AI program evaluates routine chest X-ray images, looking for patterns associated with lung cancer, researchers said. People whose chest X-rays were flagged by the AI program had twice…

[covid-safer-hotties]

1 in 5 People Could Have Long COVID - Published Nov 8, 2024

By Dennis Thompson

FRIDAY, Nov. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- More than 1 in 5 Americans likely suffer from long COVID, a new AI-assisted review has found.

The analysis suggests that nearly 23% of U.S. adults experience the symptoms of long COVID, according to results published Nov. 8 in the journal Med.

That’s much higher than the 7% prevalence of long COVID that’s been suggested by other studies, researchers said.

“Questions about the true burden of long COVID -- questions that have thus far remained elusive -- now seem more within reach,” said senior researcher Hossein Estiri, head of AI research at Mass General Brigham in Boston.

For the study, researchers developed an AI tool that can sift through mounds of electronic health records looking for the frequently subtle symptoms related to long COVID.

These symptoms can occur in a wide range of body systems, and include fatigue, chronic cough, heart problems and “brain fog.” They typically develop weeks or months after a person shakes off their initial COVID-19 infection.

“Our AI tool could turn a foggy diagnostic process into something sharp and focused, giving clinicians the power to make sense of a challenging condition,” Estiri said in a Mass General news release.

The AI specifically looks for symptoms that can’t be explained by a person’s medical history, have persisted for two months or longer and occur following a COVID infection, researchers said.

For example, the AI can detect if shortness of breath might be explained by pre-existing heart failure or asthma, rather than long COVID.

“Physicians are often faced with having to wade through a tangled web of symptoms and medical histories, unsure of which threads to pull, while balancing busy caseloads. Having a tool powered by AI that can methodically do it for them could be a game-changer,” said lead researcher Dr. Alaleh Azhir, an internal medicine resident at Brigham and Women’s.

Based on these parameters, the AI estimated that nearly 23% of Americans likely have long COVID, a figure that researchers argue aligns more closely with national trends.

The researchers plan to release the AI publicly on open access, so doctors and health care systems can employ and test it.

Study Link : www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(24)00407-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2666634024004070%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

[enchanted-moura]

They found that certain natural sounds provided more specific benefits. Bird song, for example, reduced stress the most. Water sounds improved positive emotions and health outcomes most.

Buxton said they also found that listening to natural sounds and human noise versus just human noise still provided some health benefits.

"I think that's really meaningful in an urban context, where it's almost impossible to go anywhere in a city without hearing some noise. If we're going to a park that also has a lot of natural sounds present over the top of that noise it could still be delivering some of those health benefits," Buxton explained.

"You can even get some of the health benefits by just listening, but spending time in nature and getting health benefits is about more than just sounds," Buxton said. "It's about the full sensory experience. There's also a lot of evidence that looking at trees and natural features is really good for you as well. It's always best to get outside if you can."

[innonurse]

Scientists develop laser-patterned stent technology to enhance vascular recovery and prevent restenosis

- By InnoNurse Staff -

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a laser-patterned stent surface technology that enhances endothelial cell growth and inhibits smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation, addressing key challenges in vascular recovery.

Published in Bioactive Materials, the study demonstrates how nanosecond laser-induced wrinkle patterns on nickel-titanium alloy stents prevent restenosis while promoting vascular re-endothelialization.

The technique, validated through in vitro and ex vivo studies, reduces smooth muscle cell growth by 75% and doubles angiogenesis, offering significant improvements over traditional and drug-eluting stents, which face limitations like restenosis and thrombosis risks. The innovation is compatible with both metal and biodegradable stents, potentially improving therapeutic outcomes and minimizing complications.

The team plans further animal and clinical trials to ensure long-term efficacy and safety. This technology's precision, efficiency, and industrial scalability could revolutionize stent manufacturing and vascular treatment strategies.

Image: An expanded stent physically clears a blocked blood vessel, but its interaction with the metal surface and vascular cells can either support healing or cause adverse effects. Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology.

Read more at National Research Council of Science and Technology/Medical Xpress

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Other recent news

Could AI and lasers aid in detecting breast cancer at its earliest stages? (HealthDay/Medical Xpress)

[tallmantall]

By: Carole Tanzer Miller - When a parent dies by suicide, an adult child's risk of self-harm and suicide rises at the same age - The finding is from a new study out of Denmark - Researchers say health care providers should ask patients about family suicide history and consider this risk #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub MONDAY, Nov. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- When people whose parents died by suicide reach that same age, their own risk often spikes, Danish researchers warn. Reporting in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, the researchers looked at data on more than 470,000 Danes whose parents died between 1980 and 2016. Of those, 17,806 individuals had parents who died by suicide. The study looked at the risk of self-harm and suicide during the year before and after individuals reached the age of their deceased parent — typically about 24 years later. Compared to the 15 years before or after, they were at roughly twice the risk of self-harm or suicide when they reached the corresponding age. Individuals whose parent died of other causes had no increased risk during the corresponding time. "Our findings support the practice of asking suicide-bereaved individuals about age at parental suicide, identifying this as an anticipated period of increased risk," wrote a team led by Yanakan Logeswaran, of the University College of London.  "This is also an opportunity to reinforce that suicide is not inevitable after the suicide of a parent, with an absolute risk … estimated at less than 1%," they added in a American Psychiatric Association news release. More information If you have suicidal thoughts, free, confidential help is available 24/7. Call or text to 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Or chat with a counselor online. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association, news release Read the full article

[stephaneros]

Infant Mortality Up 7% Post-Roe v. Wade Overturn, Study Finds

[stanfave3-72217]

Free COVID Tests Are Coming Back by End of September

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

There was an increase in dyslipidemia incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prepandemic period, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Valentina Trimarco, from Federico II University in Naples, Italy, and colleagues conducted a six-year longitudinal study to examine the broader effects of COVID-19 on the incidence of dyslipidemia in a real-world population of 228,266 individuals. Dyslipidemia incidence was compared during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2022) to the prepandemic period (2017 to 2019), with follow-up of at least 1,095 days (21,349,215 person-years).

