NIH Studies Find Severe Symptoms of “Havana Syndrome,” but no Evidence of MRI-Detectable Brain Injury or Biological Abnormalities

Compared to healthy volunteers, affected U.S. government personnel did not exhibit differences that would explain symptoms.

Using advanced imaging techniques and in-depth clinical assessments, a research team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found no significant evidence of MRI-detectable brain injury, nor differences in most clinical measures compared to controls, among a group of federal employees who experienced anomalous health incidents (AHIs).Read full story

The Center for Wound Healing Recognized for Clinical Excellence

Knox Community Hospital recognizes the Center for Wound Healing, a recipient of the Center of Distinction award and the Robert A. Warriner, III, Clinical Excellence award by Healogics®, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services.

The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate of more than 92 percent. Read full story

Delta-8-THC Use Reported by 11% of 12th Graders in 2023

Use of the psychoactive cannabis product is higher in states without existing delta-8 regulations or cannabis legalization, NIH-funded study finds.

Approximately 11% of 12th-grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short), according to an analysis of data(link is external) from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health.Read full story

Topical Solution Halts Tooth Decay in Children

NIH-funded study finds non-invasive application of silver diamine fluoride superior to placebo.

A topical liquid, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), can stop tooth decay in young children, according to a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. The preliminary results, published in Pediatric Dentistry, showed that 54% of cavities stopped progressing after SDF treatment, compared to 21% of those treated with a placebo.Read full story

For Childhood Cancer Survivors, Inherited Genetic Factors Influence Risk of Cancers Later in Life

NIH-led study sheds light on the causes of new cancers among childhood cancer survivors and could have implications for their screening and follow-up

Common inherited genetic factors that predict cancer risk in the general population may also predict elevated risk of new cancers among childhood cancer survivors, according to a study led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.Read full story

Long-Acting HIV Treatment Benefits Adults with Barriers to Daily Pill Taking and Adolescents with Suppressed HIV

NIH-funded research networks provide evidence on cabotegravir and rilpivirine in additional populations.

Long-acting, injectable antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppressed HIV replication better than oral ART in people who had previously experienced challenges taking daily oral regimens and was found safe in adolescents with HIV viral suppression, according to two studies presented today at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver.Read full story

More Than Half of American Indian Youth May Have Abnormal or High Cholesterol

NIH-funded study highlights importance of cholesterol screenings and education.

More than 70% of American Indian young adults aged 20-39 and 50% of American Indian teens have cholesterol levels or elevated fat in the blood that put them at risk for cardiovascular disease, suggests a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.Read full story

Biden-Harris Administration Receives Counteroffers From Drug Companies as Part of Ongoing Negotiations to Lower Drug Prices

HHS also releases new research detailing how the Inflation Reduction Act will improve the health and financial well-being of people with Medicare who live in rural areas.

March 4, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced today that all manufacturers participating in the first cycle of Medicare drug price negotiations have responded with counteroffers.Read full story

Battling Bites

Blocking Mosquito-Borne Diseases

As the days grow longer and warmer, summer fun beckons. Swimming, sports, and picnics go hand in hand with warmer weather. But so do bug bites. Mosquitoes in particular can ruin a day outside. And their bites aren’t just itchy and irritating.Read full story