For those suffering from pain related to spinal fractures due to osteoporosis, spinal fusion may not be the answer. Cementing crumbling vertebrae to fuse bones together – called vertebroplasty – is common practice for osteoporosis patients. Over 750,000 vertebroplasty procedures are conducted annually in the United States. According to a task force of the American… Read more
We’ve all seen advertising for genetic testing services, offering insight into your ancestry as well as health based on your genetic code. But Drs. Michael Hochman and Pieter Cohen warn that genetic tests offered directly to consumers without input from a physician or geneticist can be problematic. They note that genetic tests for BRCA mutations… Read more
Innovative Veterinary Care Journal publishes a review of research on the consequences of canine gonadectomy and of methods to sterilize dogs while preserving hormones for long-term health. In the United States, spaying or neutering a dog has become standard practice to reduce pet overpopulation. Yet recent research has shed light on the long-term health impacts… Read more
You’ve probably heard of the “microbiome” in your gut, but did you know that the glands in breast tissue have a microbiome as well? Even more amazing, the breast microbiome can be influenced by what you eat. Scientists at Wake Forest Medical School recently published their findings in Cell Reports on a study conducted in… Read more
Ed Gillis, CEO of Revolution Contraceptives, the social venture company tasked with developing Vasalgel for Parsemus Foundation, traveled to Paris this spring to exchange ideas with other male contraceptive innovators at the second International Congress on Male Contraception. He aimed to network with others in the field, learn about other male contraceptives in development, and… Read more
We regularly hear that obesity is a risk factor for various diseases, and we’re beginning to understand that some diseases have overlapping risk factors and outcomes. For example obesity, type II diabetes, and a diet high in saturated fats are all risk factors for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And recent studies have revealed outcomes… Read more
We’ve all heard that spaying or neutering your dog (gonadectomy, or removal of the gonads, i.e. the ovaries or testes) will help reduce its aggressiveness. However, a recent study including over 13,000 dogs concluded that this assumption is incorrect. In the U.S., veterinarians and animal welfare organizations have long supported gonadectomy as a way to… Read more
High levels of vitamin D have been related to lower levels of breast cancer, report scientists from the University of California San Diego. Expanding on epidemiological studies relating higher cancer levels in individuals with vitamin D deficiency, the current study published in PLOS One utilized data from two randomized and one prospective clinical trials. Postmenopausal women… Read more
Results of the TAILORx clinical study may change the treatment recommendations for women with early-stage breast cancer. A recent report indicated that for most women with an intermediate risk score resulting from the 21-gene expression test, there was no benefit of taking chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy. Authors of the study, which is to be… Read more
Researchers from Ottawa have found that a combination of a flu vaccine and erectile dysfunction drug was able to reduce the number of cancer metastases following tumor removal surgery in a mouse model. While surgery is an effective first step in removing cancerous tumors, the surgery can suppress the immune system – giving an advantage… Read more