The researchers found that the risk for developing dyslipidemia was increased during the COVID-19 period compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (odds ratio, 1.29), after adjustment for comorbidities in a multivariate analysis.

“The main finding of our study is the observation that the increased risk of dyslipidemia during the COVID-19 pandemic involved not only patients who had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection but the whole population,” the authors write.

Study link: www.jci.org/articles/view/183777

[nedsecondline]

Study: Medication abortion without ultrasound safe - UPI.com

Mifepristone is used in a regimen together with misoprostol to end a pregnancy less than 70 days in duration. Adobe Stock/HealthDay   Women don’t need an ultrasound to have a safe medication abortion, a new study says. Women who received abortion pills by mail without getting an ultrasound first did just as well as those who were examined and given the drugs in person, researchers found. Source:…

[andronetalks]

Texas Rancher Developed Anthrax From Butchered Lamb Meat

US News By HealthDay June 7, 2024, at 5:59 a.m. FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Anthrax disease in humans is rare and when it does occur, it’s usually during hot, dry summers. That’s why the case of a Texas rancher who developed anthrax in January of this year piqued the interest of investigators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more…

[petnews2day]

Federal government announces new initiatives to monitor, prevent bird flu

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/zVMgX

Federal government announces new initiatives to monitor, prevent bird flu

The illness is typically not fatal in bovines, but monitoring and prevention on the nation’s farms is costly, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the aid will make it cheaper and easier for farmers to deal with H5N1 when it is discovered infecting a herd. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News H5N1 avian flu […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/zVMgX #BirdNews

[innonurse]

Scientists utilize AI to discover non-opioid alternatives for pain relief

- By InnoNurse Staff -

An estimated one in five Americans suffer from chronic pain, and current treatment options, particularly opioids, present challenges like addiction and side effects.

A team led by Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D., at Cleveland Clinic, in collaboration with IBM, is using AI to repurpose FDA-approved drugs and gut microbiome-derived metabolites to target non-addictive, non-opioid treatments for chronic pain. 

Their AI tool, LISA-CPI, predicts how specific molecules interact with pain receptors, aiding drug discovery. 

This approach could accelerate identifying pain treatments and even other disease therapies, with ongoing lab validation of their findings.

Read more at Cleveland Clinic/Medical Xpress

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Other recent news and insights

AI-powered model developed to diagnose Meniere’s disease (HealthDay/Medical Xpress)

Univa Health, based in the UK, secures £1M for AI-driven personalized care for eating disorders (Tech Funding News)

New K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator offers a blueprint for schools implementing digital tools to support student well-being (Headstream/PRNewswire)

Rezilient Health raises $10M in Series A funding to expand its tech-enabled family healthcare model (Femtech Insider)

Addiction and support recovery: Empathy Health Technologies secures $2.8M in seed funding (FINSMES)

[ramtracking]

AI Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis [ Breast cancer screening ]

AI Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis [News Summary] How researchers are working to integrate AI and machine learning into breast cancer screening and diagnostics. The use of artificial intelligence in screening for breast cancers and a little used technique that can efficiently and economically find… THURSDAY, April 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A semiautonomous breast cancer screening system…

[darealvampi]

[covid-safer-hotties]

Long COVID Is Taking Big Toll on U.S. Workforce - Published Aug 19, 2024

MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans -- mostly younger adults -- could be unable to work due to the lingering symptoms of Long COVID, a new study says.

About 14% of working-age people with Long COVID symptoms hadn’t returned to their jobs within three months of their initial infection, researchers found.

“When we compare the rates observed in this study to the national population, it could mean as many as 2 million people may be out of work because of post-COVID conditions,” said lead researcher Dr. Arjun Venkatesh, chair of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Conn.

Worse, the average age of those affected was roughly 40, Venkatesh added.

“This has big economic impacts,” Venkatesh said. “It also has impacts on those people individually in terms of their own income security and their ability to care for themselves and their families.”

Results also show that those most stricken by Long COVID are more likely to be unable to work.

The study focused on long-term data gathered on more than 6,000 COVID-19 patients at eight study sites in Illinois, Connecticut, Washington, Pennsylvania, Texas and California.

Among the nearly 3,000 participants who were employed prior to the pandemic, almost 10% reported having five or more symptoms of Long COVID months after their initial infection, researchers said.

“This number was important because we’ve shown in previous studies that the number of symptoms someone has after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be more indicative of how severe their Long COVID is,” Venkatesh said.

Those with five or more symptoms were more than twice as likely to not return to work than COVID patients with no long-term symptoms, results showed.

These findings, published recently in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest that people with Long COVID might need the same sort of economic relief and support that was provided to people during the pandemic, Venkatesh argued.

“Given the millions of people who have had COVID-19 in the United States and the millions of people that report prolonged symptoms, this is not a small problem,” said Venkatesh. “So, it does require big interventions.”