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Meditation might be a path to migraine relief, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Working with human-sized pig kidneys, researchers at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have developed the most successful method to date to keep blood vessels in the new organs open and flowing with blood. This is a significant hurdle in the quest to engineer replacement kidneys for patients.

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Jeffrey S. Willey, Ph.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded a grant by NASA’s Space Biology Program to study how space flight can cause degeneration of skeletal joints and to test ways to prevent this damage.

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Results of a Phase I clinical trial showed that a new drug targeting mitochondrial function in human cancer cells was safe and showed some efficacy. The findings, reported by doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, are published in the current online edition of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

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Middle ear infections, which affect more than 85 percent of children under the age of 3, can be triggered by a viral infection in the nose rather than solely by a bacterial infection, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has been awarded $4.4 million to conduct a multiple-site clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a statin drug in preventing cardiovascular events in women treated for breast cancer.

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What if repairing large segments of damaged muscle tissue was as simple as mobilizing the body’s stem cells to the site of the injury? New research in mice and rats, conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine, suggests that “in body” regeneration of muscle tissue might be possible by harnessing the body’s natural healing powers.

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Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has received an $18 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) to design and conduct community-based, multi-center screening, prevention and control cancer clinical trials.

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Overweight individuals with diabetes who lose weight by dieting and increasing their physical activity can reduce their health care costs by an average of more than $500 per year, according to a new study.

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Young girls with an intense, red, itchy rash on their outer genital organs may be at increased risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The treatment may be as simple as better hygiene and avoiding potential irritants such as bubble baths and swimming pools.

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Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has received a $3.8 million, five-year grant from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue studying the effects of head impacts in youth league football.

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It is now commonly accepted that there is a biological basis for sex differences in a number of common conditions. And there’s active research into why other conditions occur more frequently in women than men.

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Taking advantage of technology that can analyze tissue samples and measure the activity of thousands of genes at once, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are on a mission to better understand and treat interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful and difficult-to-diagnose bladder condition.

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Working out when it’s hot isn’t such a hot idea. Just ask Bret Nicks, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability among people with Type 2 diabetes. In fact, at least 65 percent of people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease or stroke, according to the American Heart Association. However, a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center suggests that the use of cholesterol-lowering statins may help prolong the lives of people with diabetic cardiovascular disease.

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St. John’s wort, the leading complementary and alternative treatment for depression in the United States, can be dangerous when taken with many commonly prescribed drugs, according to a study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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When summer rolls around, nothing beats soaking up the rays, hiking in a forest or playing Frisbee with the family … until a mosquito, bee or poisonous plant ruins the fun.

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For decades, common medical wisdom has been “the lower the better” in treating the approximately one in three people in this country who have high blood pressure. But does that approach result in reduced risk for dangerous heart events?

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Hospital readmission, an important measure of quality care, costs the United States an estimated $17 billion each year. And according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), about half of those readmissions could be avoided.

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Recent advances in both medications and approaches to care have significantly reduced the impact acne once had on both skin and self-esteem.

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Riding a motorcycle, like most thrilling activities, comes with its own set of dangers. The Emergency Department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center alone treated 166 motorcycle-related cases during fiscal year 2013.

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An old idea of retreating lung tumors with radiation is new again, especially with the technological advances seen in radiation oncology over the last decade.

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There is nothing better on a hot, summer day than a refreshing dip in a community pool, water park, lake or ocean. However, bacteria and parasites can lurk in all kinds of water and put a real damper on summertime fun unless people practice a few, simple safety tips.

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‘Take me out to the ballgame’ doesn’t exactly conjure up images of apple slices and kale chips. The more likely culprits include French fries, soda and the occasional box of Crackerjacks.

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Some people have overactive glands and produce sweat excessively, a medical condition called hyperhidrosis. A Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center dermatologist offers tips to deal with the condition.

