News for Healthier Living

Unveiling the Brain's Reward Circuitry

A research team - co-led by Penn Nursing - has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the complex neural circuitry underlying reward and addiction by identifying 34 distinct subtypes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain region involved in pleasure and motivation. The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports by Nature, offer insights into the diversity of these neurons and their potential roles in substance use disorders.

August 14, 2024

September 10 2024

• U.S. Suicide Rates Rise in Less Affluent Areas
• Asthma Could Raise Miscarriage, Infertility Risks for Women: Study
• Could a Pill Help Ease Sleep Apnea?
• Pandemic Isolation May Have Caused Rapid Brain Aging in Teen Girls
• Apple Will Sell Air Pods With Hearing Aids Built In
• New Study Shows that Chronic Neurodegeneration can be Prevented after Traumatic Brain Injury
• Exercising Can Help You Have Healthier Belly Fat
• Chronic Steroid Use Could Raise Diabetes Risk
• Asthma Risk Doubles in People With Diabetes
• Voice Changes Warn of COPD Flare-Ups
• Falling for Financial Scams Could Be Early Alzheimer's Sign
• Libido Can Drop After Menopause, But This Therapy Can Help

September 9 2024

• Princess Kate Says She Has Completed Chemo, Resuming 'Light' Duties
• Biden Administration Issues Rules Making Mental Health Care More Accessible
• He's Doing Great a Year After World's First Eye and Partial Face Transplant
• Salmonella Tied to Eggs Sickens 65 in Nine States
• Missouri Patient Hospitalized With Bird Flu Had No Known Contact With Animals
• 'Night Owls' More Prone to Type 2 Diabetes
• Obesity Raises Risk of Severe Infection, Especially in People With Diabetes
• Stopping a Bird Flu Epidemic: What Experts Say Must Be Done
• Vaping Could Make Young Adults Physically Weaker
• Moms, Don't Meddle With Your Kids' Friends: It'll Only Make Things Worse
• Flying Could Upset Insulin Pump Function for Type 1 Diabetics
• Men Often Confused About Prostate Cancer Screening, Survey Shows
• Wegovy, Ozempic May Someday Be Given as Once-Monthly Injection

September 8 2024

• Healthy Tips to Protect Your Eyes' Retinas as You Age

September 7 2024

• Everything You Need to Know About Breast Density, From the Experts

September 6 2024

• First Doses of Mpox Vaccine Reach Africa, But Many More Are Needed
• Seeing Through: Scientists Use Food Dye to Render Mouse Skin Transparent
• Gun Deaths to Children and Teens Have Risen in Almost All States
• Too Much Light at Night Linked to Higher Alzheimer's Risk
• Almost 1 in 4 U.S. Adults Under 40 Have High Blood Pressure
• Exposure to PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in Pregnancy Could Boost Long-Term Obesity Risk
• Cuffs on At-Home Blood Pressure Monitors Don't Fit Some Patients
• Brain's Wiring May Trigger Depression in Some People
• Saltwater Drops in Nose Could Shorten Kids' Colds
• Gene Therapy Reverses a Rare Cause of Vision Loss

September 5 2024

• U.S. Youth Vaping Drops to Lowest Level in a Decade
• Amid Shortages, U.S. Allows Expanded Production of ADHD Drug Vyvanse
• States With Strictest Abortion Laws Offer Least Family Support: Study
• Most U.S. Seniors Prescribed at Least 1 Drug, But Many Skip Meds Due to Cost
• Dirty Air Could Harm Men's Fertility, Noise Could Harm Women's
• Marijuana Use Raises Workers' Absenteeism Rate: Study
• The 3 Best Ways to Stop Smoking, Rated by Science
• New 'AI Stethoscope' Can Spot Pregnancy-Linked Heart Failure
• Both Dogs and Cats Can Love a Game of 'Fetch,' Study Finds
• Ketamine Can Fight Depression, But Pregnant Women Face Risks
• Map Shows U.S. Areas Where Amputation for Poor Leg Circulation Is High

September 4 2024

• Moderna's mRNA- Based Mpox Vaccine Shows Promise in Monkey Trial
• No Link Between Cellphone Use, Brain Cancer, Major Report Finds
• Wearable Heart Monitor Ups Detection of A-fib by More Than 50%
• Folks Who Cope, Adapt Do Well in Old Age: Study
• 3-in-1 Blood Pressure Pill Could Be Treatment Advance
• California's Drought Cycles Raise Threat of Dangerous Airborne Fungus
• Could Your Cellphone Be Harming Your Heart?
• Your Health Monitored at the Touch of a Finger
• Gut Bugs Could Play Role in Chronic Constipation
• Study Debunks Theory Linking Autism to Changes in Brain's Amygdala

September 3 2024

• ADLM publishes new guidance on lipid testing to improve care for patients with cardiovascular disease
• Ozempic, Wegovy Won't Raise User's Suicide Risk, Study Finds
• UC-Irvine led study identifies therapeutic targets for veterans with Gulf War illness
• Scientists Identify Potential New Immune System Target to Head Off the Spread of Breast Cancer Cells
• Penn study finds taking semaglutide for weight management does not increase risk of depression or suicidal behavior in people without known major psychopathology
• Study: racial and ethnic designation inaccuracies in children's medical records may impede equity efforts
• Computer model boosts detection of cell-to-cell communication
• Pregnancy-related heart failure is under-detected; AI-enabled stethoscope helped doctors diagnose twice as many cases
• What Is the EEE Mosquito-Borne Virus?
• MSK Research Highlights, September 3, 2024
• #SolvePainTogether Pain Awareness Month Initiative Explores Full Experience of Chronic Pain
• Depressed Adolescents Twice as Likely to Take Up Vaping
• Taking Wegovy, Zepbound? One Expert Has Dietary Advice
• New High-Tech Mask Uses Breath to Check Your Health
• Researchers Pinpoint Genes Behind Form of Early Menopause
• Dangerous Airborne Fungus Boosted by California Droughts
• False-Positive Mammogram Result Has Many Women Quitting Mammography
• Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors Can Lag in School -- Interventions Can Help
• Finger wrap uses sweat to provide health monitoring at your fingertips--literally

