Why is meningitis so dangerous?
In 1987, thousands of people gathered in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. But what started out as a celebration led to a worldwide health crisis: more than 2,000 cases of meningitis broke...
Tagged: disease
Alice Elizabeth Doherty
Alice Elizabeth Doherty was one of the most fantastic American freaks of all time, the only known person born in the United States with the exceedingly rare condition hypertrichosis lanuginosa or “dog-faced” hypertrichosis. Nevertheless...
Sam ate a slug, became paralyzed and died
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam, an avid rugby player, was drinking with Jimmy Galvin and several more of his Australian “mates” when a slug began crawling across Galvin’s concrete patio at his home in Sydney....
Not your usual rash
Zachary Smith was scratching uncomfortably when his mom, Mandy picked him up at school. He claimed his feet and even his eyes itched. He and his mom assumed the rash was poison ivy, and...
Adalia Rose
An 11-year-old has become an Internet superstar and built up a vast following on social media – despite suffering from a super-rare ageing condition. Adalia Rose, from Austin, Texas, has racked up nearly 170...
What really causes Alzheimer’s?
Edward Blonz, PhD, has served on the editorial board of the University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter since 2009 and is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of...
Compounds found in green tea and red wine may block formation of toxic metabolites
A new Tel Aviv University study suggests there is hope of treating certain inborn congenital metabolic diseases — a hope found in green tea and in red wine. Most people with inherited metabolic disorders...
Most popular vitamin and mineral supplements provide no health benefit, study finds
The most commonly consumed vitamin and mineral supplements provide no consistent health benefit or harm, suggests a new study led by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. Published today in...
Some calories more harmful than others
While calories from any food have the potential to increase the risk of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, 22 nutrition researchers agree that sugar-sweetened beverages play a unique role in chronic health problems. The...
Living with epidermolysis bullosa
Epidermolysis bullosa is a group of rare diseases that cause fragile, blistering skin. The blisters may appear in response to minor injury, even from heat, rubbing, scratching or adhesive tape. In severe cases, the...