Published June 19, 2018

Researchers wanted to find out what CT scans could tell them about the bone health of the patients getting the scans. To assess bone health using the images on their CT scans, they measured the bone density of the first lumbar vertebra. They found that the greater the bone density on the first lumbar vertebra, the less likely the patient was to have a fracture. Specifically, patients with a low density reading (L1attenuation values ≤90 Hounsfield units) were 37% more likely to have a fracture than those with a higher reading.

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Published June 16, 2018

Researchers found that two of the polyphenols commonly found in wine, caffeic and p-coumaric acids, make it harder for the bad bacteria to stick to gum tissue cells. They worked even more effectively when combined with an oral probiotic strain called Streptococcus dentisani. The researchers believe that the digestion process is likely responsible for creating the beneficial metabolites that can fight these bacteria.

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Published June 14, 2018

This past flu season was more severe than it has been in years past. There were many more flu-related deaths than normal, even in seemingly healthy people. A lot of those deaths turned out to be due to sepsis. This is when the body is fighting so hard to destroy bacteria or other toxins that it ends up damaging its own tissues and organs. Researchers have now found that the reason for the increase in sepsis was poor immunity caused by deficiency in good gut bacteria.

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