“Serendipity” refers to the unexpected discovery of something valuable while searching for something entirely different. Throughout the history of medicine, chance observations have played a surprisingly powerful role in shaping some of our most important treatments. Even in an era increasingly dominated by so called “rational drug design”, serendipity continues to influence medical discovery. Minoxidil provides a classic example. The oral version of the drug was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure. However, physicians began noticing that most patients taking the medication developed increased hair growth. This unexpected observation ultimately led to its development as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia. Low-level laser therapy also emerged through unexpected observation. Early research exploring the effects of low-energy lasers in cancer studies found these technologies did not cause cancer but rather promoted wound healing and promoted hair growth! Perhaps the most famous example of serendipity in medicine is the discovery of penicillin. In 1928, Alexander Fleming observed that a mold contaminating one of his culture plates had killed the surrounding bacteria. This chance observation ultimately launched the antibiotic era. Today, many therapies are developed through careful molecular design and targeted drug development. Nevertheless, serendipity still plays an important role in medicine, reminding us that unexpected observations can still lead to transformative discoveries. An important lesson about serendipity is that chance discoveries rarely occur without a prepared and attentive mind. Unexpected observations appear in laboratories and clinics all the time, but they are often dismissed or overlooked. What makes serendipity powerful is the ability to recognize that something unusual is happening and to pause long enough to explore it. Serendipity, therefore, is not just luck—it requires curiosity, attentiveness, and a preparedness of mind. Will the next big breakthroughs in hair loss be by rationale design or will they be serendipitous discoveries? Source link
Vegan Headaches & Migraine – What You Need To Know
This post may contain affiliate links. Migraine Strong, as an Amazon Affiliate, makes a small percentage from qualified sales made through affiliate links at no cost to you. Many people adopt a vegan diet to improve their health, protect animals, or support the planet. But here’s a surprising twist — some of your favorite vegan foods might actually be triggering headaches or even full-blown migraine attacks. In this guide, you’ll learn: Common vegan food triggers for headaches and migraine. Why migraine is about more than just diet. How to make smart food swaps without giving up your plant-based lifestyle. As a registered dietitian who lives with migraine myself, I’m passionate about helping people use nutrition as a tool for migraine management. While there’s no single “migraine diet” that works for everyone, food changes can help many people reduce migraine frequency and intensity ** While Migraine Strong writes about the latest in migraine treatments, this is not medical advice. We are patient educators and all information you read should be discussed with your doctor. What is the vegan diet? A vegan diet eliminates all animal products — including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs. Meals are typically made up of: Grains and legumes Nuts and seeds Fruits and vegetables #AD Are the vegan diet and the plant-based diet the same? It depends on who you talk to. While veganism is strictly defined, many people think of the plant-based diet as a bit looser. Vegan vs. Plant-Based: What’s the Difference? Vegan diet: Strictly avoids all animal-derived foods. Plant-based diet: Primarily plants, but may occasionally include animal products (like butter, cheese, or fish). Someone may consider themselves a plant-based eater if they use butter or enjoy Caesar salad dressing. Some may consider themselves a plant-based eater even if they steal a few bites of French toast from their kid’s plate or cannot resist ordering a spicy tuna roll when out to dinner. However, other strict vegans just prefer describing themselves as plant-based eaters. Yes, words are important but some use the terms interchangeably. What causes vegan headaches and migraine? The answer is complicated so let’s break it down. The root cause of migraine The root cause of migraine is genetic — your brain’s unique wiring makes you more sensitive to certain triggers. Food doesn’t cause migraine, but it can set off an attack if you’re already prone. Common triggers include stress, hormonal shifts, weather changes, bright light, fragrances — and yes, certain foods. The most common triggers typically cited are stress, weather, hormones, lighting, fragrances and, of course, certain