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Wake Forest Baptist has the largest reported, single-center experience with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC and analysis of 20 years’ worth of patient data shows that outcomes have clearly improved for patients undergoing this treatment technique.

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Study that looks at Vitamin D deficiency and cognition relationship in older adults adds to the existing literature on the subject.

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Committing to a workout regimen at the beginning of the year may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but four months in, most of us have already lost steam.

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Long-term results are reported for the first patients to receive laboratory-engineered vaginal organs.

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Warmer temperatures and longer days beckon outdoors enthusiasts and gardeners alike to get out and enjoy the season. However, Christopher Ohl, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and medical director of communicable diseases for the Forsyth County (N.C.) Health Department, reminds people to protect themselves and their pets from another springtime arrival – ticks.

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New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center suggests that physicians are ordering vitamin D deficiency screening tests for preventive care purposes rather than after patients develop conditions caused by decreased bone density.

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Scientists have moved a step closer to being able to preserve fertility in young boys who undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. The new research addresses the safety of an option scientists are developing for boys who aren’t sexually mature and cannot bank sperm. The goal is to freeze a sample of the boys’ testicular tissue so that when they reach adulthood, spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) found in the tissue can be reproduced and transplanted back into the patients.

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Well-established and with proven records of success abroad, fracture liaison services – preventive-care programs designed to foster bone health and reduce the risk of bone breaks in older adults – are catching on in the United States.

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The return of spring marks the end of the cold and flu season, but the warmer weather and longer days present a different set of health issues. For many people, spring means itchy, watery eyes or runny, congested noses due to allergies. Knowing your specific allergy will help determine whether you can expect problems during this time of year.

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Discovering where a common virus hides in the body has been a long-term quest for scientists. Up to 80 percent of adults harbor the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), which can cause severe illness and death in people with weakened immune systems. Now, researchers report that stem cells that encircle blood vessels can be a hiding place, suggesting a potential treatment target.

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A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center looked at pregnancy outcomes in regards to the two surgical treatments for ectopic pregnancy -- salpingectomy, in which the affected fallopian tube is removed, or salpingotomy, in which the tube is preserved.

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A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center indicates that systemic corticosteroids are prescribed by dermatologists even though expert guidelines discourage their use for psoriasis treatment.

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If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, and they are unconscious, hands-only CPR can save his/her life.

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The good news: More people survive stroke now than 10 years ago due to improved treatment and prevention. The bad news: Women who survive stroke have a worse quality of life than men, according to a study published in the Feb. 7 online issue of the journal Neurology.

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More than 25 million people in the United States have asthma, a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways causing recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. Although several types of drugs are available to treat asthma, long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) are among the most commonly used and work well for most people. However, for a small subgroup of people with asthma, LABAs can cause severe, life-threatening side effects and carry a boxed safety warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Getting a good night’s sleep means more than you probably think. “I would say the importance of sleep is definitely underestimated by the general public,” said Dr. Sandhya Kumar, assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., and medical director of its Sleep Center.

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Tag plays at home plate have the highest injury rate in professional baseball, occurring 4.3 times more often than other base-running plays, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Winter sports can be dangerous. Allston Stubbs, M.D.'s tips will help keep you injury-free.

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Winter time woes extend beyond cold temperatures and sometimes gloomy weather. Your skin can react negatively to the constant temperature changes as you move indoor to outdoor for daily living activities. Rita Pichardo-Geisinger, M.D., of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center dermatology department, is part of an internationally renowned team of clinicians who provide quality care for patients. Pichardo-Geisinger provides tips that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine to help keep your skin and hair in prime condition. - Use a fragrance free soap – “Perfumes and additives can dry the skin which can lead to flaking and itching or exacerbate conditions like eczema.” - Use a moisturizing lotion after the shower – “When you apply a moisturizer to damp skin right after showering, this helps seal in water to prevent skin from drying out. A moisturizer helps to act as a barrier of protection for your skin. Look for one that has ceramides, a new technology that helps resto