Author Archives: Karely Vega, MD

Vegetables Can Help to Ease Lung Infection

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that molecules in vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower help to maintain a healthy barrier in the lung and ease infection. The AHR — aryl hydrocarbon receptor — is a protein found at barrier sites like the gut and the lung. Natural molecules in cruciferous vegetables — for […]

Platelets Can Replicate Benefits of Exercise

Pre-clinical trials by University of Queensland researchers have found an injection of a specific blood factor can replicate the benefits of exercise in the brain. Dr Odette Leiter and Dr Tara Walker from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute led a team which discovered platelets, the tiny blood cells critical for blood clotting, secrete a protein that […]

Dieting Changes Your Gut Microbiome

Every person’s gut microbiome is unique. Many probiotic supplements sold in grocery stores may not effectively bolster gut health for everyone, she says. The researcher, who specializes in the role of the gut microbiome in obesity and cardiometabolic disease, instead points to the importance of enhancing a diverse microbiome. Research by Stanislawski and others in […]

Mediterranean Lifestyle: Long, Healthy Life

People who adhere to a Mediterranean lifestyle — which includes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; healthy eating habits like limiting added salts and sugars; and habits promoting adequate rest, physical activity, and socialization — have a lower risk of all-cause and cancer mortality, according to a new study led by La […]

Extreme Heat May Hasten Cognitive Decline 

July 2023 was the hottest month on record, with cities like Phoenix experiencing record-breaking heat waves for weeks on end.  A new study finds that ongoing extreme heat can worsen cognitive decline among vulnerable groups — particularly Black older adults and those living in poor neighborhoods. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths […]

Genetically Engineered Vesicles Target Cancer Cells

Nanovesicles can be bioengineered to target cancer cells and deliver treatments directly, according to research at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Two unfortunate facts about chemotherapy: It can harm healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, and many therapeutic targets stay within cancer cells, making them harder to reach. Binghamton University biomedical engineers […]

Digital Puzzle Games for Memory Preservation

Older adults who play digital puzzle games have the same memory abilities as people in their 20s, a new study has shown. The study, from the University of York, also found that adults aged 60 and over who play digital puzzle games had a greater ability to ignore irrelevant distractions, but older adults who played […]

Arterial Stiffness and Blood Pressure

Arterial stiffness is a novel cause of premature heart damage among adolescents, according to a new follow-up study.  The study was conducted in collaboration between Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in the US, the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, and the University of Eastern […]

Research into Use of Diabetes Medication for Treatment of Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Patients with localised prostate cancer have a good chance of survival, but mortality rates among those with advanced, metastatic forms of the condition remain high.  Until now, the precise mechanism behind the spread of the tumour has not been fully explained. But an international research team headed by MedUni Vienna has succeeded in decoding the […]

Study Shows Promise of Gene Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder

A form of gene therapy currently used to treat Parkinson’s disease may dramatically reduce alcohol use among chronic heavy drinkers, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and institutions across the country have found. The study in nonhuman primates showed that implanting a specific type of molecule that induces cell growth effectively resets the brain’s […]