Category Health/Medical

An uncooked rib roast. Credit: Michael C. Berch/Wikipedia

Sausages, ham and other processed meats cause bowel cancer, and red meat “probably” does too, a UN agency warned Monday, in a potentially heavy blow for the fast-growing livestock industry.

A review of 800 studies from around the world found “sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer,” said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The finding, it added, supports “recommendations to limit intake of meat”—particularly in processed forms.

The category includes meat that has been salted, cured, fermented or smoked—hot dogs, sausages, corned beef, dried meat like beef jerky or South African biltong, canned meat or meat-based sauces.

For every 50 grammes (1...

First-ever examination of medications used by astronauts on long-duration missions to the International Space Station: the meds they used, the reasons they used them and how well they said the medicines worked were analyzed. Much of the medicine taken relates to the unusual and confined microgravity environment in which they work or to the actual work that they are doing to complete their missions. Use of sleep aids and incidence of skin rashes were higher than expected. These findings not only help the world’s space agencies anticipate needs for future ISS inhabitants, but also the day-to-day medical needs of those who may take the trip to Mars.

Wotring examined medical records of ISS crewmembers who gave permission to use their data in this study...

>>according to the findings of a preliminary study presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh. Vitamin D, which is both a vitamin and a hormone, helps control levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and is essential for the formation of bones and teeth. Sources of Vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but it can be difficult to get enough through diet alone. Most people generate vitamin D by exposing their skin to UVB rays in sunlight.

Previous studies suggest that vitamin D can block the action of enzyme 11-βHSD1, which is needed to make cortisol. High levels of cortisol may raise blood pressure by restricting arteries, narrowing blood vessels and stimulating the kidneys to retain water...

Spontaneous knee effusion, also known as ‘water on the knee,’ can be a primary symptom of Lyme disease, even when patients do not exhibit a ‘bull’s eye’ rash, another common Lyme disease symptom. According to a literature review, early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can prevent the development of Lyme disease’s more severe symptoms.

Lyme borreliosis, or Lyme disease–the most common vector-borne illness transmitted by insects–is prevalent in the Northeast and upper Midwest regions of the United States. Over 30,000 cases are reported to CDC each year and likely over 300,000 new cases occur but go unreported.

“It is important to catch and treat Lyme disease early because the symptoms get progressively worse over time,” said Elizabeth Matzkin, MD...