Category Health/Medical

Clues about molecular changes underlying muscle loss tied to aging. In work that could one day help athletes as well as aging adults regenerate tissue more effectively, scientists increased the regeneration of muscle cells in mice by activating the precursors of muscle cells.

One of the many effects of aging is loss of muscle mass, which contributes to disability in older people...

Long-term data gathered from wearables can quicky indicate illness and other abnormalities in a patient’s health. Smartwatches and other wearable devices may be used to sense illness, dehydration and even changes to the red blood cell count, according to biomedical engineers and genomics researchers at Duke University and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The researchers say that, with the help of machine learning, wearable device data on heart rate, body temperature and daily activities may be used to predict health measurements that are typically observed during a clinical blood test. The study appears in Nature Medicine on May 24, 2021.

During a doctor’s office visit, a medical worker usually m...

Having excess pericardial fat — fat aro-und the heart — increases the risk of developing heart failure, especially in women, according to new Mount Sinai research.

Women with high amounts of pericardial fat are twice as likely to develop heart failure, while men are 50 percent more likely, according to the study, published in the May 24 online issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It is the largest study to identify the link between pericardial fat and heart failure, which could potentially lead to early intervention and heart disease prevention.

“For nearly two decades we have known that obesity, based on simple measurement of height and weight, can double one’s risk of heart failure, but now, we have gone a step further by using imaging technology to show...

Scientists have discovered a new role for bile acids: they curb appetite by entering the brain. Their findings provide new insights into the signals and mechanisms by which satiety is controlled and may have implications for treating obesity.

Our brain is usually well protected from uncontrolled influx of molecules from the periphery thanks to the blood-brain barrier, a physical seal of cells lining the blood vessel walls. The hypothalamus, however, is a notable exception to this rule. Characterized by “leaky” blood vessels, this region, located at the base of the brain, is exposed to a variety of circulating bioactive molecules. This anatomical feature also determines its function as a rheostat involved in the coordination of energy sensing and feeding behavior.

Several hormone...