MRI scans reveal major abnormalities in the eyes of people with severe COVID-19

Researchers using MRI have found significant abnormalities in the eyes of some people with severe COVID-19, according to a study published in the journal Radiology. The study results support the need for eye screening in these patients to provide appropriate treatment and management of potentially severe ophthalmological manifestations of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 100 million people since it began early in 2020. While the virus primarily attacks the lungs, it has been linked with eye abnormalities like conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, and retinopathy, a disease of the retina that can result in a loss of vision. Eye abnormalities visible on MRI exams have been reported but there is limited research on the nature and frequency of these abnormalities.

To find out more, the French Society of Neuroradiology (SFNR) initiated a study of 129 patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent brain MRI.

Of the 129 patients, nine (7%) had abnormal MRI findings of the globe, or eyeball. The MRI scans showed one or more nodules in the back part, or posterior pole, of the eyeball. Eight of the nine patients had spent time in the intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19.

"We showed that a few patients with severe COVID-19 from the French COVID-19 cohort had one or several nodules of the posterior pole of the globe," said study lead author Augustin Lecler, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Paris and neuroradiologist from the Department of Neuroradiology at the Foundation Adolphe de Rothschild Hospital in Paris. "This is the first time these findings have been described using MRI."

All nine patients had nodules in the macular region, the area in the back of the eye responsible for our central vision. Eight had nodules in both eyes.

The results suggest that screening should be considered in all patients with severe COVID-19 to detect these nodules. In clinical practice, this screening could include dedicated exploration of the eyes with high-resolution MRI, the researchers said.

Additional recommended exams include fundoscopy, which uses a magnifying lens and a light to check the back of the inside of the eye, and optical coherence tomography, a noninvasive test that provides a 3D picture of the structure of the eye.

Dr. Lecler noted that severe eye problems might largely go unnoticed in the clinic, as COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the ICU are often being treated for much more severe, life-threatening conditions.

Our study advocates for screening of all patients hospitalized in the ICU for severe COVID-19. We believe those patients should receive specific eye-protective treatments."

Augustin Lecler, M.D., Ph.D., Study Lead Author adn Associate Professor, University of Paris

The mechanism behind nodule formation remains unknown, the researchers said, although it could be related to inflammation triggered by the virus. Inadequate drainage of the veins of the eyes, a problem found in patients who spend time in the ICU in the prone position or intubated, may also be a factor. Seven of the nine patients with eye abnormalities in the study had been placed in a prone position in the ICU for an extended time.

The researchers are performing follow-up clinical and MRI examinations in the survivors to monitor the nodules and see if they carry any clinical consequences such as vision loss or visual field impairment.

They are also performing MRI examinations in new patients with severe COVID-19 from the second and third waves of the pandemic, using more comprehensive ophthalmological tests to correlate with the MRI results.

The effects on patients with moderate COVID-19 are currently under investigation.

"We have launched a prospective study with dedicated high-resolution MR images for exploring the eye and orbit in patients with light to moderate COVID," Dr. Lecler said. "Therefore, we will be able to know whether our findings were specific to severe COVID patients or not."

The findings support previous research that showed COVID-19 exacts a greater toll in people with existing health problems. Of the nine patients with eye nodules, two had diabetes, six were obese and two had hypertension.

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New Techniques Yield New Info on Alcohol Related Birth Defects

A collaborative research effort by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Duke University, and University College of London in the UK, sheds new light on alcohol-related birth defects.

The project, led by Kathleen K. Sulik, PhD, a professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at UNC, could help enhance how doctors diagnose birth defects caused by alcohol exposure in the womb. The findings also illustrate how the precise timing of that exposure could determine the specific kinds of defects.

“We now know that maternal alcohol use is the leading known and preventable cause of birth defects and mental disability in the United States,” Sulik said. “Alcohol’s effects can cause a range of cognitive, developmental and behavioral problems that typically become evident during childhood, and last a lifetime.”

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is at the severe end of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). First described in 1972, FAS is recognized by a specific pattern of facial features: small eyelid openings, a smooth ridge on the upper lip (absence of a central groove, or philtrum), and a thin upper lip border.

In its full-blown state, FAS affects roughly 1 in 750 live births in the U.S. And while clinicians typically look for those classical facial features in making a diagnosis, within the broader classification of FASD “adverse outcomes vary considerably and most individuals don’t exhibit the facial characteristics that currently define FAS,” said the study’s lead author Robert J. Lipinski, PhD, a postdoctoral scientist in Sulik’s lab. “This study could expand the base of diagnostic criteria used by clinicians who suspect problems caused by maternal alcohol use.”

