Tag Health & medicine
Rare disease yields clues about broader brain pathology
Alexander disease is a devastating brain disease that almost nobody has heard of — unless someone in the family is afflicted with it. Alexander disease strikes young or old, and in children destroys white matter in the front of the brain. Many patients, especially those with early onset, have significant intellectual disabilities.
New look identifies crucial clumping of diabetes-causing proteins
People get type 2 diabetes. So do cats. But rats don’t, and neither do dogs. Subtle differences in the shape of proteins protect some and endanger others.
Discovery sheds light on how changes in lungs can hurt the heart
A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers has discovered important biomechanical changes in human arteries that could increase understanding of how pulmonary hypertension leads to heart failure.
Mackie’s goal: use what we’ve learned to help humanity
The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery's monthly Tools for Discovery profile features Rock Mackie, director of the medical devices research group at the Morgridge Institute for Research.
Zinc discovery may shed light on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made a discovery that, if replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have been linked to defective proteins clumping together in the brain.
John Hawks explores how celiac disease evolved
Celiac disease is an evolutionary paradox, says University of Wisconsin–Madison anthropologist John Hawks.
Statewide poll demonstrates overwhelming support for healthy choices
Transform Wisconsin today released findings of a statewide public opinion poll on attitudes toward healthy living and disease prevention. The survey of 600 likely voters in Wisconsin was conducted from Aug. 1-3 by Public Opinion Strategies.
UW-Madison alumnus wins major award for exploring chemistry of the nervous system
Richard Scheller, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.S. in biochemistry in 1974, has shared the 2013 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research for work explaining how messenger chemicals move between nerve cells.
Microbiome and human health workshop
The opportunity to couple this emerging field and a traditional strength of UW–Madison — large longitudinal studies such as the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study; the Beaver Dam Eye Study; MIDUS, Midlife in the United States; and the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort — will be explored in a small, one-day workshop to be sponsored by the Center for Demography of Health and Aging and the Center for Demography and Ecology.
Tasty Solution: Better beverages for people who have trouble swallowing
After having a stroke in 2008, Jan Blume lost the ability to swallow for two full years. As she slowly regained that vital function, she faced a new challenge: drinking the thickened beverages that are recommended for people with swallowing problems, or dysphagia. She found the drinks almost intolerable.
Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen’s success
By any measure, tuberculosis (TB) is a wildly successful pathogen. It infects as many as two billion people in every corner of the world, with a new infection of a human host estimated to occur every second.
Q&A: Adjusting sleep to school start
Getting ready for school includes shopping for new clothes, pencils and notebooks, but there’s another critical step parents can take to get their kids ready: focus on sleep.
Exotic lone star tick making a home in Wisconsin
It's shaping up as a summer like no other for ticks across Wisconsin - including the strongest contingent yet of a bloodsucker new to the state.
With a few questions, pharmacists can make Ramadan’s fast safe for Muslim patients
Nearly a quarter of the world's population is celebrating Ramadan this month, but many of them are fasting in observance of the Muslim holy month at unnecessary risk to their health.