Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A one-two punch from science has clearly tagged the mononucleosis virus, Epstein-Barr, as a major cause of multiple sclerosis.The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) appears to trigger multiple sclerosis (MS) by tricking the immune systems of some into attacking their body's own nerve cells, a new study indicates."We demonstrated that a specific protein in EBV mimics a protein in people's brains, and that mimicry is what makes EBV cause multiple sclerosis," explained senior researcher Dr. William Robinson, chief of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in California. This new paper explains the results of a study published recently in the journal Science, in which it was found that MS risk skyrockets 32-fold after a person is infected with...

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Allopurinol, a frequently used gout medication, does not appear to drive up the risk for dying among gout patients who also struggle with chronic kidney disease, new research shows.The finding is based on an analysis of two decades worth of British health records. And it may put to rest recent concerns regarding a well-known drug that both gout patients and kidney disease patients have used for decades to rein in harmfully high uric acid levels."Allopurinol is the most widely used urate-lowering medication," said study author Yuqing Zhang. He's a professor of medicine in residence with the division of rheumatology, allergy, and immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston. The problem, said Zhang, is...

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Belly fat is usually unwelcome, but new research suggests it may actually be good for something: relief from foot pain.A small pilot study suggests that an injection of a patient's own fat cells can help ease the often-excruciating heel pain brought on by a condition known as plantar fasciitis."We take a small amount of fat from an area of excess — like the belly, inner thigh or love handles — and then inject the fat into the bottom of the foot near where the fascia inserts into the heel bone," explained study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Gusenoff. The arch-supporting fascia is a ligament that runs from the heel to the toes.The minimally invasive outpatient procedure is performed under local anesthesia, said Gusenoff, a professor of plastic...

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, are closely connected to heart health. They are affected by everyday actions and rank among the nation's leading causes of death.That's the portrait of brain health that emerges from the American Heart Association's "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2022 Update" published Wednesday in the journal Circulation. It's the first time the annual report has dedicated a chapter to brain health."What we're trying to do is summarize not only, 'How common is this, and is it getting more common?' but also, 'Why does it happen? And how is it related to other aspects of our health?'" said epidemiologist Evan Thacker, an associate professor of public health...