Health and Medical Research News

New Medications for Postpartum Depression: Safer Options for Older Mothers

New Medications for Postpartum Depression: Safer Options for Older Mothers

What Did the Research Discover? Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mood disorder that affects many new parents after childbirth. It can cause extreme sadness, hopelessness, and difficulty caring for the baby. Current treatments, such as antidepressants, can take weeks to work and may have side effects. In August 2023, the FDA approved zuranolone, the first...

Gene Therapy Unlocks New Treatment for Inherited Blindness

Gene Therapy Unlocks New Treatment for Inherited Blindness

What did the research discover? Scientists have been studying how changes in genes can lead to problems with vision. These changes affect two important parts of the eye: the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, which help us see. When these parts do not work correctly, they disrupt the way our eyes process images. Right now, there are no approved...

Revolutionary Eye Drops May Offer Future Non-Surgical Treatment for Cataracts

Revolutionary Eye Drops May Offer Future Non-Surgical Treatment for Cataracts

What Did the Research Discover? Cataracts are a leading cause of vision loss worldwide, affecting millions of people. As people age, the risk of developing cataracts increases, and while surgery is effective, it is expensive and not always available in all areas. Because of this, researchers are looking for medications that could help prevent or treat cataracts...

Progress with Artificial Retina Implants in Patients with Macular Degeneration

Progress with Artificial Retina Implants in Patients with Macular Degeneration

What Did the Research Discover? Researchers studied how vision works and what happens when certain parts of the eye stop functioning properly. They focused on the retina, the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye that helps us see by turning light into signals sent to the brain. The study explained how the retina has two types of photoreceptors: cones, which...

Gene Therapy Offers New Hope for Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients

Gene Therapy Offers New Hope for Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients

What Did the Research Discover? Researchers studied retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited eye disease that causes vision loss due to the death of light-sensitive cells in the retina. RP affects about 1 in 5,000 people worldwide, leading to symptoms like night blindness and tunnel vision. The condition is caused by genetic mutations, and more than 90 genes have...

Faster Diagnosis of Acute Bronchitis: AI-Powered Tool Offers Rapid Results

Faster Diagnosis of Acute Bronchitis: AI-Powered Tool Offers Rapid Results

What did the research discover? This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CAPTURE screening tool in identifying undiagnosed, clinically significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care settings. The CAPTURE tool consists of five questions about symptoms and exposure, along with a lung function test for some patients. Researchers analyzed...