Medical

In an effort to do the right thing for their health, more than 17 million Americans could actually be getting poor blood pressure readings from at-home kits with ill-fitting cuffs. This can have serious implications for nearly 7% of US adults.

Many people still often wear masks, either to keep from spreading viruses that they've got, or to manage a respiratory problem. An experimental new mask takes things a step further, by analyzing its wearer's breath to check their state of health.

A new injectable, temporary pacemaker could help correct a heart arrhythmia in an emergency. This nanoparticle gel can regulate the heart’s electrical signals for up to five days before dissolving harmlessly in the body.

Currently, when doctors wish to continuously monitor a patient's blood pressure, they insert a catheter into one of the individual's arteries. There could soon be a safer alternative, however, and it was inspired by the tuning of guitar strings.

For babies born with a certain heart defect, implantation of a "shunt" is essential to their survival. A new type of shunt can be expanded using light after it's been implanted, potentially eliminating the need for more heart surgeries down the road.

A severe brain injury can leave patients unresponsive to stimuli, but they may be more aware than we realize. A new study of brain activity has shown that up to a quarter of unresponsive patients may exhibit “hidden consciousness.”

We were this close to seeing Ecstasy being incorporated into therapy in the US in 2024. Now, we have to wait either a little or a lot – depending on how the chips fall. Let's have a closer look at where we're currently at.

While titanium hip and knee implants do restore mobility to a great many people, they're still subject to failure. A new alloy could help change that, simply by adding a smidge of bendy, bacteria-killing gallium to the mix.

For some time now, scientists have known that electrical stimulation speeds the healing of chronic wounds. A thin, flexible, inexpensive new bandage delivers that healing current right to the wound site, and it's activated simply by adding water.

Scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to new treatment options for celiac patients. The team identified how and where the gluten response begins, with certain cells playing a bigger role than thought.

Two innovative new developments have demonstrated that degraded cartilage can be regrown, first with 'dancing molecules' that target the protein needed for tissue regeneration, secondly with a hybrid biomaterial that stimulates cartilage growth.

More than 15 million Americans are putting their liver at serious risk, simply by trying to better their health. New research has revealed the extent of the damage caused by overuse of six supplements including turmeric, green tea and ashwagandha.

A new medical 3D-printing method has been developed that takes its cues from the way tangles of worms interact in nature. The resultant material produced could patch up leaky heart parts or stabilize spinal discs, among other applications.

For the first time, the fully mechanical heart made by BiVACOR, which uses the same technology as high-speed rail lines, has been implanted inside a human being. The feat marks a major step in keeping people alive as they wait for heart transplants.

In a fascinating discovery, scientists have pinpointed just what happens in our brains when we're expecting pain relief but are unknowingly given a placebo. It reveals just how powerful the mind is in moderating physiological responses such as pain.