foods. As a dietitian, I love the topic of food triggers as what we choose to put in our mouth is within our control. Professionally, not much makes me happier than helping someone experience an “Ah-ha!” moment when a hidden food trigger becomes the obvious culprit for the dreaded vegan headache. To be clear, food does not cause you to be prone to headaches or to have migraine disease. Food can be a trigger regardless of the way a person eats. Let’s take a closer look at possible reasons a person following a vegan diet may find themselves burdened with headache and/or migraine. The main vegan headache triggers First, it’s important to know that food triggers are unique to the individual. Some people are not triggered by foods. From years of experience in working with people living with migraine, I have found that many people have a small handful of food triggers. You should not read the below and assume you are triggered by all of these foods. Rather, there may be one or two foods that you’d be better off banishing from your life for a while. 1. Highly processed proteins People enjoying a plant-based diet usually look to the protein and fat to give the meal “staying power” and a sense of being satisfied. Plant-based smoothies, shakes and protein bars are very common for breakfast and between meals. Protein powders are often added to a delicious blend of fruits and veggies. The protein not only adds to the nutritional value, it gives the liquid more body and a more pleasing mouthfeel. When certain proteins go through the process of becoming convenient, palatable powders, they naturally become high in substances considered common migraine triggers. The process of pulverizing, liquifying, concentrating, “hydrolyzing” and preparing a marketable powder often makes the proteins into natural glutamate that is similar to MSG. The vegan headache can often be explained by natural glutamate. Fortunately, most people are not sensitive to MSG and natural glutamate. However, many people prone to headaches and migraine episodes cannot tolerate highly processed proteins. The migraine brain is different than the typical brain. Professionally, it has given me great pleasure when merely pointing out this single, common vegan headache trigger and helping someone find lasting relief. Later I will discuss some options for those of you reading this and wondering how to replace your favorite vegan protein powder. 2. Umami ingredients Umami is its own category of taste. It’s often described as a meaty, savory, rich flavor. It’s glutamates like MSG and other naturally-occurring MSG-like components that seem to “wake up the flavor” of many foods and give them a boost. Some Asian cuisines endeavor to develop rich umami by adding fermented soy products like miso or soy sauce. These foods are delicious and satisfying in many vegan meals but can trigger the dreaded headache or full migraine attack. 3. Nuts and legumes It’s enough to make a dietitian cry. Certain wholesome, delicious, unprocessed nuts, peanuts and legumes are considered common migraine triggers. Nuts and legumes are typically key sources of protein in the vegan diet as they are nutrient-dense, portable and convenient. Additionally, they add a great deal of texture and flavor to meals and snacks. Toasted, candied or spiced nuts are often the stars of favorite salads and pasta dishes. 4. Certain fruits and vegetables Onions, avocados, bananas and citrus are often key parts of vegan meals and snacks. Unfortunately, they
Infliximab, immunomodulator therapy lowers surgery risk in Crohn’s
Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: A “top-down” infliximab/immunomodulator therapy reduced long-term risk for abdominal surgery vs. a “step-up” approach in newly diagnosed Crohn’s. It also lowered risk for disease progression and hospitalization. CHICAGO — Early treatment with infliximab and an immunomodulator was associated with more than five times reduced risk for abdominal surgery at 5 years among patients with newly diagnosed Crohn’s disease, according to a presenter. Follow-up PROFILE trial data presented at Digestive Disease Week showed that early control of inflammation during a 48-week treatment period also lowered long-term risk for disease progression and hospitalization. Nurulamin “Nuru” Noor, MD, speaks at Digestive Disease Week. Image: Robert Stott. “Historically, there has been a reluctance among some clinicians to use a ‘top-down’ approach due to potential concerns about overtreatment,” Nurulamin “Nuru” Noor, MD, clinical lecturer in gastroenterology at University of Cambridge, said at the presentation. “Over 5 years follow-up, we found no difference in safety outcomes between the two groups, either for serious infections or malignancies. “Patients receiving ‘top-down’ infliximab from diagnosis had a more than five times lower risk of Crohn’s disease-related