Latest news with #MayoClinic
Screen Geek
40 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
'The Boys' Star Erin Moriarty Shares Graves' Disease Diagnosis
The Boys star Erin Moriarty has shared some serious news on social media. According to Erin Moriarty, who plays the fan-favorite character Starlight in the hit Amazon Prime series The Boys , she has been officially diagnosed with Graves' disease. Moriarty made the announcement via Instagram, where she also took the opportunity to share some words of inspiration for others that might be dealing with similar health issues. 'Autoimmune disease manifests differently in everybody/every body,' she opens her statement with. 'Your experience will be different from mine. My experience will be different from yours. Perhaps greatly, perhaps minutely,' she adds. 'One thing I can say: if I hadn't chalked it all up to stress and fatigue, I would've caught this sooner.' At this point, Erin Moriarty explains the situation with his Graves' disease diagnosis: 'A month ago, I was diagnosed with Graves' disease. Within 24 hours of beginning treatment, I felt the light coming back on. It's been increasing in strength ever since. If yours is dimming, even slightly, go get checked. Don't 'suck it up' and transcend suffering; you deserve to be comfy. Shit's hard enough as is.' Graves' disease is an immune system condition that specifically effects the thyroid gland. As shared via Mayo Clinic, it 'causes the body to make too much thyroid hormone.' Although these diagnoses are certainly unfortunate news for anyone that receives them, it's nice seeing Moriarty is already feeling better and receiving the care that she needs to battle the disease. Likewise, it's nice to see her share words of wisdom for anyone dealing with similar situations. It absolutely is hard enough without the opportunity to feel comfortable with your personal health. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Erin Moriarty and the Amazon Prime series The Boys as we have them. The Boys will return for a fifth and final season that has yet to receive an official release date, with several spin-off projects also in the works.
Fast Company
13 hours ago
- Health
- Fast Company
Ear wax may hold the key to early Parkinson's diagnosis
An unlikely body byproduct may be able to help doctors diagnose Parkinson's Disease early. According to a new Chinese study, which was published in Analytical Chemistry, ear canal secretion, or ear wax, contain chemical compounds which can be telltale signs of Parkinson's. During the study, researchers examined ear canal secretions from 209 people. About half (108 of the participants) had Parkinson's. In their examinations, scientists were able to identify four volatile organic compounds (VOC) that were notably different in those with the disease. Those compounds, or biomarkers, were ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. The scientists then trained an artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO) system on the biomarker data. And once training was complete, the AIO system was able to successfully determine which patients had Parkinson's and which did not. The system was accurate 94% of the time. Currently, Parkinson's is a tough disease to diagnose. According to Mayo Clinic, it requires expensive imaging, neurological tests, blood tests, genetic testing, and more. And often, a diagnosis is still often not conclusive. Likewise, treatment is a work-in-progress, with current therapies aimed at slowing progression rather than curing it. Therefore, ear wax testing could be a breakthrough first-step screening tool that's inexpensive, noninvasive, and accessible. The researchers who worked on the study say the findings are a major step in Parkinson's early detection, which currently, doesn't exist, but that more research is needed. 'This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China,' study coauthor Hao Dong said in a press release. Hoa Dong continued, 'The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value.'
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
Jenna Bush Hager reveals topless sunbathing once left her chest green — dermatologist reveals why
Here's another reason to slather on some SPF this summer — especially if you're planning to bare it all. Jenna Bush Hager revealed this week that a trip to a topless beach in Spain during high school left her so scorched, her chest turned green. 'If you get burned, it's not pretty,' the 43-year-old 'Today With Jenna & Friends' co-host told actress Leslie Bibb on Tuesday's episode. 5 Actress Leslie Bibb appeared on the June 16 episode of 'Today With Jenna & Friends.' NBC When Bibb, 51, asked if her chest peeled, Bush Hager nodded — but then took things in a bizarre turn. 'They may have turned green,' the TV personality said. 'The opposite of the color wheel!' 'They turned green? Are you for real life?' the White Lotus star gasped. 'Oh, I don't think that's good,' Bibb added — and she's probably right. Sunburns happen when you're exposed to too much ultraviolet (UV) light, which can penetrate into deep layers of the skin and cause cellular damage, according to the Mayo Clinic. The body responds by increasing blood flow to the area, leading to inflamed skin we know as a burn. 'Signs that your burns are significant include painful redness, peeling and blisters,' Dr. Lauren Taglia, a dermatologist, told Northwestern Medicine. In Bush Hager's case, her Elphaba-esque chest may have signaled something more serious going on beneath the surface. 5 Bush Hager's chest 'turned green' after a bad sunburn. NBC 5 'Green!' Bibb exclaimed. 'That… makes me sick.' TODAY with Jenna & Friends / TikTok 'When the skin barrier is significantly damaged from a bad sunburn, it's possible to develop a secondary bacterial infection,' Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, medical director of Mudgil Dermatology, told The Post. Mudgil hasn't treated Bush Hager personally, but he speculated that her symptoms could be caused by impetigo, a common and contagious bacterial skin infection. 'This can lead to the formation of yellowish-green crusts, which would explain the green color she described,' Mudgil explained. 'Impetigo can be painful and requires antibiotics for treatment, either topical or systemic, depending on how widespread the infection is,' he noted. Gross? Bush Hager agrees. 5 All skin types can burn, though those with a lighter complexion are more at risk. Evgen – The former first daughter said the experience was enough to scare her away from sunbathing for good. 'I try not, but this is years of sun damage,' she admitted, rubbing her arms and adding that she now gets regular skin checks. She also offered some sage advice for viewers: wear sunscreen, especially when you're young. 