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As the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, medical experts and scientists are pushing for booster shots to ensure optimum protection against SARS-CoV-2. But so far, only Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine has been approved for the third dose, leaving millions of Americans wondering about the length of time it would take for the Moderna and

The change from being a carnivore/omnivore to a vegetarian – or vegan – for some is a sudden ‘conversion.’ One moment they’re happily chomping away at a hamburger and the next moment they’ve seen the light and now lunch is organic kale. For others, it’s a gradual evolution rather than a radical revolution. An example

SAN ANTONIO — When everyone in the room wears face masks, patients may be less likely to get endophthalmitis during intravitreal injections, researchers say. “We can’t eliminate the risk, but we can reduce it,” said Sunir Garg, MD, a professor of ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though physicians and

The monoclonal antibody cocktail AZD7442 (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 and death in high-risk patients by half, becoming the first long-acting monoclonal antibody to show effectiveness at both treating and preventing COVID, manufacturer AstraZeneca said Monday. Topline results of the phase III TACKLE trial found that the cocktail reduced risk of

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a guidance on the people who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine booster shots now that the third doses from Pfizer-BioNTech have arrived.  Why We Need A Booster Shot Although the COVID-19 vaccines are designed to provide protection from the novel coronavirus, their efficacy is known

A first-line thrombectomy approach that combines contact aspiration and stent retrieval techniques does not significantly improve the reperfusion rate compared to stent retrieval alone in patients with acute ischemic stroke and large-vessel occlusion, a newly published study shows. Dr Bertrand Lapergue However, the trial was likely underpowered, so the question of whether the combined approach

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Hypochlorous acid causes less pain than povidone iodine when used as a disinfectant prior to intravitreal injections, researchers say. Povidone iodine is the standard of care, but hypochlorous acid could offer a viable alternative, at least in patients who find povidone iodine unbearable, said Robert L. Avery, MD, of California Retina

The prognosis for future influenza seasons is always uncertain — but this year, it is even more uncertain than usual. While influenza seasons have varied in the past, there were generally some predictable factors. For example, the influenza season typically peaks in the U.S. between December and March. However, the intensity of the influenza season

The likelihood that a child will survive a near-drowning without long-term damage is substantially greater if a bystander attempts a rescue, even if that person doesn’t perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to new research presented October 10 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2021 National Conference. “The extent to which bystander rescue is associated with

Black patients get less visual acuity improvement than White patients when treated with ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema, according to the available data from clinical trials. The difference between the races disappears when the statistics are adjusted for such factors as HbA1c levels. But the findings raise questions that highlight the lack of data on

Back in April 2020, after evaluating a number of diverse data sources including bench studies, clinical trials, and epidemiologic investigations pertaining to the effects of nitric oxide (NO) upon coronaviruses, I appealed to the medical literature and research community to investigate the potential utility of arginine (ARG) supplementation in the prevention of severe COVID-19. At

A comparison of long-term survival between patients who either did or did not undergo permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) revealed no differences, according to results of the SWEDEHEART observational study. The nationwide population-based cohort study included all patients who underwent transfemoral TAVR in Sweden from 2008 to 2018. Most Frequent

Since last year, the pandemic has brought forth many challenges, most of which left us struggling with our mental wellness. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This October 10, as the whole world celebrates World Mental Health Day 2021 to raise mental health awareness, it’s important to know that there’s nothing wrong with seeking

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and ultraviolet (UV) light sterilization effectively remove SARS-CoV-2 particles from the air — the first such evidence in a real-world test, researchers report in the preprint server medRxiv. The journal Nature reported this week that the

WASHINGTON — As Congress continues to struggle with debt ceiling and infrastructure issues, lawmakers continue to work on other bills, including those related to the health workforce. On Thursday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced his co-sponsorship of a bill to increase the number of Medicare-funded graduate medical education (GME) slots by 14,000 over the next

Early in the pandemic, scientists thought “convalescent plasma” might be a way to treat COVID-19. By giving patients the plasma of people who had recovered (or convalesced) from COVID-19, the idea was this antibody-rich infusion would help their immune systems fight infection. It’s a strategy tried, with various degrees of success, for other infectious diseases,

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. A Texas man was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Monday for perpetrating a hoax related to COVID-19 last year. Christopher Charles Perez, 40, was found guilty on two counts of disseminating false information and hoaxes related to biological weapons,

Do you enjoy drinking beer or wine? When consumed in moderation, studies show that enjoying such drinks every now and then can have positive effects on our bodies.  But as too much of anything is bad, make sure that your occasional “drink” doesn’t become a  habit and you just stick to a glass or two. Is Beer Bad for You? As drinking

The shift from medical school to residency has long pushed young doctors to their physical and mental limits. A new comprehensive report proposes a slate of reforms to make the path smoother and give doctors-in-training a stronger foundation to guide them through years of practice. The report, drafted by the Coalition for Physician Accountability’s Undergraduate

Pairing the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib (Ibrance) with fulvestrant as first-line treatment for advanced, hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer did not improve survival compared with standard treatment, the phase II PARSIFAL trial found. Over a median follow-up of 32 months, the primary endpoint of median investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) was 27.9 months in the fulvestrant-palbociclib group versus

I’m a fitness enthusiast. I also adhere to a nutrient-dense, “clean” eating program, which means I minimize my sugar intake and eat a lot of whole foods for the purpose of optimizing my health. You might wonder how effective such a diet and exercise plan would be in the fight against COVID-19, since some have

For people with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), getting their blood pressure down as low as possible could help reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, new research suggests. In a nationwide cohort study of Korean adults with LVH who were followed for more than 11 years, patients with a systolic blood pressure

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, researchers stumbled on an unexpected finding: smokers seemed to be protected from COVID’s worst effects. Initially discovered on a review of hospitalised patients in China, this “smoker’s paradox” was later reported in studies from Italy and France. But it turns out that this wasn’t true, as a massive study out

Most vaccines are given with hypodermic needle injections. But shots aren’t necessarily the most efficient or effective way to deliver a vaccine. Scientists have been experimenting with microneedle patches to painlessly deliver a vaccine into the outermost layer of the skin with dozens of extremely tiny needles coated in the vaccine solution. Now, researchers have

Bariatric surgery patients who opted for sleeve gastrectomy saw a lower risk of death, a new study found. In a retrospective cohort study of nearly 100,000 Medicare patients with severe obesity, those who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy had a lower cumulative mortality incidence over 5 years compared with patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a holiday gathering guidance on its website only to remove it shortly after it caused confusion among medical experts and the general public who read it.  Controversy Over CDC’s Holiday Guidance As the holidays are fast approaching, the public health agency decided to issue a new guidance

Medtronic has updated a previous recall of its MiniMed 600 series insulin pumps to include all with a potentially problematic clear retainer ring, not just those that appear damaged. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Oct. 5 that Medtronic will now replace any MiniMed 600 series pump that has a clear retainer ring with an

If you’re a K-pop fan, then you know how their beaming smiles can easily brighten up anyone’s day. It’s an important part of a K-pop idol’s look.  Here’s a look at the 10 best smiles in K-pop, which may inspire you to improve yours as well. Best Smiles in K-pop 1. Jisoo (Blackpink) Jisoo Photo by Stuart C.