Long COVID, as currently defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other authorities, is a symptomatic condition that has been shown to affect an estimated 10 %–30 % of non-hospitalized patients after one infection. However, COVID-19 can also cause organ damage in individuals without symptoms, who would not fall under the current definition of Long COVID. This organ damage, whether symptomatic or not, can lead to various health impacts such as heart attacks and strokes. Given these observations, it is necessary to either expand the definition of Long COVID to include organ damage or recognize COVID-19-induced organ damage as a distinct condition affecting many symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals after COVID-19 infections. It is important to consider that many known adverse health outcomes, including heart conditions and cancers, can be asymptomatic until harm thresholds are reached. Many more medical conditions can be identified by testing than those that are recognized through reported symptoms. It is therefore important to similarly recognize that while Long COVID symptoms are associated with organ damage, there are many individuals that have organ damage without displaying recognized symptoms and to include this harm in the characterization of COVID-19 and in the monitoring of individuals after COVID-19 infections.

This cross-sectional study uses a national dataset to examine the prevalence of gender-affirming surgical procedures among minors and adults in the US.

Scientists have discovered a new mechanism that acts via an immune cell and points toward a different way of treating chronic pain.

Felycin™ Feline HCM product prevented progression of hypertrophy - Results of the RapaCat Study published in JAVMA

Abstract OBJECTIVE Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains a disease with little therapeutic advancement. Rapamycin modulates the mTOR pathway, preventing and reversing cardiac hypertrophy in rodent disease models. Its use in human renal allograft patients is associated with reduced cardiac wall thickness. We sought to evaluate the effects of once-weekly delayed-release (DR) rapamycin over 6 months on echocardiographic, biochemical, and biomarker responses in cats with subclinical, nonobstructive HCM. ANIMALS 43 client-owned cats with subclinical HCM. METHODS Cats enrolled in this double-blinded, multicentered, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial were allocated to low- or high-dose DR rapamycin or placebo. Cats underwent physical examination, quality-of-life assessment, blood pressure, hematology, biochemistry, total T4, urinalysis, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and cardiac troponin I at baseline and days 60, 120, and 180. Fructosamine was analyzed at screening and day 180. Echocardiograms were performed at all time points excluding day 120. Outcome variables were compared using a repeated measures ANCOVA. RESULTS No demographic, echocardiographic, or clinicopathologic values were significantly different between study groups at baseline, confirming successful randomization. At day 180, the primary study outcome variable, maximum LV myocardial wall thickness at any location, was significantly lower in the low-dose DR rapamycin group compared to placebo (P = .01). Oral DR rapamycin was well tolerated with no significant differences in adverse events between groups. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results demonstrate that DR rapamycin was well tolerated and may prevent or delay progressive LV hypertrophy in cats with subclinical HCM. Additional studies are warranted to confirm and further characterize these results.

The annual “Drag ’n Tag” expedition takes place amid a wave of antitransgender legislation

A small number of people report chronic symptoms after receiving COVID-19 shots. A new study provides clues for further research.

The Trump administration is taking down data on climate change and public health from federal websites.

Spinal cord injury leads to loss of innervation of skeletal muscle, decreased motor function, and significantly reduced load on skeletal muscle, resulting in atrophy. Factors such as braking, hormone level fluctuation, inflammation, and oxidative ...

In science, anomalies expose the limitations of existing paradigms and drive the search for new ones. In the late 1800s, physicians observed that certain illnesses spread from sick, feverish individuals to those contacting them, paving the way for the germ theory of disease. The germ theory served a …