Naegleria Fowleri Symptoms

High-dose vitamin D supplements taken once a month may lower the likelihood of heart attack or other major cardiac events in people ages 60 and up, according to a large new study published this week in The BMJ . Although the level of risk reduction was small, researchers discovered that vitamin D supplementation may cut the incidence of heart attack and the need for coronary revascularization (procedures which restore blood flow to areas of your heart that aren't getting enough blood). Does Vitamin D Actually Offer Any Heart-Protective Benefits? So far, research on the heart benefits of vitamin D have been mixed. Study authors mentioned that some previous trials have indicated that supplementation does not prevent heart trouble. A analysis published in 2019 in JAMA Cardiology , which included 21 clinical trials and more than 83,000 participants, concluded that vitamin D supplements do not reduce the risk of having or dying from a heart attack or stroke. "These [latest] finding...

A rising burden in cardiovascular risk factors among younger U.S. adults, particularly those from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups, calls for stepped up screening and treatment among this population. "We are witnessing a smoldering public health crisis that could result in a tsunami of cardiovascular disease over the long-term," said Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, the senior author of a study published in JAMA ® examining cardiovascular health trends in young adults over the course of a decade, focusing on metrics such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. "As a medical community, we need to double down on our efforts to ensure that young adults receive guideline-directed screening and treatment for cardiovascular risk factors," said Dr. Wadhera, section head of health policy and equity at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He also is assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Me...

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, gives the latest on Candida auris, Marburg Virus Disease, and eye drops from EzriCare and Delsam Pharma. Candida auris – Can't We Get a Break? We've all heard much about this for a while, so I won't spend too much time on it. Still, the lack of attention that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and health care-associated infections (HAIs) get is baffling. A fungal infection we frequently see in health care, Candida auris , is an opportunistic bug rapidly spreading across the United States. The CDC has increasingly shared concerns about this urgent public health threat that spread "at an alarming rate" during the pandemic. Some areas report significant upticks in cases, and 2021, there was a 200% increase in cases. You can keep tabs on the spread of it here. We've seen reports about the rise in AMR since the COVID-19 pandemic. This new attention helps raise awareness; we mustn't lose traction on prevention efforts like stric...

Federal stimulus checks to help Americans struggling financially may be a thing of the past. But some states are still distributing payments to their residents to help them cope with the high cost of living. Here, Newsweek rounds up seven states where Americans are being sent payments. California California began sending out payments as part of its Middle Class Tax Refund last fall. Almost 32 million taxpayers and their dependents have benefits from payments of up to $1,050, according to the state's Franchise Tax Board. But earlier this year, it emerged that more than a million Californians had not activated debit cards that contained their payments. The cards expire in 2026. Recipients who have not activated their card will receive a reminder letter with instructions on activating their debit card. Those who received those letters but don't have the debit cards can contact Money Network at 1-800-240-0223 to claim their payment. People shop at a supermarket in Montebello, Ca...

Meningitis causes inflammation and swelling of the meninges , which are protective linings around the brain and spinal cord. Most cases of meningitis are caused by a viral or bacterial infection that makes its way into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and triggers meningeal inflammation. However, other microorganisms and noninfectious causes can also result in meningitis. Viral meningitis is caused by viruses like non-polio enteroviruses, herpes simplex virus, West Nile virus, or influenza (the flu). Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria such as Neisseria meningitidis (mengococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), and Group B streptococcus (Group B strep). Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics; viral meningitis won't benefit from antibiotic treatments but usually clears itself. A healthcare provider is needed to diagnose the type of meningitis and appropriate treatment. Although bacterial meningitis is less common than the v...

Philip Bump, The Washington Post: Yes, I mean, I mean, one of the reasons, obviously, also that the United States is getting older is that we had this massive surge in birth from 1946 to 1964 that we call the Baby Boom, right? This is this massive influx of new Americans all in the same age range. Now, the size of the Baby Boom has changed over time, both because immigration laws were loosened after the Baby Boom itself and, of course, because people die over time. But this is also a continuation of the pattern that we saw originating with the Baby Boom, back in the 1940s. So, you have this big cluster of people all in the same age group that are reaching age milestones together. And when you think about the year in which there were the most births was 1957, you add 65 to that, the retirement age, and you get 2022. So we're right at this apex of the Baby Boomers retiring as well. The Baby Boom was also a very heavily white generation. Immigration was restricted by law...

This transcript has been edited for clarity. For more episodes, download the Medscape app or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast provider. Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH: Hello, I'm Dr Ann Partridge and welcome to Medscape's InDiscussion series on Cancer Survivorship. Today, we'll discuss psychosocial and psychological adjustment in cancer survivorship, and I'm pleased to introduce my guest, Dr Donald Rosenstein. Dr Rosenstein is director of the Comprehensive Cancer Support Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine. He also serves as division head of general adult psychiatry. Welcome, Don, to InDiscussion. Donald L. Rosenstein, MD: It's great to be here, Ann. Thanks so much for having me. Partridge: I'm excited to speak with you. And one of the things I'd like to do first is pick your br...

Credit: Fernandolive on Wikimedia Commons Could a dose of hookworms provide a medication-free alternative to people with inflammatory bowel disease? The Malaghan Institute's Hookworm Therapy team, who recently published the results from their year-long clinical study, think it's possible. Published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases , the feasibility study found that hookworms were a safe and long-lasting treatment for participants with ulcerative colitis—paving the way for wider clinical studies. The Malaghan Institute has been exploring the potential therapeutic benefits of human hookworms for patients suffering allergic and inflammatory disease for a number of years. This current study was the first of its kind to investigate whether hookworms could offer a ...

The district of Ahmednagar, in Maharashtra, has been renamed to Ahilyanagar. But what has not changed is the story of how it originated. That the site was identified by the spot where a hare turned around and fought a hunting hound. This story comes from the 15th century. Similar stories are told to explain the origin of other cities such as Vijaynagar, in Karnataka, in the 13th century, and the city of Anahilawad, in Gujarat, in the 8th century. In Hindu mythology, the difference between nature and culture is this. In nature, the predator eats the prey, the hound hunts the hare. But in culture, the prey will fight back and will not be reduced to food. The hare will not be intimidated. In Vedic literature, a king is supposed to help the weak, protect the small fish from the big fish, a story that makes its way to the story of Vishnu's matsya (fish) avatar. But when a king fails to do this, the prey has to protect itself - fight back like the hare turning around to fight rather than...

Abstract In developing countries, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection is still significant, particularly due to geographical and socioeconomic variables. The objective of this study was to map the distribution pattern of intestinal parasitic infection in a cohort of the Egyptian population, as well as to assess associated risk factors. A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted on 386 patients. A single fecal specimen was collected from the study individual and examined microscopically for the detection of parasitic infection. DNA was extracted from all samples and utilized to amplify Entamoeba histolytica complex species , Cryptosporidium species, Giardia intestinalis assemblages, and Blastocystis species using PCRs. Typing of Cryptosporidium species and Giardia intestinalis assemblages was performed using restriction enzymes RasI and HaeIII respectively. While Blastocystis spp. subtypes (ST) were identified through sequencing of PCR products and phylo...