When you purchase through links on our internet site , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it forge .
Live Science lector have widely - tramp interests within the world of health , grade from virology to genetic science to uncommon conditions that stand out as anomalies in medical literature . This year , our most - show health story sport Neanderthal DNA , which may have a lollygag effect on our modern biota , and human longevity , whose mysteries we ’re still go to ravel out . And in summation , there are a number of particularly torturesome medical case reports that enchant people ’s attention .
In no fussy order , here ’s 10 of our most - study health history from 2023 .
Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) places herself into suspended animation in the 1979 movie Alien.
Related:12 microscopic discoveries that went ' viral ' in 2022
1. Virus spotted infecting another virus
In a notable first for science , researchers snapped mental image ofone computer virus latch onto another . The images , release in November , feature two bacteriophages , or virus that infect bacteria . The small of the two viruses , known as a " satellite " computer virus , is latch onto the " neck " of the larger phage , like a microscopic vampire .
2. Hidden nerve damage in tinnitus
Tinnitus , mark by ringing or buzz in the ears , may be triggered by brass damagethat ’s not perceptible on typical listening examination , scientists reported in December . This uncovering back up a hypothesis that tinnitus stems from subtle hearing loss that the wit compensates for by ramping up the activity of specific cells involved in work on sound .
3. ‘Suspended animation’ …in mice?
Could we ever put cosmonaut in suspended vivification , easing their journeys to distant worlds ? AMay subject area conducted in shiner and ratshints that we could . scientist induced a hibernation - like state called listlessness in the rodents by blasting their brains with sonography .
4. Neanderthal DNA and pain perception
Gene variant attribute to our extinct Neanderthal ancestorsmay influence how we experience annoyance , a study issue in October found . The inquiry zoomed in on three gene variants that appear to boost people ’s predisposition to painful sensation from prod — as opposed to pain from extreme temperatures or pressure , for example .
5. Neanderthal DNA and mysterious ‘Viking’ disease
In another study , published in June , Neanderthal DNA was link up to adisorder nicknamed the " Viking disease . “The condition , formally called Dupuytren ’s disease , cause the fingers to become stock-still in a bent position . They encounter an extremely inviolable association between people ’s risk of having the disease and their likelihood of carrying two gene strain we inherited from Neanderthals .
6. How long does it take to digest food?
In addition to covering new research , Live Science publish about how the human body works , tackling unwashed dubiousness such ashow long it takes to stand food . In this case , the answer may be more complex than you think , as it ’s influenced by the pace the body violate down different type of food and the variations in unlike mortal ' digestive organization .
7. Rare medical condition in scuba diver
In an unusual aesculapian case published in July , doctors key out ascuba frogman who developed a deadly reaction tied to " decompressing nausea . " While coming up from his dive , the man belike had melodic line bubbles form in his bloodstream and trigger a dangerous range of mountains reaction in his pedigree vessels , his clinicians mistrust . The chain reaction sparkle inflammation that induce his blood vessels to become more permeable and start leaking protein and fluid . Thankfully , the man receive medical care in time to be economise .
8. Deadly ‘penile gangrene’
In a unlike medical casing published in February , the affected affected role unfortunately died of septic shockafter educate gangrene of the penis , which cause tissue end and led to a life-threatening bacterial infection . The sphacelus set in due to an extraneous catheter being improperly apply to the man ’s body , rationalize off blood flow to his member and cause its tissue paper to die .
9. ‘Brain-eating’ amoeba in sinus rinse
A somebody in Florida was infected by a single - celled organism thatcan cause " brain - feeding infections,“likely after they used contaminate water to perform a sinus rinse , health functionary report in February . Such an contagion is rare , but the aesculapian case highlights the reason why health officials recommend against using unfiltered water for sinus rinsing .
10. ‘We’re nowhere near the max human life span’
— Best air purifiers for allergies 2023 : try out and tested
— 10 flaky medical typesetter’s case report from 2022
— just seaworthiness trackers 2023
DNA we’ve inherited from Neanderthals may still shape our modern biology.
Humans willbreak our record for longest - live personin the next four decades , scientists predicted in a field of study published in March . They developed a mathematical mannikin that prognosticate what mortality rate trends will look like in upcoming years . In most of the countries they examined , the team fancy that the maximum recorded old age will rise dramatically in the future tense — but not everyone agrees with the researchers ' conclusions .
Ever inquire whysome people work up muscle more easy than othersorwhy lentigo number out in the Sunday ? place us your head about how the human torso work tocommunity@livescience.comwith the dependent line " Health Desk Q , " and you may see your inquiry suffice on the website !
