Latest Health News

16Apr
2020

Blood Test Might Spot Pancreatic Cancer Early

Blood Test Might Spot Pancreatic Cancer EarlyTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Pancreatic cancer is known as a "silent killer" because it's often detected far too late. But there's hope a new blood test may be able to spot the most common type of pancreatic tumor in its early stages. In a small study, the test also appeared to be able to accurately identify the stage of pancreatic cancer in patients -- helping to determine the most appropriate treatment, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 47,000 people die from pancreatic cancer each year. Beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is currently waging a battle against the disease. "Right now, the majority of patients who are diagnosed already have metastatic [advanced] disease, so...

Obesity Is Biggest Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factor

16 April 2020
Obesity Is Biggest Type 2 Diabetes Risk FactorTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Whether you have a low or a high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity seems to be the driving factor in developing the disease, Danish researchers say. Their new study found that obesity increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by at least six times, no matter what a person's genetic risk was. "Obesity and unfavorable lifestyle are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes irrespective of genetic risk," said study author Hermina Jakupović. She's a doctoral fellow in biomedicine at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. These findings suggest that no matter what your family history might be, maintaining a healthy weight is a key to keeping type 2 diabetes at bay. "Weight management by healthy lifestyle should be...

New COVID-19 Test Could Give Results in Under 1 Hour

16 April 2020
New COVID-19 Test Could Give Results in Under 1 HourTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've developed a low-cost swab test that can diagnose COVID-19 infections in about 45 minutes. The CRISPR-based test -- which uses gene-targeting technology and requires no specialized equipment -- could help relieve testing backlogs in the United States as COVID-19 continues to spread, the scientists said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the test, but clinical assessments are being conducted in an effort to fast-track approval. The test is described in a paper published April 16 in the journal Nature Biotechnology. "The introduction and availability of CRISPR technology will accelerate deployment of the next generation of tests to diagnose COVID-19 infection," co-lead developer Dr. Charles Chiu...

Waging War Against Severe COVID-19: One Survivor's Story

16 April 2020
Waging War Against Severe COVID-19: One Survivor`s StoryTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- "Am I going to die?" It was 11 days since Dr. Vijay Battu's first symptoms, and four days since his admission as a patient to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. And now the ravages of COVID-19 had begun to make breathing nearly impossible. "I asked because I was scared," recalled Battu. "It was horrible. I didn't feel like I was getting enough air. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't do anything. I wanted to call my lawyer, to make a will. But honestly I couldn't even put my finger on my phone to type. I just couldn't. I didn't have the energy." Battu would eventually win his battle against COVID-19. But it was a harrowing journey back to health. For Battu -- an otherwise healthy 52-year-old ophthalmologist and attending surgeon at the New...

Scientists Design Protective Respirator for Health Care Workers

16 April 2020
Scientists Design Protective Respirator for Health Care WorkersTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- With protective gear in short supply, Duke University researchers say they've designed a much-needed respirator for health care workers battling COVID-19. The respirator was created by a medical and engineering team at the university and is being used by Duke Health doctors treating patients with suspected cases of COVID-19. The idea for the protective respirator came from orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Melissa Erickson. "We have these helmets that we wear during arthroplasty surgery [joint repairs] and we started to wonder, 'Can these be repurposed?'" Erikson said in a Duke news release. Under Erickson's guidance, a multidisciplinary team created 3D-printed parts to modify the surgical helmet -- which uses room air -- into a powered...

Low-Dose Aspirin Might Lower Odds for Digestive Cancers

16 April 2020
Low-Dose Aspirin Might Lower Odds for Digestive CancersTHURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk of several types of digestive tract cancers, according to a team of researchers in Europe. For the new study, the researchers analyzed 113 studies investigating colon/rectal ("bowel"), head and neck, esophageal, stomach, liver, gallbladder, bile duct and pancreatic cancers in the general population. The studies were published up to 2019. The investigators concluded there was a link between regular use of aspirin -- taking at least one or two aspirin pills a week -- and a significant reduction in the risk of all these cancers, with the exception of head and neck cancer. The study was published April 16 in the journal Annals of Oncology. For colon/rectal cancer, extensive evidence stemmed from 45...

Why Remdesivir Might Be a Good Bet Against COVID-19

16 April 2020
Why Remdesivir Might Be a Good Bet Against COVID-19THURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- New research sheds light on why the experimental drug remdesivir might become the most powerful weapon in the fight against COVID-19: It is highly effective against an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the spread of the new coronavirus. Remdesivir is one of several drugs being fast-tracked in various coronavirus treatment trials around the world. Just last week, a small, "compassionate use" trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found the drug improved outcomes for people with COVID-19. More than two-thirds of 53 severely ill patients showed improvement in oxygen support, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center researchers said. Seventeen of 30 patients who were on ventilators were able to be taken off the life-support machines,...

New Federal Guidelines for Re-Opening U.S. Expected as Coronavirus Cases Top 636,000

16 April 2020
New Federal Guidelines for Re-Opening U.S. Expected as Coronavirus Cases Top 636,000THURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the number of U.S. coronavirus cases neared 637,000 on Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that new federal guidelines will soon be issued to help state officials re-open parts of the country. Meanwhile, 5.2 million more Americans joined the unemployment rolls, as new jobless claims numbers were released Thursday morning, The New York Times reported. As coronavirus cases and deaths in several of America's early hotspots continued to show signs of plateauing, governors from those hard-hit states worked on regional pacts to help re-open those areas when social distancing orders can be relaxed. The governors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island said Monday they would begin...

Your Media Use & Coronavirus Precautions Are...

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Americans who are young, liberal and heavy consumers of news are most likely to follow COVID-19 safety recommendations, a new online survey...

Cats Get Separation Anxiety, Too

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Here's a little secret from your favorite feline: Even if he acts aloof when you're around, he really doesn't like it when you're away. Turns out...
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