Are tattoos the future of medicine?
Researchers have created a gel sensor that can track oxygen levels when implanted in the skin like a tattoo. The material then glows under a certain wavelength of light. The intensity and duration of the glow shows the level of oxygen in the blood. Scientists hope this research, published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, will create a non-invasive future of tracking levels of blood glucose, oxygen, and much more.
Teens who’ve had a miscarriage: twice as likely to attempt suicide
Teens who have a miscarriage are twice as likely to attempt suicide. Though teen pregnancies are already linked to an increased risk of suicide, a new paper shows that the risks are even higher in those who have a miscarriage. Researchers looked at adolescent girls who’d been involved in both foster care and the juvenile justice system. The results are published in the Children and Youth Services Review.
Why 25% of women with UTIs have a second UTI within six months
Antibiotics may not be the cure for your urinary tract infection. A quarter of women will have a second UTI within six months, and new research suggests our gut bacteria is the culprit. The study published in Nature Microbiology provides insight into why so many UTIs come back after the initial treatment. Antibiotics eliminate bacteria in the bladder, but the effects don’t reach the same ones hiding in the gut. This bacteria can spread back into the bladder, causing another UTI. This study shows how new treatment methods are needed to address both the bladder and gut bacteria (Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis).
Temperatures rising = more ER visits
And finally… as the temperature rises, so do emergency room visits. A paper published in JAMA Psychiatry shows a correlation between extremely hot days and mental health crises. Many of the ER visits are related to childhood-onset behavioral and substance use disorders, as well as anxiety and stress. Future research aims to find strategies that help this population cope during days of extreme heat.
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