In their animal-based studies, the Sulik lab team has collaborated with co-author G. Allan Johnson, PhD and his group at Duke University’s Center for In Vivo Microscopy. Johnson, professor of radiology and physics, has developed new imaging tools with spatial resolution up to a million times higher than clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These include small bore tools suitable for imaging fetal mice that are only 15 mm long.

To quantify facial shape from MRI data, the study team turned to co-author Peter Hammond, a professor of computational biology at UCL’s Institute of Child Health, in London. Hammond invented powerful new techniques for 3D shape analysis that have already proven successful in objectively defining facial shape changes in humans.

In the study, described in the August 22, 2012 issue of the online journal PLOS ONE, Lipinski and Sulik treated one group of mice with alcohol on their seventh day of pregnancy, a time corresponding to the third week of pregnancy in humans. A second group of mice was treated just 36 hours later, approximating the fourth week of human pregnancy. The amount of alcohol given was large, “high doses that most women wouldn’t achieve unless they were alcoholic and had a tolerance for alcohol,” Sulik said.

Near the end of pregnancy, the fetuses were then imaged at Duke University. These 3D data sets showed individual brain regions, as well as accurate and detailed facial surfaces, from which Hammond and research assistant and co-author Michael Suttie performed shape analyses.

The team found that the earlier alcohol exposure time elicited the classic FAS facial features, including characteristic abnormalities of the upper lip and eyes. What they observed in fetuses exposed just 36 hours later, however, was a surprise. These mice exhibited unique and in some cases opposing facial patterns, such as shortened upper lip, a present philtrum, and the brain, instead of appearing too narrow in the front, appeared wide.

“Overall, the results of our studies show that alcohol can cause more than one pattern of birth defects, and that the type and extent of brain abnormalities—which are the most devastating manifestation of prenatal alcohol exposure—in some cases may be predicted by specific facial features,” Sulik said. “And, importantly, alcohol can cause tremendously devastating and permanent damage at a time in development when most women don’t recognize that they’re pregnant.”

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10 of the Greatest Medical Discoveries of 2019

The end of the year 2019 is less than a month away, and it’s high time to sum up what the year has brought us other than environmental issues and scandals. Luckily, there are plenty of positive things we can and should focus on, and innovations in the field of medicine and health are definitely on the top of the list. All 10 of these medical breakthroughs, starting with a drug to restore bone density in osteoporosis to medication capable of reducing cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s promise to be life-changing for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of dangerous diseases.

1. New Osteoporosis Drug Promises to Restore Bone Density

Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition that makes bones weaker and more prone to fractures, and it is typically more common among older adults and especially postmenopausal women. This is because menopause brings about a decrease in estrogen production, with the latter playing a significant role in protecting bone health.

As a result, postmenopausal women are at a greater risk of fracture, and a recently approved drug called Evenity is the first of its kind that can help prevent fractures by promoting bone building. This means that millions of osteoporosis sufferers may soon be able to improve their bone health with the new medication.

2. Aging May Soon Become a Thing of the Past

Even the healthiest of humans are susceptible to one detrimental process - aging, as well as all those chronic conditions that go along with it, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and renal failure. The sad truth is that our cells are programmed by our genes to age, no matter how well we eat or how much we exercise and shield ourselves from the sun. Luckily, researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering may have cracked the code behind aging.

In this seminal research, the scientists showed how they are capable of slowing down the aging process and reversing all of the above-mentioned diseases in mice by injecting them with a serum that urged the production of certain proteins in the liver. Incredibly enough, the same treatment helped with all the issues, suggesting that chronic health issues may soon be a thing of the past.

3. The First 3D Printed Mini Heart Made of Human Tissue

 

In late April, scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel managed to create the first-ever human heart copy using a 3D printer and human cells. As of now, the researchers learned how to print only a mini version of the heart, but it does share many of the structural and functional elements of a real human heart. Hopefully, the team of scientists will soon learn how to print a transplantable version of the heart and the long lines for heart transplants will cease to exist.

4. Drug Makes Peanuts Safe for People Allergic to Them

Allergies are among the most dangerous health conditions, as there is no known cure for them and the only way people with extreme allergies can protect themselves is through complete avoidance of the allergen. This is especially difficult for people who are allergic to products so widespread that trace amounts of them are nearly ubiquitous, such as peanuts, one of the most widespread allergies there is.

However, this may soon change, at least in the case of peanut allergy patients, as a new pill called Palforzia has been submitted for FDA approval in September 2019. This treatment is an immunotherapeutic medication that contains measured out doses of peanut proteins that are gradually increasing, which can help patients build up an immunity to the allergen and can ultimately make peanuts safe for the patients who successfully complete the treatment.