abdominal surgery.” Prior data from the randomized, controlled PROFILE trial showed improved clinical outcomes at 48 weeks for patients who received the “top-down” therapy approach with infliximab and an immunomodulator compared with an accelerated “step-up” strategy, or conventional treatment. Noor and colleagues followed 386 participants for a median 5 years after the 48-week visit to evaluate whether early treatment can impact long-term outcomes of Crohn’s disease. They reviewed medical records for abdominal surgeries, hospital admissions and disease progression. Follow-up data were available for 358 patients (93%), of whom 182 received top-down therapy and 176 received step-up therapy. Analysis showed 28 Crohn’s-related abdominal surgeries were required among patients who received step-up therapy compared with six surgeries among those who received top-down therapy (adjusted HR = 5.23: 95% CI, 1.99-13.76). Time to surgery also was earlier in the step-up group. Patients who received top-down therapy were about 2.5 times less likely to experience disease progression and two times less likely to be hospitalized. “Our data suggest that the course of Crohn’s disease can be modified with therapy and this should be considered the standard of care,” Noor said. Published by: Sources/Disclosures Source: Noor N, et al. Profile trial 5-year disease modification outcomes. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 2-5, 2026; Chicago. Disclosures: Noor reports educational or travel grants and/or speaker fees from AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Falk, Ferring, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Co., Medfyle, Pfizer, Pharmacosmos, Spyre, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures. Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Source link
La mejor defensa es un buen ataque: Aquí encontrarás porque deberías recibir una vacuna contra el VRS.
English + Infographic text Slide 2: VRS es la sigla del virus respiratorio sincitial. Es un virus común que causa infecciones en el pulmón y en las vías respiratorias. El VRS usualmente empieza a propagarse en el otoño y llega a su punto máximo en los meses invernales. Slide 3: La mayoría de personas experimentan síntomas moderados similares a los de la gripe y se recuperan en 1 o 2 semanas. Rinitis Congestión Tos Estornudos Sibilancia Fiebre Apetito reducido Slide 4: Pero algunas personas, especialmente bebés y adultos de edades avanzadas, pueden tener infecciones más graves y el VRS podría ser mortal. Las complicaciones que pueden causar dificultad para respirar incluyen: Infecciones de las vías respiratorias Bronquiolitis Neumonía Hipoxia (niveles bajos de oxígeno) Deshidratación Ataques cardíacos y accidentes cardiovasculares Slide 5: Puedes controlar los síntomas del VRS: Tomando antifebriles de venta sin receta Bebiendo muchos líquidos Descansando Si tienes hipertensión o si tomas medicamentos de venta con receta, asegúrate de hablar con tu proveedor de atención médica antes de tomar medicamentos de venta sin receta. Slide 6: El VRS puede empeorar trastornos pulmonares subyacentes tales como EPOC y asma. Las personas que tienen esos trastornos podrían requerir tratamientos para brotes si se contagian del VRS. Slide 7: Habla con tu proveedor de atención médica o ve a una sala de emergencias si: Tienes dificultad para respirar No puedes comer o beber Tienes dolor de pecho Slide 8: La prevención es la mejor medicina. Vacunarse es la mejor forma de protegerse de trastornos respiratorios graves. Slide 9: Las vacunas contra el VRS se recomiendan para: Bebés Adultos de 75 años o más Adultos entre las edades de 50 y 74 años que tienen un mayor riesgo de infecciones graves del VRS Slide 10: Logo Este recurso educativo se preparó con el apoyo de Moderna. Source link
Misdiagnosing Hair Loss: — Donovan Hair Clinic
Diagnosing hair loss can be challenging. Many hair disorders share overlapping clinical features, and subtle differences in history, examination, trichoscopy, and sometimes biopsy are required to arrive at the correct diagnosis. As a result, several hair loss conditions are commonly misdiagnosed in everyday clinical practice. One of the most frequent diagnostic errors occurs when telogen effluvium (TE) or chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) is diagnosed in patients who actually have early androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Patients with early AGA often present with increased shedding, which can easily mimic telogen effluvium. However, careful examination frequently reveals early miniaturization of follicles, particularly along the central scalp or frontal region. Another condition that is frequently misunderstood is short anagen syndrome. Women who report that their hair never seems to grow long are sometimes incorrectly given this diagnosis. In reality, many