For the others, good hygiene, safe distancing, and perhaps, wearing a mask will suffice. — Since May 7 — the day monkeypox made it to global headlines with its unusual appearance in non-endemic continents — over 1600 cases are now confirmed in 35 countries, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to raise its concern over the outbreak. While experts, including the World Health…

Statistically significant doesn’t necessarily mean clinically significant. — Grapefruits are known for being nutritionally dense, especially with vitamins and minerals believed to help with weight management, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of kidney stones. But while well-known for its health-promoting effects, grapefruit is also notorious for interacting with certain medications. For example, statin, a drug…

A conclusion from four meta-analyses. Physical activity and the brain. A search on Google and it will immediately conjure up a series of brain health benefits physical activity has to offer: from improving your mood to increasing your focus and attention to preventing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. But which type…

For the general healthy population, a healthy lifestyle alone is sufficient. In some cases, however, statins can save lives. — Statins save lives, and most experts will agree. Because it helps reduce the risk of getting heart diseases that have, so far, taken almost 18 million lives away. And it does so by lowering the LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. …

And how we can exploit bacteria’s immune system for gene therapy — In 1987, molecular biologists Ishino Yoshizumi and colleagues at Osaka University were studying the iap gene — a gene that is involved in biochemical reactions — in a bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli). While mapping the gene‘s sequence, they noticed something puzzling. “An unusual structure was found in the 3'-end…

And why we could be wrong about how Alzheimer’s disease progress. — Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is caused by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that disrupts nerve cell (neuron) functions, causing brain cell death and subsequent cognitive impairments. The formation of plaques and tangles is believed to stem from the accumulation of a protein called amyloid-beta (Aβ). Interestingly, a recent…

Blood Compatibility is crucial for successful organ transplantations. Using two enzymes, it is possible to convert blood-match incompatible lungs to universally-accepted lungs. — Finding a compatible donor organ for transplantation is notoriously difficult. Ideally, organs should be allocated based on medical urgency. However, failing to meet blood compatibility, among other criteria, often deprives the sickest patients of a lifesaving transplant, particularly patients with blood type O.

Prevention is better than cure. After all, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. Covid-19 vaccines have stolen the limelight since two years ago. But while most of us are focusing on how to prevent Covid-19, a group of researchers from Switzerland and Belgium made it one step closer to…

Rather than just a bad habit, compulsive ice chewing could be a symptom of iron deficiency. — In 829 (9th century), Theophilus was crowned as the new emperor of the Byzantine empire. He was regarded as a worthy leader and was well-respected for his erudition and righteousness. For instance, he would wander disguised in the streets of his capital, Constantinople, talking and listening to the complaints of…