Articles

Can You Have Prediabetes and Not Know It?

While you have probably heard of diabetes, you may not be as familiar with the medical condition known as prediabetes. A person is said to have prediabetes when their blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Even though it’s estimated that more than 1 out of every 3 adults (that’s 84 million people) in the US has prediabetes, 90% of them don’t know it. Studies have shown that most people with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within...

Lung Cancer: The Facts

If someone were to ask you what the leading cause of cancer-related death is in the US, you might guess colon cancer, breast cancer, or prostate cancer. The correct answer is actually lung cancer. It’s also the second most diagnosed cancer in the US in both men and women. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older. However, it can occur in younger people, too. It may also surprise you to know that up to 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the US have never smoked or used...

Vaccines During Pregnancy

Women who get the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during pregnancy can help protect themselves from some diseases—and they can give their babies some early protection as well. This happens because pregnant women who are vaccinated can pass along some of the antibodies (proteins that fight disease) they get from the vaccines to their babies. These antibodies can give the baby some protection against certain diseases during the first months of life—when...

What You Need To Know About Menopause

Menopause is a natural part of the aging process for most women. It is defined as the time in a woman’s life when her period has stopped for 12 consecutive months. This means that she has reached the end of her reproductive years.In the US, the age at which menopause begins can range from 40 years to 58 years, with an average start at 51 years. Read on to learn about menopause and ways you can help manage your symptoms.About premature menopauseSome women enter menopause early, before age 40...

Painful Sex and Menopause

You may know all too well about hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, and other menopause-related changes. But if you experience pain during and after sexual intercourse, you may have a lot of questions. Many women don't realize that painful sex can result from vaginal changes that happen as they get closer to or pass menopause. In fact, a study in women with certain vaginal changes after menopause showed that around 40% of them reported painful sex. The condition is more common than you...

Why You Should Speak Up About Menopause

Menopause may be a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. For some women, changes may include symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, problems sleeping, weight gain and more. It’s no wonder some menopausal women often don’t feel like themselves! While it can be hard for some women to talk about menopause, speaking up about this natural part of a woman’s life can be helpful—and even empowering. Read on to learn more.Changing the conversationSome women believe that menopause is simply...

How to Monitor Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure—sometimes called a “silent killer”—often has no warning signs or symptoms, which means many people may not even know they have it. And this can be dangerous because having untreated high blood pressure may increase a person’s risk for stroke and heart disease—two of the leading causes of death in the US. That’s why regular blood pressure screenings are so important. Checking blood pressure If your blood pressure is normal, you should get it checked every 2 years starting...

Eczema: More Than Just a Skin Condition

When some people hear the word eczema, they may think of it as being nothing more than itchy skin. But the truth is, people living with eczema may suffer serious emotional and psychological effects.Eczema is a condition characterized by dry, red patches of skin that are intensely itchy. The most common type of eczema is called atopic dermatitis. Eczema usually begins in childhood but can begin in adolescence and adulthood. It is a common condition that affects 10% to 20% of children and 5% to 10...

Science & Innovation

Investigating the Next Wave of Innovation to Help People with Hemophilia

Watch below.

mRNA and Artificial Intelligence for Advanced Vaccine Innovation

As Pfizer scientists raced to develop their COVID-19 vaccine at record-breaking speed these past few months, they turned to an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help achieve this mission.Normally, when a clinical trial or trial phase ends, it can take more than 30 days for the patient data to be “cleaned up,” so scientists can then analyze the results. This process involves data scientists manually inspecting the data sets to check for coding errors and other inconsistencies that...

Seizing upon a ‘Special Sauce’ of Drug Development to Fight Cancer in the Brain

In recent years, targeted therapies are among a revolution of new cancer treatments that have helped patients live longer than ever before. But with this success comes new challenges. Namely, many available cancer therapies can’t effectively treat cancer that has spread to the brain, as they have difficulty crossing over the blood-brain barrier— a tightly packed layer of cells that prevents toxins and other harmful substances from getting into the central nervous system, which includes the...

Living & Wellbeing

Dear Scientist, Atopic Dermatitis Keeps Me Itching Nonstop

Twelve-year-old Jaemin Kung, from Arlington, has a condition that makes his skin break out severely, with no preventative treatments to fight it. Scientist Jean Beebe is searching for ways to make his life less burdensome, and way less itchy.