of these patients have androgenetic alopecia, where progressive follicular miniaturization leads to shorter and finer hairs over time. True short anagen syndrome is relatively uncommon, and distinguishing it from other causes of reduced hair length requires careful evaluation. There is also frequent confusion between short anagen syndrome and loose anagen syndrome. These are distinct conditions with different mechanisms. Alopecia areata incognita is another diagnosis that is often applied too liberally. This condition presents with diffuse shedding and can resemble telogen effluvium. However, most patients referred to me with a presumed diagnosis of alopecia areata incognita ultimately do not have the condition. While certain trichoscopic findings may raise suspicion, a scalp biopsy is generally required to confirm the diagnosis. Finally, fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution (FAPD) is commonly misdiagnosed. Many clinicians incorrectly assume any LPP patient with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) should be laboratory as FAPD. FAPD is a special presentation. Careful history, clinical examination, trichoscopy, and occasionally biopsy are essential tools in avoiding these common diagnostic pitfalls. Source link
Survey launched to explore access to migraine treatment
Share your experience of accessing treatment for migraine in our new survey to help shape our work This week, The Migraine Trust launched a new survey into people’s experience of accessing migraine treatment. Everyone living with migraine should be able to see the right health professionals, get the medicines or treatments they need and be able to use them without too much difficulty. But we know finding the right treatment for migraine can be challenging – from knowing what treatments are available, to trying multiple treatments that don’t work for you, or cause side effects that are difficult to manage. We want to ensure that people living with migraine have fair access to treatments and care. That’s why we’re asking you to share your experiences. If you’re based in the UK and live with migraine, please consider completing our survey. Your voice will help us represent the 1 in 7 people affected by migraine to push for change. Financial support has been provided to The Migraine Trust through grants from Pfizer Ltd and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Ltd, who have had no input or influence into the development and delivery of any activities related to this project. Source link
Social Security Disability and Chronic Pain: Understanding the Claims Process
By Brian Mittman, Markhoff & Mittman, PC Chronic pain can affect every aspect of your life, especially your ability to work. When pain makes work unsustainable, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is designed as a safety net. However, applying for SSDI with chronic pain is complex, since the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not approve claims based on having pain alone. This guide explains, in plain language, how SSA evaluates chronic pain-related claims, how to strengthen your application, and what to expect throughout the process. (This is not legal advice; consult a qualified attorney for personalized help.) Learn more during a FREE webinar, “Preparing for Your Social Security (SSA) Disability Claim,” at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 12. Register today. How SSA Views Pain The SSA does not grant benefits for “pain” itself. Instead, it requires a medically determinable impairment—a diagnosed condition, supported by objective medical evidence such as imaging or lab findings—that could reasonably cause your pain. Examples include spine disorders, neuropathy, inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and other well-documented pain syndromes. Once a qualifying diagnosis is established, SSA looks at your symptoms: how severe and frequent your pain is, how long it has persisted, and how it impacts your ability to function. Your own statements are important, but SSA cross-checks them with your medical records, imaging, physical exams, medication lists, and sometimes reports from family or coworkers. The goal is to see a consistent story of how pain has altered your life—not just a list of medical terms. Crucially, SSDI is not about whether you can push through pain for a short period. It is about whether you can work reliably, full-time, week after week. If pain causes you to miss work, need frequent breaks, or prevents you from maintaining a consistent work schedule, that can be disabling. The Five-Step Disability Evaluation Every adult SSDI claim is reviewed using a five-step “sequential evaluation.” Chronic pain does not change the steps, but it influences how you present your case and the evidence needed at each stage. Step 1: Are You Working Above the Earnings