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Beating Heart Disease: Daily Statin Lowers Cardiovascular Risk in People With HIV

Lead Image: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) halted a clinical trial early after discovering that daily statin medication significantly reduced cardiovascular disease risk in people living with HIV. The Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) study revealed that participants taking pitavastatin calcium lowered their risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 35% compared to those on a placebo. The study involved 7,769 volunteers aged 40 to 75 from 12 countries, all of whom were taking antiretroviral therapy and had low-to-moderate cardiovascular disease risk. The trial’s Data Safety and Monitoring Board recommended early termination due to compelling…

Tails of Survival: The Luna Moth’s Secret Weapon Against Bats

Lead Image: The long, trailing tails of Luna moths appear to have one, single function and few, if any, drawbacks. Credit: Bat illustration from “Voyage dans l’Amérique méridionale” (1846-1847) by Alcide d’Orbigny. Moth illustration from “Illustrations of Exotic Entomology,” (1837) by Dru Drury. Researchers found that Luna moth tails primarily serve to misdirect bat attacks, with no additional mating advantages or increased visibility to bird predators. In a pair of complementary studies, researchers took a close look at Luna moth (Actias luna) tails through the eyes of birds and female moths to test the tails’ role in predation and sexual…

Don’t Miss: Pink Full Moon, Lyrids Meteor Shower, Venus, Mercury, and Mars

Lead Image: The Maine Farmers’ Almanac started featuring Native American-inspired names for full Moons in the 1930s, which have since become well-known and commonly utilized. As per this almanac, the full Moon in April is referred to as the Pink Moon, a name derived from the herb moss pink. This plant, also called creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox, is indigenous to the eastern United States and is among the first widespread blossoms to appear in spring. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky The Next Full Moon is the Pink, Sprouting Grass, Egg, or Fish Moon; the Pesach, Paschal, or Passover Moon;…

Snooze or Lose: How Poor Sleep Habits Could Double Your Asthma Risk

Lead Image: Good sleep is important for health, even for the lungs and the respiratory system. In fact, poor quality sleep may double the risk of asthma diagnosis by increasing genetic susceptibility, according to a UK Biobank study. Early detection and treatment of sleep disorders could help reduce these risks, irrespective of genetic predisposition. Healthy sleep pattern linked to lower risk in adults, large study shows. A UK Biobank study published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research suggests that poor quality sleep may increase an individual’s genetic susceptibility to asthma, potentially doubling the risk of diagnosis. The study included 455,405 participants…

Glycine Unmasked: A Game-Changing Discovery in Depression and Anxiety Treatment

Lead Image: Scientists at the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology have discovered that the amino acid glycine can send a “slow-down” signal to the brain, potentially contributing to major depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. The findings, published in the journal Science, could help develop new, faster-acting medications for such conditions. The research focused on a receptor called GPR158, which, when bound to glycine, inhibits rather than activates cell activity. This receptor has been renamed mGlyR (metabotropic glycine receptor) and is being pursued as a drug target by startup company Blueshield Therapeutics. Further research is needed…