High levels of a protein that lubricates the knee joint may actually be a harbinger of impending joint disease, a surprising animal study suggests. The researchers looked at the role of the protein, known as lubricin, in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in dogs because it may also be involved in similar injuries in humans. “Lubricin is crucial for normal joint function and the lubrication of cartilage,” said researcher Heidi Reesink, an assistant professor in equine health at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. “We know that if a person or animal doesn’t make that protein, they will develop devastating joint disease affecting all the major weight-bearing joints.” But Reesink found that in dogs that suffered a ligament tear in the knee, lubricin levels increased within the joint, which is the opposite of the conventional assumptions. “The dogma in this field has been that lubricin decreases in joint disease,” Reesink said in a university news release. The researchers found that in three dogs, lubricin increased in the time between the initial injury but before any signs of arthritis. “This indicates that the presence of increased lubricin might actually be a biomarker for predicting future osteoarthritis,” Reesink said. “We also saw increased lubricin in dogs months to years after they injured their ACLs, suggesting that lubricin might be an indicator of ongoing joint instability.…  read on >

Halloween is risky enough this year with the coronavirus pandemic, so don’t risk your vision as well by wearing costume contact lenses, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says. Costume contact lens packaging that claims “one-size-fits-all” or “no need to see an eye doctor” is false, the academy said. Poorly fitted contact lenses can scrape the cornea (the outer layer of the eye), making the eye more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses that can cause infections. People who buy contacts without a prescription have a 16-fold increased risk of developing an eye infection, research shows. “As we follow new precautions to keep our families safe in this abnormal year, it’s important not to forget about the normal hazards that can occur during Halloween,” Dr. Dianna Seldomridge, a clinical spokesperson for the AAO, said in an academy news release. “Whatever you plan, please follow these tips to protect your eyes this Halloween.” Get an Rx. Buy only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved contact lenses. Color contacts or other decorative lenses are sometimes sold at corner shops or online, but such sales are illegal. Contact lenses must be bought with a doctor’s prescription. Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands before putting your contacts in or touching the skin around your eye. Cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses as instructed minimizes the risk of an eye infection. See…  read on >

Parents are usually pleased when their newborn seems big and strong, but new research suggests that large babies may be at higher risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation later in life. Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide. People with a-fib have a five times increased risk of stroke. The association between birth weight and a-fib is controversial, which led the authors of this study to investigate it. Using a special data analysis technique, the researchers concluded that there was a link between greater birth weight and an increased risk of a-fib later in life. Specifically, people with a birth weight that’s 1 pound above the average 7.5 pounds are 30% more likely to develop a-fib, the findings showed. The study is scheduled to be presented Monday at a virtual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “Our results suggest that the risk of atrial fibrillation in adulthood may be higher for large newborns [over 8 pounds, 13 ounces] than those with normal birth weight,” said study author Songzan Chen, from Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, China. “Preventing elevated birth weight could be a novel way to avoid atrial fibrillation in offspring — for example with a balanced diet and regular check-ups during pregnancy, particularly for women who are overweight, obese or have…  read on >

One thing most people can agree on, even in these divided times, is the importance of voting. And 19-year-old Aboubakar Konate from New York City is no exception. Despite a brain hemorrhage that left him partially paralyzed in March 2018, Konate plans to make his voice heard this November by casting his very first vote. “Even when I was a little kid, I would think, ‘I have to vote.’ I was born here, so I try to use that to my advantage,” he said. “Voting is important to me because you have to fight for the change you want to see.” It wasn’t always certain that Konate would get his chance to vote, however. When he was 16, he collapsed while playing basketball. He had been a healthy teenager, and the only clue that something was amiss was a headache the night before. Konate had a brain hemorrhage — severe bleeding in the brain. It was caused by a condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM). AVMs are caused by a cluster of abnormal or weakened blood vessels in the brain, according to the American Stroke Association. Because these blood vessels are weakened, they can burst open and bleed. At the hospital, Konate had to have part of his skull removed to control the swelling in his brain. The hemorrhage left him partially paralyzed on the right…  read on >

When parents have concerns about the safety of childhood vaccinations, it can be tough to change their minds, as a new study shows. The study involved “vaccine-hesitant” parents — a group distinct from the staunch “anti-vaxxer” crowd. They have worries about one or more routine vaccines, and question whether the benefits for their child are worthwhile. Even though those parents are not “adamantly” opposed to vaccinations, it can still be hard for pediatricians to allay their concerns, said Jason Glanz, lead researcher on the study. So Glanz and his colleagues looked at whether giving parents more information — online material “tailored” to their specific concerns — might help. It didn’t. Parents who received the information were no more likely to have their babies up to date on vaccinations than other parents were, the study found. The news was not all bad. Overall, more than 90% of babies in the study were all caught up on vaccinations. So it may have been difficult to improve upon those numbers, according to Glanz, who is based at Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s Institute for Health Research in Aurora. But, he said, it’s also possible the customized information reinforced some parents’ worries. “It might have done more harm than good,” Glanz said. That’s because among vaccine-hesitant parents, those who were directed to general information that was not tailored, had the highest…  read on >

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be safe and triggered an immune response in healthy people, according to preliminary results of a small, early-stage clinical trial. The study of the vaccine based on inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus (BBIBP-CorV) included more than 600 volunteers in China, ages 18 to 80. By the 42nd day after vaccination, all had antibody responses to the virus, according to researchers. The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated at all doses tested, study leaders reported. The most common side effect was pain at the injection site. There were no serious adverse reactions. The findings were published Oct. 15 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. Similar results were reported from a previous trial for a different vaccine also based on inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus. That trial was limited to people under age 60. The new trial found that people 60 and older responded more slowly to the vaccine. It took 42 days for antibodies to be detected in all of them, compared to 28 days among 18- to 59-year-olds. Antibody levels were also lower in 60- to 80-year-olds compared with the younger volunteers. “Protecting older people is a key aim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine as this age group is at greater risk of severe illness from the disease. However, vaccines are sometimes less effective in this group because the immune system weakens…  read on >

The common cold can make you miserable, but it might also help protect you against COVID-19, a new study suggests. The researchers added that people who’ve had COVID-19 may be immune to it for a long time, possibly even the rest of their lives. The research focused on memory B cells, long-lasting immune cells that detect pathogens, produce antibodies to destroy them, and remember them for the future. The study authors compared blood samples from 26 people who were recovering from mild to moderate COVID-19 and 21 healthy people whose samples were collected six to 10 years ago, long before they could have been exposed to COVID-19. They found that B cells that attacked previous cold-causing coronaviruses appeared to also recognize the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. This could mean that anyone who’s ever been infected by a common cold coronavirus — nearly everyone — may have some amount of immunity to COVID-19, according to infectious disease experts at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y. The researchers also found that SARS-CoV-2 triggers memory B cells, which means those immune cells are ready to fight the coronavirus the next time it shows up in the body. “When we looked at blood samples from people who were recovering from COVID-19, it looked like many of them had a preexisting pool of memory B cells…  read on >