Limit? SSA first checks if you are performing substantial gainful activity (SGA)—earning more than a set monthly amount, which changes yearly. If you are, you are not considered disabled at Step 1, regardless of your pain or diagnoses. If you are not working, or earning below SGA, your claim moves forward. Are you pushing yourself despite your pain because of bills and obligations? When you finally reduce hours or stop altogether, the timing should be supported in the medical records—notes about increased flares, missed days, reduced productivity, not just a sudden work stoppage with no context. Step 2: Do You Have a ‘Severe’ Medically Determinable Impairment? Here, SSA looks for at least one medically determinable impairment that has significantly limited, or is expected to significantly limit, your physical or mental ability to do basic work activities for at least 12 continuous months. Pain, by itself, is not enough; there must be a documented medical condition behind it. Conditions like degenerative disc disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or CRPS, supported by imaging or clinical findings, often meet this requirement. “Severe” means your condition significantly limits basic work activities like standing, walking, lifting, concentrating, or staying on a schedule. For chronic pain, this is where clear documentation starts to matter. If your records show only “doing well” or “stable” with minimal detail, SSA may decide your pain is not severe—even if your day‑to‑day reality is very different. A clear diagnosis along with comments about pain will move you forward. Step 3: Does Your Condition Meet or Equal a “Listing”? SSA maintains a list of impairments (the “Listings”) that are considered automatically disabling if certain criteria are met. There is no Listing for “chronic pain” itself. Some chronic pain conditions, like spine disorders or inflammatory arthritis, may meet a Listing. Other pain syndromes like fibromyalgia rarely do. Even if your condition doesn’t fit a Listing exactly, SSA considers whether your combined symptoms are as severe as a listed impairment. If you do not meet or equal a Listing, Social Security simply moves on to Step 4 to look more closely at what you can still do. Step 4: What is Your RFC—And Can You Do Your Past Relevant Work? SSA will assign you a residual functional capacity (RFC)—its assessment of what you can still do on a regular, sustained basis despite your impairments. This includes: How long you can sit, stand, and walk in a workday How much weight you can lift and carry How often you need to change positions or lie down Whether you can stay focused, concentrate, and keep pace How many days you would likely miss due to flares, fatigue, or medical appointments At Step 4, SSA compares your RFC to the easiest job you have done in the recent 5 years. If they believe you could still perform that job as it’s generally done, you will be found not disabled. If you cannot do that work, then you move on to Step 5. Step 5: Can You Do Any Other Work? If you can’t do your past work, SSA considers your RFC, age, education, and transferable skills to determine if there is other work you could do in the national economy. At this stage, the burden shifts: SSA must show there are jobs you can still perform. This is often where chronic pain cases are decided. SSA may point to sedentary, simple jobs and say, “You can sit and do these.” To overcome that, the record must show that even sedentary work is not sustainable—for example, because you cannot sit long enough, must lie down unpredictably, cannot maintain pace and concentration, or would miss too many days due to flares and treatment. Medication side effects and mental health issues related to pain also play a key role. Again, SSDI is about sustainability, not isolated moments of functioning. If you are just braving it out in short bursts, SSA needs to
How To Keep Your Reproductive System Health & Why
For women, having a healthy reproductive system is not merely important for childbearing. It’s also imperative for overall health, including emotional wellbeing, bone strength, cardiovascular health, immune system, pelvic health, and aging. Your reproductive system is strongly connected to your hormones, which essentially control a lot of your bodily functions. Bottom line? Having a healthy reproductive system is crucial for many different parts of the body. Today, we’re going to look at the various ways that a healthy reproductive system contributes to an overall healthier you, as well as ways in which to keep your reproductive system healthy. Here are 8 different ways your reproductive system works to keep your body healthy. 