Is diabetes communicable?

CIFAR Fellows’s paper questions whether diabetes, heart attacks and strokes are actually non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Microbiota (bacteria, viruses, fungi) that spread flu, HIV/AIDS, may also carry NCDs. People with NCDs have damaged microbiota, causing disease when transmitted into healthy animals. Spouses and cohabitants’ shared lifestyles and environments also lead to gut bacteria transfer.
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Expanding Scientific Research to “All of Us”

by Luli Zou figures by Olivia Foster Who benefits from medical research? We would like to think that everyone, regardless of background, has access to new discoveries and therapies. In reality, much of our knowledge about disease and treatment originates from research that does not reflect the diversity of all individuals with the disease. This imbalance stems from a variety of factors, including the same … Continue reading Expanding Scientific Research to “All of Us”

How Our Immune System Causes Heart Attacks (and Cancer)

by Giulia Notarangelo figures by Abagail Burrus A drug that might significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and lung cancer is being hailed by researchers as the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular disease since the introduction of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins over 30 years ago. Despite the fact that drug companies sell over $30 billion worth of statins annually, roughly 600,000 people still … Continue reading How Our Immune System Causes Heart Attacks (and Cancer)

Heart Disease Drug Faces Biggest Test Yet

We just learned a lot more about a drug called Repatha, one of the newest weapons in the war against heart disease.  Heart-related diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for over 30% of global deaths.  One of the major physiological warning signs of heart disease is “bad” cholesterol (LDL), which can clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. … Continue reading Heart Disease Drug Faces Biggest Test Yet

Nature or Nurture: Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

 Women now tend to live longer than their male counterparts in every country in the world, but anatomy alone cannot fully explain why.  Looking to solve this riddle, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently studied how the primary causes of death have changed over the past few centuries.  They found that men and women had comparable life expectancies during the 19th century and that the … Continue reading Nature or Nurture: Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?