Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- New research that shows flu viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers and other microscopic particles has implications for the spread of the new coronavirus, scientists say. "It's really shocking to most virologists and epidemiologists that airborne dust, rather than expiratory droplets, can carry influenza virus capable of infecting animals," said lead researcher William Ristenpart. He's a professor in the University of California, Davis' department of chemical engineering. "The implicit assumption is always that airborne transmission occurs because of respiratory droplets emitted by coughing, sneezing or talking. Transmission via dust opens up whole new areas of investigation and has profound implications for how we interpret...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- HIV researchers have long known that in rare cases, patients can naturally suppress the virus without taking medication. Now, a new study offers insight into how the body manages that feat. Researchers said the findings are important because a greater understanding of these rare individuals -- called "elite controllers" -- could aid in the quest for an HIV cure. It's believed that fewer than 0.5% of people with HIV are elite controllers. They have an unusually strong immune response to the virus, and are able to keep it below detectable levels in the blood. "They naturally maintain what other people need ART to do," explained researcher Dr. Mathias Lichterfeld. ART refers to antiretroviral therapy -- the drug "cocktails" which, starting...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- High rates of child and teen obesity could play a growing role in people's risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), British researchers say. Prior research has suggested that 53% of MS risk is directly attributable to environmental factors. For example, up to 1 in 5 cases could be attributed to smoking, the research team noted. Increasingly, obesity is also a big risk factor for the neurological disorder, the new global study found. Researchers analyzed data from four countries -- the United States, Britain, Australia and Russia -- to estimate how much MS risk could be attributed to two modifiable risk factors, youth obesity and smoking. Overall, the data included almost 15,000 people with MS and almost 580,000 without. The study was led by...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- The warnings about vaping – inhaling the vapor of electronic cigarettes – tend to focus on the potential dangers to the heart and lungs. But an increasing amount of research shows the chemicals in e-cigarettes start to inflict damage right where they enter the body: your mouth. Because e-cigarettes are a recent phenomenon, said Dr. Crystal Stinson, assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, "Studies on their impact are really new. But now we have a solid amount of evidence that shows the link between e-cigarettes and poor oral health." Nicotine, whether smoked or vaped, restricts blood flow to the gums, which can contribute to periodontal disease. The fluid in e-cigarettes, which can include propylene...