Probiotics not really healthy?
Israeli researchers have found that probiotic treatment can damage the intestines, the Weizmann Institute of Science has said. Researchers contradicted the common idea that probiotic bacteria can strengthen the immune system and correct adverse effects of antibiotics in the intestines, noting that this has never been proven. The study showed that the effect of 11 strains from the most common probiotic bacterial families vary from person to person and may even harm some people. In the study, volunteers were divided into two groups, and only the first one received a probiotic preparation. The results showed that the degree of colonisation of the probiotic strains varied significantly from person to person. For some volunteers, probiotic bacteria settled in the large intestine and in the others the bacteria were completely “expelled”. The team showed that it was possible to predict what would happen to the probiotic bacteria in each patient, according to the gene activity in digestive system.
HIV prevention pill reaching more people
More than one in nine people worldwide who might benefit from a daily pill to minimise their risk of getting HIV are now taking this medicine, a research review suggests. So-called HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly protective against HIV, but many people worldwide don’t get this pill because they aren’t aware of it or because it’s unavailable or unaffordable. It’s recommended for people at high risk for infection with HIV, including men who have sex with men, people who inject illegal drugs, and some people who have unprotected sex. For the current analysis, published in the journal AIDS, researchers examined data from 72 studies published from 2006 to 2018. The studies varied in size from 30 to about 6,500 participants.
Novel device to improve dizziness diagnosis
Researchers have developed a new vibrating device using bone conduction technology, that can identify the causes of dizziness. Half of older adults over 65 years suffer from dizziness and problems with balance. However, the current tests to identify the causes of such problems are painful and can risk hearing damage. The novel type of vibrating device, developed by researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, is placed behind the ear of the patient during the test. According to Bo Hakansson, Professor at Chalmers, the vibrating device is small and compact in size, and optimised to provide an adequate sound level for triggering the reflex at frequencies as low as 250 hertz (Hz). But in bone conduction transmission, sound waves are transformed into vibrations through the skull, stimulating the cochlea within the ear, in the same way as when sound waves normally go through the ear canal, the eardrum and the middle ear.
