Lower indoor home temperatures are associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. A recent study by Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) reports that upgrading thermal insulation in new homes is more cost-effective than retrofitting insulation to existing homes in Japan. This finding could help guide policymakers in subsidizing housing costs to create warmer homes, thus reducing cold-induced hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Brain disorders like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Disease start to develop in patients much earlier than when their first clinical symptoms appear. Treating patients at these early stages could slow or even stop their disease, but there is currently no way to diagnose brain disorders at those pre-symptomatic stages. A collaborative team led by David Walt at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital advanced their technology platform for detecting biomarkers of disease in extracellular vesicles with a critical step that gets them closer to that goal. By enzymatically digesting all surface-bound proteins from a purified EV population, they were able to specifically home in on the PD-specific cargo protein ⍺-synuclein inside of EVs while eliminating unspecific “contaminations.”

Researchers forecast that parts of the Salton Sea’s North Shore are expected to retreat 150 meters by 2030 and an additional 172 meters by 2041 given the current rate of retreat.

A recent randomized controlled trial has shed light on the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment for refractory irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that significantly impacts quality of life and often resists conventional treatment. The multicenter study conducted across China investigated the effects of true acupuncture (TA) versus sham acupuncture (SA) on patients who had not responded to standard therapies. The results indicated that TA could offer significant relief from IBS symptoms, providing a potentially effective alternative treatment option for those suffering from this condition.