1. Hormonal Health Firstly, as mentioned, your reproductive system is a major hormone producer… and hormonal balance affects your whole body. For example, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, all produced in the female reproductive system, influence your energy levels and fatigue, mood, anxiety and depression risk, sleep quality, metabolism and weight regulation, sex life, skin, hair, and bone health. When your reproductive system is unhealthy, these hormones can be imbalanced, having a negative effect on all of these things, all the while rippling through every organ system. 2. Fertility & Childbearing Reproductive health is essential before conception as it promotes healthy eggs, regular ovulation, balanced hormones for conception, and a lower risk of miscarriage. During pregnancy, it’s important for proper implantation, placenta development, and reduced risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and low birth weight. 3. Bone Strength & Mobility A woman’s reproductive system, and the hormones it makes, plays an important part in maintaining bone density. For example, if estrogen and testosterone are low, it can increase the risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and chronic joint and back pain. And these ailments can persist for longer than reproductive years. 4. Heart Health When your reproductive hormones are healthy, you should be able to benefit from a more regulated cholesterol, protected blood vessels, and reduced inflammation. When there is a disruption in hormone production, the opposite may occur, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. 5. Emotional Wellbeing Our hormones are strongly linked to our emotional and mental health. When your reproductive hormones aren’t functioning at their best, it may disrupt your brain chemistry. For example, when serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin aren’t in balance, you may experience mood swings, brain fog, anxiety and low levels of motivation, and reduced resilience because of stress. 6. Sexual Health Your reproductive system, when in balance, supports a healthy libido and arousal, allows for comfortable and pain-free penetration, enhances orgasm quality, promotes natural lubrication, and the strengthening of emotional bonding between partners. If you have an unhealthy reproductive system, these factors may suffer, creating issues in your sex life, solo or with a partner. 7. Immune System & Inflammation Your reproductive system regulates your immune system by deciding when it should react strongly or calm down to infections, injuries, and more, and how much inflammation is appropriate. If this is out of balance, and there is chronic inflammation in reproductive organs, it could cause increased fatigue, affect gut health, and raise the risk for an autoimmune issue. 8. Pelvic Health A healthy reproductive system supports pelvic floor strength, bladder and bowel control, and posture and spinal stability. With an unhealthy reproductive system, you could face pain, incontinence, or discomfort in everyday life. Different Ways to Keep Your Reproductive System Healthy We’ve established that having a healthy reproductive system is important for almost all bodily functions. So, here are some ways you can help keep it healthy and functioning optimally. Lifestyle Choices To support your reproductive system, and keep hormones balanced, you could: get 7-9 hours of sleep every night manage stress eat enough calories avoid excess alcohol and caffeine maintain a healthy body fat range enjoy balanced exercise In terms of nutrition, you can focus on nutrient-dense foods that support hormones, eggs, and tissue. For example: Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, fatty fish Protein: eggs, fish, legumes, lean meat, tofu Micronutrients: zinc, iron, folate, selenium, omega-3s. In terms of exercise, moderate, regular activity is best. Chronic overtraining isn’t a good idea, as it can actually hinder your health. You could engage in: Strength training to support testosterone and bone health Cardio for improved blood flow to reproductive organs At the same time, you could experience negative effects when it comes to arousal, orgasm, tissue health, and fertility if you aren’t active, sit for prolonged periods of time, or don’t manage your blood pressure and cholesterol. As per weight management, maintaining a healthy weight, without extremes, is the best way to keep your reproductive system healthy. With severe dieting or obesity, ovulation, menstrual regulation, and libido may be affected. Some other lifestyle choices can disrupt your endocrine hormones. For example, smoking can damage your levels of fertility and cause hormonal damage, and using plastic, pesticides and harsh chemicals are toxins that can be harmful. Additionally, avoid taking unnecessary hormone supplements. Manage Health Conditions If you have any current health conditions, make sure to manage them correctly in hopes of keeping them in control. For example, if you have any infections, make sure to treat