Author Archives: Rocio Gallegos, MD

Researchers at Hiroshima University have found periodontitis, a gum disease, can lead to severe problems in the body including the heart. In a new study, the team found a significant correlation between periodontitis and fibrosis, a scarring to an appendage of the heart’s left atrium that can lead to an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. […]

New research shows that the brain and spinal cord scars in people with MS may offer clues to why they develop progressive disability in comparison to related diseases that don’t develop them. In a study researchers and colleagues assessed if inflammation leads to permanent scarring in MS, Aquaporin-4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD) […]

Opioids are the gold standard for treatment of chronic and acute pain; however, their use may result in significant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and constipation. The reasons behind these side effects are not well understood. A new study is the first report of how opioids like morphine cause gastric inflammation. “Because of a […]

Rice engineering students in the StimuSock team designed a sock with a smart insole that can deliver both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and vibration therapy that block pain signals to the brain and provide haptic feedback to help with balance issues, respectively. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 estimates, over […]

In a major Swedish study, researchers have discovered a link between the levels of certain bacteria living in the gut and coronary atherosclerotic plaques.  The new study was based on analyses of gut bacteria and cardiac imaging among 8,973 participants aged 50 to 65 from Uppsala and Malmö without previously known heart disease.  “We found […]

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumococcal disease leads to over three million hospitalizations and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. While vaccines to protect against the bacteria are available, these vaccines are not effective against all strains. Currently, there are very limited treatment options for combating multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae infections. In […]

Obesity is a major public health issue and a disease that affects more than one in 10 adults and increases a person’s risk of developing other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. While many factors can influence the development of obesity, eating patterns and physical activity levels are key contributors. A team at […]

A vibrating capsule designed to stir the colon to action appears to double the ability for adults struggling with debilitating chronic constipation to defecate more normally and without drugs, researchers report. For the study, the nearly inch-long, traditional-shaped capsules with a latex-free plastic shell, which you swallow like any pill, were preprogrammed to induce two-hour […]