Health

After a decade of work, researchers are closer than ever to a key breakthrough in kidney organ transplants: being able to transfer kidneys from donors with different blood types than the recipients, which could significantly speed up waiting times and save lives. A team from institutions across Canada and China has managed to create a ‘universal’ kidney, which can, in …

A new randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial suggests that a single round of low-dose radiation therapy could offer a safe and effective alternative for people suffering from painful knee osteoarthritis. Participants with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis experienced notable pain reduction and improved mobility within four months of receiving the treatment. The radiation exposure was only a tiny fraction of what …

Health The prevalence of obesity increased by over 20% under the new classification. The corporate offices of Massachusetts General Brigham hospitals in Assembly Square in Somerville. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe A new Mass General Brigham study found a large increase in the number of U.S. adults who meet the new definition of obesity. The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission recently …

Sugar substitutes add sweetness with little effect on blood sugar, helping manage blood sugar levels. Natural options like stevia, monk fruit and allulose are low-calorie and gentle on blood sugar. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame can be safe in moderation but may affect gut health. Blood sugar is a hot topic in the nutrition world—and for good reason. About …

LANGHORNE, PA — A Neshaminy High School student has died of meningitis after suddenly becoming ill, school officials said. Neshaminy High School Principal Stephen Garstka sent a notice to high school families to announce the death of high school senior Ryan Duffy on Tuesday. “Ryan’s family has given us permission to share with you that he became suddenly ill late …

Camarillo-Guerrero, L. F., Almeida, A., Rangel-Pineros, G., Finn, R. D. & Lawley, T. D. Massive expansion of human gut bacteriophage diversity. Cell 184, 1098–1109 (2021). Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  Nayfach, S. et al. Metagenomic compendium of 189,680 DNA viruses from the human gut microbiome. Nat. Microbiol. 6, 960–970 (2021). Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  Gregory, …

Sign up for the Mini Philosophy newsletter A place to pause and reflect on life’s bigger questions, with Big Think’s Jonny Thomson. “The classic example of a hijack is masturbation,” Edward Slingerland tells me. We’re talking about all the evolutionary quirks that humans tend to exploit — the cases where we’re “built” for one purpose, but decide to put that …

A person living in the suburbs of New York City has tested positive for chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus that is more often seen in South America and hasn’t been transmitted on the U.S. mainland in a decade. Health officials said the virus, which often causes fever and joint pain, was identified in a patient on Long Island who started experiencing …

Two months after she was born, Eliana Nachem got a cough that wouldn’t go away. Three weeks later, she also started having runny stool, prompting a visit to her pediatrician. Eliana didn’t have allergies or a gastrointestinal condition; instead, tests pointed to a problem with her immune system. At 4 months old, Eliana received her diagnosis: severe combined immunodeficiency, or …

Seeing a pet grow up is a bittersweet experience that many owners know well. The days may feel long, but the years pass by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, the tiny puppy you once brought home has become a full-grown dog. A viral video from earlier this year captures one Golden Retriever’s transformation, leaving …