them immediately. And for chronic conditions, like diabetes or thyroid issues, regular check ups and medication (if prescribed by your healthcare professional) are essential. Health Screenings For preventative care, routine health screenings are a great idea… even if you don’t have any symptoms. Visiting a gynecologist/healthcare professional for a pap smear, pelvic exam, and hormone testing regularly can help you maintain good reproductive health, and any early detection means that treatment could be more effective with possibly better outcomes. Mental Health Because your hormones play a big part in how you feel mentally, you may be experiencing an unhealthy reproductive system that gives off mental side effects. After all, your mental health directly affects your reproductive health. For example: Listen To Your Body Your body is very intuitive, and it’ll give you signals. It’s important
The Best Defense Is a Good Offense: Here’s Why You Should Get an RSV Vaccine
Español + Flipbook text Slide 2: RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. It’s a common virus that causes infections in the lung and respiratory tract. RSV usually starts spreading in the fall and peaks in the winter months. Slide 3: Most people have mild symptoms similar to cold symptoms and recover in 1–2 weeks. Runny nose Congestion Cough Sneezing Wheezing Fever Reduced appetite Slide 4: But some people, especially infants and older adults, can have more serious infections, and RSV may be life-threatening. Complications that can cause difficulty with breathing include: Respiratory tract infections Bronchiolitis Pneumonia Hypoxia (low oxygen levels) Dehydration Heart attack and stroke Slide 5: You can manage the symptoms of RSV by: Taking over-the-counter fever reducers Drinking plenty of fluids Resting If you have high blood pressure or take prescription medicines, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking over-the-counter medications. Slide 6: RSV can worsen underlying lung conditions like COPD and asthma. People who have those conditions might need treatment for a flareup if they get RSV. Slide 7: Talk to your healthcare provider or go to the emergency department if you: Have trouble breathing Can’t eat or drink Have chest pain Slide 8: Prevention is the best medicine. Getting vaccinated is the best way to stay protected from severe respiratory disease. Slide 9: RSV vaccines are recommended for: Infants Adults ages 75 and older Adults ages 50 to 74 who are at increased risk for severe RSV Slide 10: Logo This educational resource was created with support from Moderna. Source link
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for Hair Loss: Which Lasers are Better — Donovan Hair Clinic
I enjoyed discussions around the topic of low level laser devices for treating hair loss. Low-level light therapy (often called LLLT or “photobiomodulation”) is a non-drug option for androgenetic alopecia that uses red light (roughly 620–670 nm) to stimulate hair follicles. Two recent systematic reviews (one if which was also a meta-analysis) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concluded that the home-use devices can meaningfully increase hair density compared with sham (placebo-like) devices. But how do various types of devices- including laser diode vs LED compare? Nowadays, some devices are based on laser diodes, some LED and some have both!! Let’s review two important recent systematic reviews. First, some definitions! Laser vs LED — what do these terms mean? * Laser (LD = laser diode): emits a highly collimated, narrow-band beam (very “focused” light at a fairly specific wavelength). * LED (light-emitting diode): emits non-coherent, broader-band light that spreads more. Biologically, both aim to trigger follicle “energy” pathways: red light is absorbed by cytochrome-c oxidase in mitochondria, increasing ATP/ROS signaling that can promote cellular activity supportive of hair growth. What the studies show (and which is better)?? Across 7 double-blind RCTs (607 participants), laser therapies improved hair density versus sham with an overall standardized mean difference (SMD) ~1.27. When trials/devices were grouped by light source (LD vs LED) both reviews found a statistically significant difference favoring laser diodes alone over mixed LED+laser devices: * LDs alone: SMD 1.52 (95% CI 1.16–1.88) * LEDs + LDs: SMD 0.85 (95% CI 0.55–1.16) (p=0.043). Based on current RCT level evidence, laser-diode based devices seem a bit better. That said, these are not perfect head-to-head comparisons, follow-up is generally short (≤26 weeks), and LED-only data are limited References 1. Lueangarun S et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2021;14(11):E64–75. 2. Gentile P, Garcovich S. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2024;26(2) #lllt #hairloss #laser #androgeneticalopecia Source link
