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FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Postpartum depression is commonly thought of as something new moms experience, but fathers can also suffer from these feelings when entering this phase of life.A pilot study from the University of Illinois Chicago suggests new dads should also be screened for the condition. Addressing their health may also be an important tool for improving the maternal health crisis, given that the physical health of these parent partners are so intertwined, according to the authors.“A lot of dads are stressed. They’re scared. They’re struggling with balancing work and parental and partner responsibilities,” said lead author Dr. Sam Wainwright, an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics. “Men are often not doing well, but no one is...

THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- While many have raved about the powers of popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, new research confirms the medications can trigger some nasty gastrointestinal side effects.Known as GLP-1 agonists, they may increase the risk of stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and bowel obstruction, scientists found. "Although the incidence of these adverse events are relatively rare, affecting only about 1% of patients, with millions taking these medications, thousands of people are likely to be affected by these adverse events," said lead researcher Dr. Mohit Sodhi, from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. "Patients need to weigh the risks and benefits before taking these medications for weight loss," he said. "We encourage patients...

THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. cancer centers continue to have shortages of commonly used chemotherapy drugs, a new survey shows, though the medications are not as scarce as they were last June.The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers, surveyed its network in September.In all, 72% of cancer centers surveyed reported a continued shortage of carboplatin. And 59% were still seeing a shortage of cisplatin.These two platinum-based generic chemotherapy medications are recommended for treating many different cancers.Overall, 86% of centers surveyed said they were short on at least one type of anti-cancer drug.A survey in June showed that 93% of cancer centers had a shortage of carboplatin, and 70% of...

THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A nasal spray containing a ketamine derivative appears to beat one of the standard drugs used for people with difficult-to-treat depression, a new clinical trial has found.The trial, of nearly 700 people with treatment-resistant depression, found that esketamine nasal spray was more effective at sending patients into remission than a standard oral drug called quetiapine (Seroquel).After eight weeks, 27% of esketamine patients were in remission, versus 18% of those given quetiapine. By week 32, half of esketamine patients were faring that well, compared with one-third of those on quetiapine.Experts said the findings, published in the Oct. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, strengthen the case that esketamine is a good option for...