Leeches are making a slimy comeback in modern medicine

Medical bills are often littered with bizarre line items. If you’re in Russia, those little charges might include half a dozen slimy, slithering leeches.

About 10 million of the blood-sucking invertebrates are prescribed in Russia every year, offering many people an affordable alternative for blood-thinning medicines, the New York Times reported this weekend. 

As Russia’s economy tanks — due to a mix of low oil prices, sanctions, and military spending — the country’s state-run medical system has also suffered. Medicinal leeches cost less than one U.S. dollar per icky blob, and doctors say leeches’ venom is a low-cost preventative treatment for stroke and heart disease.   Read more…

More about Medical Treatments, Healing, Blood Letting, Modern Medicine, and Medicine

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