Back pain? Acupuncture study may help
If you wake up every day with an achy back, you’re not alone. About a third of people over 65 have chronic lower back pain. To manage the pain, some people get cortisone injections, which wear off in several months, or go on opioid medication, which can be dangerously addictive. Now, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is studying the effects of acupressure — a... READ MORE
How to learn about health studies for you
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer or another disease, medical researchers need you. Patients can choose to add their name and medical information to a “disease registry,” a secure database of people who suffer from a particular disease. Together, they form a cohort or group that researchers can learn from over time in the hopes of finding cures. It’s also useful for... READ MORE
Will exercise help you to sleep better?
If you’re over age 60 and don’t sleep well at night, Johns Hopkins University has a study for you. Researchers at Hopkins’ Center for Innovative Care in Aging suspect that light exercise may improve sleep duration and cognitive performance. “Research shows promising evidence for exercise or increased daytime physical activity as an effective way to promote sleep and cognitive... READ MORE
Help NIH develop a powerful flu vaccine
With flu season on the way, the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center is busy. This fall, researchers are testing an investigational flu vaccine that could eventually help develop a universal influenza vaccine. The study, which is currently enrolling healthy adults ages 18 to 70, will test the safety of and response to the vaccine. It requires two vaccine visits... READ MORE
Volunteer for studies of lung health, COPD
If you’re a former smoker or are suffering from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another lung illness, Johns Hopkins’ Breathe Center may be able to help. At the same time, you can help others if you enroll in one of the center’s many studies on lung health. The Baltimore Breathe Center, originally known as the Johns Hopkins Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban... READ MORE
Study pays you for trying to quit smoking
How many clinical trials offer a free T-shirt emblazoned with an image of your brain? A new Johns Hopkins research study that promises the T-shirt will try to help smokers quit by using e-cigarettes. Perhaps more enticing, the one-year study offers up to $1,690 in compensation to make a total of 16 visits to the Bayview Center in East Baltimore. You may qualify if you are up to 60... READ MORE
Volunteer for studies of lung health, COPD
Short of breath? Nagging cough? If you’re a former smoker or are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another lung illness, Johns Hopkins’ Breathe Center may be able to help. At the same time, you can help others if you enroll in one of the center’s many studies on lung health. The Baltimore Breathe Center, originally known as the Johns Hopkins Center for... READ MORE
Study offers free annual memory checks
Do you forget common words or names? Or are you simply interested in doing your part to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia? Either way, you can contribute to scientific research and also get periodic cognitive checks by enrolling in a new long-term study. Georgetown University’s Memory Disorders Program is conducting a longitudinal study to track changes in cognitive ... READ MORE
Hot chili peppers could help with chronic pain
Many people like a little kick to their dish, whether that’s through hot sauce or some other type of spicy ingredient. But can a fiery sensation help treat chronic pain? A possible method for understanding chronic pain better could be through capsaicin, an irritant from hot chili peppers that produces a burning sensation, according to Dr. Claudia Campbell, Ph.D., associate professor of ... READ MORE
On meds for RA? Volunteer for this study
Enbrel, Humira and Remicade can successfully treat painful, swollen joints due to rheumatoid arthritis, but the medications carry risky — and potentially fatal — side effects. “The biggest side effect we worry about is infection because these drugs are immunosuppressants,” said Dr. Michael Ward of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.... READ MORE
