Latest news with #UVASchoolofMedicine
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your Best Life: Allergies, Heat & Lyme Disease
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Our changing climate is creating new health risks for children — longer allergy seasons, extreme heat affecting young athletes, and Lyme disease spreading to new areas. As these threats grow, parents and pediatricians need to be proactive in protecting children's health and well-being. Spring is in the air, bringing with it the sneezes and sniffles of allergy season! Spring allergies are hitting sooner and harder than ever before. 'Spring is coming earlier, winter's coming later. Now that means that plants are growing longer and they're producing pollen also for a longer period of time,' said UVA School of Medicine pediatrician Samantha Ahdoot, MD. She is a leading expert on how our changing climate impacts children's health. She says for most of the country, spring allergy season is hitting 20 days earlier. But that's not all. 'Things are appearing in new places where they didn't used to like, like Lyme disease, is now marching its way up North America,' Dr. Ahdoot told Ivanhoe. Rising temperatures are allowing deadly warm water bacteria to migrate as far north as Nebraska — posing a growing risk to swimmers and marine bacteria is also causing issues for seafood consumers. And extreme heat is also causing more cases of heat stroke being reported across the country. Also, at risk — expectant moms. 'Extreme heat can increase the risk of babies being born too early on preterm birth,' stated Dr. Ahdoot. As pollen lingers longer, track pollen counts, use air purifiers and have your kids change their clothes after playing outdoors. As temps continue to rise, keep kids hydrated, wear sunblock and practice sports indoors on extreme heat days. As for tick protection, dress kids in long sleeves and pants, use insect repellent and routinely check for ticks. Another growing health risk is pollution from wildfires. In addition to causing respiratory issues in children, Dr Ahdoot points to emerging research linking wildfire smoke exposure to higher rates of autism. On days with poor air quality, it's important to take extra precautions — keep your children indoors whenever possible to reduce their exposure. Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Executive Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; and Bob Walko, Editor. Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). To receive a free weekly e-mail on positive parenting from Ivanhoe, sign up at: If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ Sponsored by AGEWELL Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UVA School of Medicine creates tool to predict drug impact on biological process
School of Medicine scientists at the University of Virginia (UVA), US have developed an AI tool, LogiRx, designed to expedite the development of treatments for new diseases by predicting the effects of drugs on biological processes. The computational tool helps identify not only the patient populations that may benefit but also provides insights into how drugs function within cells. According to the researchers, LogiRx has shown potential in detecting a 'promising' candidate for heart failure prevention. For instance, the team found that escitalopram, an antidepressant, is a candidate to avert cardiac hypertrophy, a condition where the overgrown cells 'thicken' the muscles of the heart, impairing the organ's ability to pump blood. UVA biomedical engineering professor Jeffrey Saucerman and his team, including PhD student Taylor Eggertsen, utilised LogiRx to assess 62 drugs previously deemed 'promising' for preventing cardiac hypertrophy. The tool predicted 'off-target' effects for seven drugs that could aid in cellular hypertrophy prevention, with confirmation in cells for two of them. Laboratory tests and patient outcome reviews revealed that those taking the antidepressant had a reduced risk of developing cardiac hypertrophy. While further research and clinical trials are necessary before escitalopram can be prescribed for heart health, Saucerman is optimistic about the tool's potential to expedite new treatments for various severe medical conditions. Saucerman said: 'AI needs to move from detecting patterns to generating understanding. Our LogiRx tool helps us identify not just which drugs can be repurposed for heart disease but how they work in the heart. 'AI is accelerating many aspects of drug development, but it has made less progress in providing the required understanding of how these drugs work in the body. LogiRx is a step towards combining AI with existing knowledge of how cells work to find new uses for old drugs.' "UVA School of Medicine creates tool to predict drug impact on biological process" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
