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Health Sciences
Patients stick with smartphone activity trackers longer than wearable devices
Six months after their discharge, smartphone users were 32 percent more likely to continue sending health data to the research team than those using wearables.
Advancing an oral drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension
With a protein drug grown in the leaves of lettuce plants, the School of Dental Medicine’s Henry Daniell and colleagues hope to provide new treatment options for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare but deadly disease.
Researchers illuminate racial disparity in U.S. acne treatment
A new study from Penn Medicine finds Black patients are less likely than white peers to receive systemic treatments and acne medication overall.
Answers to microbiome mysteries in the gills of rainbow trout
In trout, the School of Veterinary Medicine’s J. Oriol Sunyer and colleagues discovered that a particular type of primitive antibody is essential for fighting microbes that cause disease while preserving others that make up a healthy microbiome.
The dangers of asbestos: What the public should know
Marilyn Howarth and Ian Blair of the Perelman School of Medicine discuss the hazards of asbestos, how it harms the body, the crisis in the school district, and why there is no safe level of asbestos.
For aging patients, one missed doctor’s visit can lead to vision loss
A Penn Medicine study found keeping regular ophthalmology appointments play an important role in outcomes for patients with age-related macular degeneration.
Treatment in a FLASH
A clinical trial in dogs with cancer, co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine, is testing the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of delivering a full dose of radiation therapy in a split second.
The many lives of charcoal
Catherine Nabukalu, an alumna of the Master in Environmental Studies program, worked with School of Arts and Sciences Professor Reto Gieré to track the charcoal supply chain through research in Nabukalu’s native Uganda.
CRISPR-edited immune cells can survive and thrive after infusion into cancer patients
In the first U.S. clinical trial, cells removed from patients and brought back into the lab were able to kill cancer months after their original manufacturing and infusion.
Better prescribing for bad backs
A recent study finds that finds that patients with new low back pain are receiving opioids less frequently, although prescription rates remain uneven across the country.
In the News
Seven unusual sleep hacks to help you drift off peacefully—we speak to a sleep expert about how to get a good night’s rest
A study from the Perelman School of Medicine found that participants who practiced paradoxical intention experienced significantly reduced sleep anxiety.
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More yogurt and nuts, less alcohol and snack foods: How GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are influencing people’s food spending habits
Carrie Burns of the Perelman School of Medicine says that weight-loss medications tend to decrease cravings for foods high in sugar and fat.
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Migratory birds mainly responsible for bird flu outbreak, experts tell Pa. lawmakers
Louise Moncla of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that avian flu viruses are being spread far geographically because of wild migratory birds.
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Thirteen subtle changes veterinarians would never ignore in their cats
Kaitlyn Krebs of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that cats can indicate illness through behavioral changes such as hiding or spending time in unusual places.
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Drinking two beers daily ages the brain by 10 years; study reveals surprising findings
A study by Penn researchers found that one to two units of alcohol per day shrunk overall brain volume and gray matter volumes.
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