5. A Novel Way to Diagnose Early Stage Liver Disease

Liver disease detection can be tricky, as the only current reliable method of doing so is through a biopsy, an invasive and painful process. A novel method developed at Georgia State University is the first noninvasive screening technique of liver fibrosis is by using the MRI imaging and a new safe and effective dye called ProCA32.collagen1, which will hopefully soon make liver disease screening a pain-free and more effective procedure. The authors suggest that their method will provide early detection of various liver conditions, such as chronic liver disease (CLD), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

6. Simple Blood Test to Diagnose Breast Cancer 5 Years Before First Symptoms Appear

Breast cancer is the most widespread cancer in women, and the only way we can make sure it doesn't take any lives is through early detection and treatment. Mammograms are the most widespread screening technique used nowadays, and they are 87% accurate at detecting breast cancer, but these can be really uncomfortable and painful, so doctors have been trying to find a more convenient way of doing so for years.

One such method may be a blood test recently developed by British researchers, which, as the authors promise, is capable of preventing breast cancer up to 5 years before the first symptoms ever emerge. Apart from that, the blood test is much cheaper to produce, which means that it will be more widely available.

7. New Treatment of HIV

Autoimmune diseases like HIV are among the trickiest to treat, and unfortunately, we don't have a widely available cure for HIV. The good news is that a new effective treatment may be soon underway, as an American gene therapy company filed an FDA application to allow human trials for a therapeutic treatment that replaces immune cells affected by the disease with lab-made healthy ones.

These healthy immune cells, in turn, help the body fight against the disease and promise to improve the symptoms of the disease. The manufacturer suggests that the treatment may be available in 2020 if everything goes as planned. 

8. 'Smart Inhalers' Save Asthma Patients' Lives

Inhalers are a necessity for certain patients suffering from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As a matter of fact, they can be life-saving, given that you're using them correctly. 

To ensure patients' safety and optimize the experience of using an inhaler, Teva Pharmaceuticals developed a smart inhaler capable of measuring the user's respiratory flow and their use of the device. The inhaler connects to a smartphone app that shows the data from the inhaler on your phone. The device is available on the US market.

9. First Drug Capable of Reducing the Progression of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most debilitating and difficult conditions to deal with, with no current drugs being able to improve patients' memory loss and related symptoms. Fortunately, this soon may change, as the first-ever treatment of Alzheimer's clinically proven in trials to improve memory and increase patients' independence and functionality may soon get FDA approval.

In October of 2019, a drug called Aducanumab was admitted for approval. The way the treatment works is by helping to remove amyloid plaques that build up in the brain of Alzheimer's patients and are known to contribute to the adverse symptoms of the disease.

10. A Novel Way to Mend Genetic Abnormalities

Researchers have established long ago that many of the most dangerous diseases on the planet, such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, just to name a few, all have a significant genetic component. Well, soon we might be able to cure or minimize the risks of developing genetically-inherited diseases by the use of a novel gene-editing tool called 'prime editing'.

This incredible technology is being developed by MIT researchers, and the authors suggest that their method is capable of searching for the abnormal part of the genome and replacing each such section with a 'healthy' version of the gene sequences with an 89% accuracy.

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Fight off 7 different disease with turmeric and coconut soup

If you want to nourish both your body ad soul, you will need this turmeric and coconut soup in your life. Delicious and healthy, this soup is the right choice when you are not feeling well or you are tired. It will give you the needed boost and help you feel better. Ideal for the cold and rainy days ahead, this soup will elevate the nutrients in your body and keep you healthy throughout the whole year.

Turmeric
Curcumin is the main active ingredient is turmeric. It is an anti-inflammatory agent that helps with swelling burns, worms and sore or infected wounds. Turmeric may treat headaches, increased cholesterol levels, gallbladder abnormalities and digestive problems.

Coconut cream
Coconut cream will provide you with energy to burn fat and boosts your metabolism. It will also give yout immune system the boost to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Lentils
Lentils are one of the healthiest legumes. They may reduce cholesterol, improve the health, the heart and digestive system and regulate blood sugar.

All of the ingredients used in the soup are natural and the preparation is quite easy. 

Ingredients
coconut cream   a can
turmeric pdr.   2 tsp
yellow onion chopped 1
carrots chopped 3
celery stalks chopped  3
cumin / jeera  2 tsp
garlic minced  4 cloves
smoked paprika  1 tsp
red pepper flakes  1/8 tsp
lentils     1 cup
home-made veggie broth   4 cups
spinach / kale   2 cups
olive oil  1 tbsp
Method
In a soup pot, pour the oil and heat it. Add the onion, saute for 3 minutes. The, add the celery and carrots and saute until everything is soft. Next, add the garlic, spices, lentils and broth. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes. Once veggies and lentils    are cooked, add the coconut cream, greens and mix, turn off the gas, serve warm.
Any leftovers should be kept in the fridge.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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