Scientists name safest blood thinning drug

Scientists from University College London have named apixaban as the safest blood-thinning drug, Annals of Internal Medicine reported. Patients with atrial fibrillation are prescribed anticoagulants to prevent blood clots and strokes. One of the most common side effects of taking them is gastrointestinal bleeding. In a large-scale new study, researchers looked at data from nearly…

“Bad” cholesterol is dangerous for patients with hypertension

High concentrations of lipoprotein-A, one of the “bad” variations of cholesterol, doubles the risk of strokes and heart attacks in patients with hypertension or persistently high blood pressure, American scientists have found. The work was published in the journal Hypertension, the press service of the American Heart Association (AHA) reported. The researchers monitored the health…

Compounds found in potatoes might treat cancer

Promising compounds for cancer treatment have been found in potatoes. The results of a study by Polish experts from Adam Mickiewicz University were published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology. Scientists analyzed the bioactive composition of potatoes and tomatoes. They found substances called glycoalkaloids, such as solanine, chaconine, solasonine, solamargin and tomatin, in crude plant…

Teens’ brains aged faster during the first year of the pandemic, study says, and stress may be to blame

The brains of US teens have physically changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, aging faster than normal, a new study says. The young study participants also reported more severe symptoms of anxiety, depression and what scientists call internalized problems – meaning feelings of sadness, low self-esteem and fear and trouble regulating their emotions – after the first…

COVID-19 may cause long-term changes in brain structure

Coronavirus infection causes long-term changes in the microstructure of the frontal gyrus and the right side of the intermediate brain, U.S. scientists have found.  These abnormalities persisted in patients even six months after recovery, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Press Service reported. In some cases, the coronavirus infection causes brain abnormalities: fever, temporary…