September 2 2024

• Can wearable activity trackers detect disease?
• False-positive mammography result may discourage women from subsequent screening
• Individualized acupuncture shows long-term efficacy in reducing chronic neck pain
• Researchers find substantial variations in performance characteristics between fecal immunochemical tests
• U.S. lags behind European countries in time from drug approval to reimbursement
• False-positive mammogram results discourage some women from future screenings
• New Blood Test Could Predict Women's 30-year Risk for Heart Disease
• Cold Weather Raises Heart Attack Risk
• Endometriosis Linked to Higher Heart Risks for Women
• Sepsis Survivors Remain in Danger of Re-Hospitalization
• Rare genetic variants linked to bicuspid aortic valve disease in young adults identified by UTHealth Houston researchers
• Struggling with tech? User interfaces are too complex for many -- and it's widening the digital divide

September 1 2024

• Follow These Steps to Tasty, Healthy School Lunches
• Sepsis Survivors Remain at Risk for Readmission
• SGLT2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin Is Shown to Be Safe and Effective for Treating Patients Who Have Suffered a Heart Attack
• September 2024 Issue of Neurosurgical Focus: "Focused Ultrasound: Current and Future Indications"

August 31 2024

• Everything You Need to Know About Insulin
• Synchronous removal of Cr(VI) and antibiotics using a novel photocatalyst

August 30 2024

• Study suggests gun-free zones do not attract mass shootings
• Unexpected Medical Bill? Challenging It Often Brings Results, Study Finds
• Ozempic, Wegovy Have Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss, Studies Find
• New discoveries about how mosquitoes mate may help the fight against malaria
• Buying Smokes? Everyone Under 30 Now Must Show ID
• School-Based Mindfulness Programs May Boost Kids' Mental Health
• Depression Might Sometimes Be Early Sign of Alzheimer's Disease
• Antibiotic Overuse in Nursing Homes Could Foster 'Superbugs'
• New Medical Technology Lights Up Bacteria Hiding in Wounds
• Traveling With a Loved One With Alzheimer's This Long Weekend? Experts Have Tips
• Billions of the World's People Deficient in Essential Micronutrients
• Rural Hospitals Especially Vulnerable to Ransomware Attacks
• Novel chemical tool aims to streamline drug-making process

August 29 2024

• Cal State Fullerton Named in Washington Monthly's Top 20 'Best Bang for the Buck' Colleges: West in 2024
• MSU researchers find regional variations in concussion diagnoses
• Physical health has its yardsticks. Mental health is still searching for the right ruler
• First Cluster of Cases of Human Bird Flu Detected at Colorado Poultry Facilities
• Analysis Shows How Unproven Therapeutics Were Portrayed in the Media During the Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic
• New anti-cancer 'degrader' targets protein essential to infant leukemia
• Machine learning predicts which patients will continue taking opioids after hand surgery
• Another Unwanted Gift From Climate Change: More Salmonella
• Gut Microorganism May Play a Role in Constipation
• Johns Hopkins Researchers Identify Key Markers in Pancreatic Cancer Progression Using a New Analysis Pipeline
• Plastic surgery patients who use marijuana also have elevated nicotine levels
• Combo immunotherapy produces distinct waves of cancer-fighting T cells with each dose
• How You Can Practice Pharmaceutical Safety
• Six More Deaths in Listeria Outbreak Tied to Boar's Head Deli Meats
• Weekend Catch-Up Sleep Could Do Your Heart Good
• Why Breast Feeding May Be Even Healthier for Heavier New Moms
• Experts Warn of Unsafe Fake Children's Car Seats Sold Online
• Migraine Drug Ubrelvy May Stop Headaches Before They Start
• Pregnancy After 'Tubes Tied' Sterilization Is More Common Than Thought
• Just Cutting Down on Smoking Won't Help Your Heart, Study Finds
• Evidence Supports Classroom Cellphone Bans, Expert Says
• A bacterial defense with potential application in genome editing
• Borderzone Breakthrough: A new source of cardiac inflammation
• Bridging the chasm between technology and clinicians

August 28 2024

• Cedars-Sinai Advances Research That Could Aid Early Alzheimer's Diagnosis
• New Study: Drug May Stop Migraines Before Headache Starts
• U.S. Surgeon General Calls Parental Stress an Urgent Public Health Issue
• It's Safer to Donate a Kidney Now Than at Any Time in History
• Primary Care Providers Urged to Assist Patients Who Engage in Emotional Eating
• UC Irvine study reveals health impacts of repeated wildfires and smoke exposure
• Diabetes Can Age Your Brain, But Lifestyle Change Can Reverse That
• Substituting lower-wage staff for hospital RNs is a poor business model
• Adding Greenery to Neighborhoods Brings Big Health Boost
• How Do Bats Thrive With Blood Sugar Levels That Would Kill Humans?
• 'Rolling Stop' Laws for Bicyclists Are Safe, Study Suggests
• Study Supports Annual Mammograms for Women Over 40
• Recreational Drug Use Triples Odds for Repeat Heart Crises
• New Lyme Disease Test Could Deliver Results in 20 Minutes
• TRANSCRIPT AND VIDEO AVAILABLE: Classroom Controversies Expert Panel Q&A