'SPF babies, SPF! Get hip with it!' Bibb chimed in. Dermatologists agree. For daily use, most experts recommend using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you're spending extended time outdoors, SPF 60 or higher is smart, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. For full-body coverage, aim for about one ounce of sunscreen — roughly a shot glass. And don't forget to reapply every two hours, or more if you're swimming or sweating. Even if you're inside, you're not off the hook. 5 Hager Bush, a mom-of-three, wishes her younger self hadn't tanned so much. Instagram/jennabhager 'Most ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate glass, so if you're working or relaxing near a window, you're receiving sun exposure,' Dr. Elisabeth G. Richard, a dermatologist, told the Skin Cancer Foundation. The bright side: you won't have to reapply as frequently as you would outdoors, likely every four to six hours. 'Sun damage is cumulative,' Richard noted. 'So even if you're only exposed for a short time, it's important to have protection.' Experts also recommend doubling up with wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and protective clothing for extra coverage. When the sun's at its peak — between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. — your best bet is to head for the shade. And if a green chest isn't warning enough, don't forget: Every sunburn — even a mild one — increases your risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of all. In fact, just one blistering burn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your risk of melanoma later in life, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2025, 104,960 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed in the US — and 8,430 Americans will die from it.
The Star
19 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
New blood test can detect early dementia
Researchers say the new blood test is 95% accurate in picking up people with memory problems, with very few cases missed. — dpa Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the United States have provided further evidence that blood tests can work to accurately diagnose dementia, by examining two proteins in blood plasma. These proteins – amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 – are associated with amyloid plaque build-up, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found the blood test was highly accurate, with 95% sensitivity, which means it was 95% accurate in picking up people with memory problems, with very few cases missed. It was also 82% for specificity, which means it was also highly accurate in ruling out people without dementia. The study was carried out on more than 500 people in an outpatient memory clinic, meaning it is real-world data. The blood test has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration regulator in the US. Dr Gregg Day, who led the study in the Alzheimer's And Dementia journal, said the test was as good as more invasive tests currently in use. 'Our study found that blood testing affirmed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity,' he said. 'When performed in the outpatient clinical setting, this is similar to the accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of the disease and is much more convenient and cost-effective.' Overall, researchers found that p-tau217 levels were higher in patients with Alzheimer's disease versus those without the disease. Dr Day said the next steps in the research were to evaluate blood-based testing in more diverse patient populations and people with early Alzheimer's who show no cognitive symptoms. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director for research and innovation at the Alzheimer's Society in Britain, said the results 'suggest this test is very accurate' and could be used alongside other tests and observations from a trained health professional. 'This study shows how blood tests are making diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease quicker, easier and more accessible than ever before in a real-world setting,' he added. 'While focused on Alzheimer's disease, the test was evaluated in people with other types of dementias too, showing that it may help with differentiate causes of cognitive decline – though more research in diverse groups of individuals and in community-based setting is still needed.' – dpa
Zawya
a day ago
- Health
- Zawya
Mayo Clinic researchers identify new immunotherapy target for ovarian cancer
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a new immunotherapy target, a cryptic antigen, may be key in helping the immune system fight tumors in ovarian cancer. The study, published in Science Advances, could improve treatment approaches for this type of cancer. Because ovarian cancer has limited symptoms, it can go undetected until it has spread. At a later stage, it becomes challenging to treat and has had limited success from existing immunotherapies and checkpoint inhibitors. Cryptic antigens are part of a protein — known as epitopes — that are usually hidden or inaccessible to the immune system and may be present in tumor cells. By targeting these antigens, the immune system can be effectively mobilized to attack the cancer. "These findings underscore the need to look at alternate sources of target antigens for ovarian cancer," says Marion R. Curtis, Ph.D., senior author of the study and immunologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Discovering tumor-associated antigens that T cells recognize is crucial for the success of immunotherapeutic approaches in ovarian cancer, where the growth of cells that form in the ovaries multiply quickly and can invade and destroy healthy body tissue." T cells are a critical component of the adaptive immune system. Their ability to recognize and respond to specific targets is fundamental to their function. They play a significant role in developing and treating cancer and are vital in the immune system's fight against infections. In this study, the researchers characterized tumor antigens generated from ovarian cancer using multi-omics approaches to determine their ability to trigger an immune response. Multi-omics encompasses using multiple 'omes' (i.e., genome, proteome, microbiome, epigenome) to better understand the mechanisms of disease processes, detection, potential prevention and more focused therapies. Researchers have previously focused on discovering newly formed antigens (neoantigens). However, a previous study revealed that neoantigens are rarely found in ovarian cancer samples, making them unattractive targets. The next steps involve preclinical testing and clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new immunotherapies and vaccines that target these cryptic antigens. The researchers also plan larger-scale studies to determine the prevalence of cryptic antigen expression across various tumor types, potentially paving the way for broader applications of this immunotherapy approach. Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.
