Posts by rw-admin
Cardiovascular Benefits of Using a Sauna
A research group from the University of Eastern Finland has published a series of studies demonstrating regular sauna bathing may be associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a press release. The group’s latest work, published Dec. 21 in the Journal of Human Hypertension, highlights the…
Read MoreFDA Clears First Medical Device Accessory for Apple Watch®
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — AliveCor, the leader in FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (EKG) technology, today announced FDA clearance of KardiaBand in the U.S., allowing Apple Watch users to discreetly capture their EKG anytime, anywhere in order to quickly detect normal sinus heart rhythms and atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common heart arrhythmia. The first FDA-cleared…
Read MoreSoft Robotic Cardiac Assist Device for One-sided Heart Failure
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a novel robotic cardiac assist device designed to assist patients with one-sided heart failure. The device combines soft actuators with a rigid brace that penetrates into the heart’s intraventricular septum, to provide gentle but robust pumping assistance to just one side of the heart, without disturbing the activity…
Read MoreKevlar Cartilage to Help with Joint Injuries
It can be difficult to fully recover from knee injuries or other damage to your joints, if just because there hasn’t been an artificial replacement for cartilage that can withstand as much punishment as the real thing. That may not be an issue in the long run, though: scientists have developed a Kevlar-based hydrogel that behaves like natural cartilage. It mixes…
Read MoreWhen the Doctor’s Mother Has Cancer
“I want you to talk to me like I’m one of your patients, not like I’m your mother.” My mom’s familiar voice came over the car’s speakers via the Bluetooth connection to my phone as I drove home. She had left a voicemail an hour earlier asking me to call her back, which was never…
Read More$3.5B Invested In Digital Health So Far In 2017. Where Is The Industry Going?
Investors in digital health have been busy this year. In the first half of 2017, 188 startups took in $3.5 billion in investments—a record-setting amount. It’s not hard to see why. Patients and providers are both looking to digital health tools to get better treatment and improve the relationship dynamic. With all that money flowing into…
Read MoreNew “Ultrasound on a Chip” Tool Could Revolutionize Medical Imaging
Jonathan Rothberg, a entrepreneur who prides himself on drastically disrupting the biomedical industry every so often, has typically big claims for his new product. The Butterfly iQ, a cheap handheld ultrasound tool with AI smarts tucked inside, will 1) revolutionize medical imaging in hospitals and clinics, 2) change the game in global health, and 3) eventually…
Read MoreNew Wound Care Product Offers the Next Step in Healing
A new antimicrobial wound dressing that uses a patient’s cells to regenerate lost tissue may soon replace antiseptics, stitches, and skin grafts now used to treat chronic wounds. The dressing promises to reduce the risk of scarring and infection while making the healing process less agonizing than it is today. The dressing combines a patient-derived…
Read MoreConcussions – Lasting Effects Even After You Feel Better
In Canada, many kids are on ice skates before they can walk. But they don’t get to start slamming into each other until they’re around 11 when they can sign up for full contact hockey. Unsurprisingly, that’s also the age when the baby Wayne Gretzky’s start getting their first concussions. If they take a knock, the puck-hungry…
Read MoreManipulating Genetic Code
Scientists have demonstrated an “incredibly powerful” ability to manipulate the building blocks of life in two separate studies. One altered the order of atoms in DNA to rewrite the human genetic code and the instructions for life. The other edited RNA, which is a chemical cousin of DNA and unlocks the information in the genetic…
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