As of November 29, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused almost 1.5 million deaths worldwide just from the disease itself. That number doesn’t take into account the deaths that have occurred because people have delayed care or avoided hospitals and physicians due to the pandemic. Because of social distancing, normal interactions – like being with...
Read MoreCOVID-19 and Endothelial Inflammation
In May, the Journal of Clinical Medicine published an article titled “Hypertension, Thrombosis, Kidney Failure, and Diabetes: Is COVID-19 an Endothelial Disease? A Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical and Basic Evidence.” The authors put forward a hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 infects the lining of the body’s blood vessels. The lining...
Read MoreHarvest and the Mortgage Lifter
I’ve been trying to figure out the difference between heirloom plants and hybrid plants because I came across a story of a special tomato plant from West Virginia on public radio called the Mortgage Lifter. The creator of this plant was a man with the last name of Estler: William Estler. The funny thing is, the last name of one of my...
Read MoreGenes That Prolong Life
The Human Genome Project has been the catalyst for thousands of research studies and exciting discoveries. One study in 2011 found a gene variant in a small group of French Canadians that researchers called a “fountain of youth” gene. This gene is called PCSK9Q152 — the superscript describes it as a variant of the gene PCSK9. In 2011,...
Read MoreNavigating Cancer: An Expert Speaks
Peggy Zuckerman has been trying to help others diagnosed with cancer but it’s not easy. “One of the hardest things is when patients get information that is old or might be incorrect. Things look far more grim than they need to be. It is important to get people to the right place quickly before they essentially despair.” When people...
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