Category Biology/Biotechnology

A revolutionary pacemaker that re-establishes the heart’s naturally irregular beat is set to be trialled in New Zealand heart patients this year, following successful animal trials. “Currently, all pacemakers pace the heart metronomically, which means a very steady, even pace. But when you record heart rate in a healthy individual, you see it is constantly on the move,” says Professor Julian Paton, a lead researcher and director of Manaaki Manawa, the Centre for Heart Research at the University of Auckland.

Manaaki Manawa has led the research and the results have just been published in leading journal Basic Resear...

A motorcycle crash left Michel Roccati with complete lower-body paralysis from a devastating spinal cord injury.

That was in 2017.

But now, the Italian native is walking again, courtesy of groundbreaking Swiss research that restores motor function within one day by means of carefully targeted electrical stimulation.

“At the beginning, I was unable to move the muscles of the legs, and I feel nothing,” Roccati recalled recently.

Now he can stand, walk and do stairs. In fact, “everything I have in mind to train I can do with the stimulation,” Roccati said at a press briefing hosted by Nature Medicine, which recently published the findings.

According to the World Health Organization, every year from 250,000 to a half-million people around the world suffer a seriously disabl...

Cardiovascular care essential part of post-infection care. An in-depth analysis of federal health data indicates that people who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications within the first month to a year after infection. Such complications include disruptive heart rhythms, inflammation of the heart, blood clots, stroke, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure or even death.

Such problems occur even among ...

Making time for regular exercise can make your eyes feel better. A team led by researchers from the University of Waterloo discovered that a significant increase in tear secretion and tear film stability after participating in aerobic exercise can be another remedy for relieving dry, itchy eyes.

Every time we blink, our eyes are covered in tear film — an essential protective coating necessary for maintaining healthy ocular function. Healthy tear film comprises three layers-oil, water, and mucin-that work together to hydrate the ocular surface and protect against infection-causing irritants like dust or dirt.

When any part of the tear film becomes unstable, the ocular surface can develop dry spots, causing eye symptoms like itchiness or stinging and burning sensations.

“With s...