Latest Health News

1Apr
2020

Pain Is a Growing Threat to the Nation's Surgeons, New Research Reveals

Pain Is a Growing Threat to the Nation`s Surgeons, New Research RevealsWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many surgeons have neck and back pain after performing operations, a small new study finds. It included 53 surgeons (34 men and 19 women) who did 116 operations at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. They wore devices that measured neck, back and arm posture during surgery, and were asked about pain and fatigue levels before and after. Pain increased after surgery in every body area studied, most commonly in the neck (62%); lower back (45%), and upper back (43%). Nearly three-quarters (72%) of the surgeons reported increased fatigue after surgery. The longer the surgery, the more pain and fatigue. Surgeons who used magnifying lenses had an average increase in neck angle of 10 degrees compared to procedures without them. "At the end of an...

'Pink Eye' Often a Symptom of COVID-19, and Infection...

1 April 2020
`Pink Eye` Often a Symptom of COVID-19, and Infection Via Tears PossibleWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Besides causing COVID-19, the new coronavirus can also lead to "pink eye," and Chinese researchers say the virus may be spread by tears. Of 38 patients with COVID-19, a dozen also had pink eye (conjunctivitis), a new study found. In two patients, the coronavirus was present in both nasal and eye fluids. "Some COVID-19 patients have ocular symptoms, and maybe novel coronaviruses are present in the conjunctival secretions of patients with COVID-19," said researcher Dr. Liang Liang of the ophthalmology department at China Three Gorges University in Yichang. The conjunctiva is a thin, transparent layer of tissue that lines the inner eyelid and covers part of the white of the eye. Liang said the coronavirus may invade it in patients with...

FDA Pulls Heartburn Drug Zantac From Market

1 April 2020
FDA Pulls Heartburn Drug Zantac From MarketWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- All versions of the heartburn drug Zantac (ranitidine) have been pulled from the U.S. market due to possible contamination with a probable cancer-causing chemical, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. This is the latest step in an ongoing investigation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications, the agency noted. In some ranitidine products, NDMA increases over time and when the drugs are stored at higher temperatures, which may result in people being exposed to unacceptable levels of the chemical, according to the FDA. The agency's order for immediate withdrawal of all ranitidine products means they won't be available either by prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) in the United States. "Today's action...

Extreme Heat of Climate Change Could Triple...

1 April 2020
Extreme Heat of Climate Change Could Triple Heart-Related DeathsWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Heart disease deaths spike with extreme heat, and rising temperatures due to climate change may lead to a surge in such deaths in hot regions, researchers say. For the study, the investigators analyzed 2010 to 2016 data on more than 15,000 heart-related deaths among people aged 15 and older in Kuwait, which has an average temperature of 82.2 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Compared to days when the average temperature was 94.5 degrees F, the number of heart-related deaths was three times higher on days when the average daily temperature was 109 degrees F. On those extremely hot days, the death rate was 3.5 times higher among men and 2.5 times higher among women, the findings showed. The death rate among working-age people (aged 15 to 64) was 3.8...

Mild COVID-19 Often Appears With Only Gastro Symptoms: Study

1 April 2020
Mild COVID-19 Often Appears With Only Gastro Symptoms: StudyWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- When most people think of COVID-19, they imagine symptoms such as a dry cough and high fever. But new research out of China shows that a minority of cases appear with gastrointestinal symptoms only. In about one-quarter of patients in the new study, diarrhea and other digestive symptoms were the only symptoms seen in mild COVID-19 cases, and those patients sought medical care later than those with respiratory symptoms. "Failure to recognize these patients early and often may lead to unwitting spread of the disease among outpatients with mild illness, who remain undiagnosed and unaware of their potential to infect others," said a team from Union Hospital and Tongji Medical College in Wuhan, China, the original epicenter of the coronavirus...

Patch Pump Device Could Offer Cheaper Insulin Delivery

1 April 2020
Patch Pump Device Could Offer Cheaper Insulin DeliveryWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Rising prices have grabbed headlines as people struggle to afford their lifesaving insulin, but new research may have found an alternative for people with type 2 diabetes. The study found that combining a wearable, patch-like insulin delivery device (called the V-Go) and an older, cheaper insulin could safely help people with type 2 diabetes achieve good blood sugar control. "For patients who need to take [long-acting and meal-time] insulins in which the cost is rising rapidly, insulin delivery devices such as the V-Go allow them to get both components from regular insulin with the same efficacy and the same safety, and with the potential of improved costs," said study lead author Dr. Pablo Mora, an endocrinologist at the Dallas Diabetes...

As Deaths Continue in Italy, a Lesson for the United States

1 April 2020
As Deaths Continue in Italy, a Lesson for the United StatesWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In a harrowing harbinger of what might come in places like New York City, a new report out of Italy shows the death rate for hospitalized COVID-19 patients continues to grow almost 40 days after the country's first case was reported. Italy has passed China for coronavirus cases, reporting close to 106,000 cases and nearly 12,500 deaths, a Johns Hopkins tally showed Wednesday morning. The virus has been especially deadly for older Italians. Data gathered until March 30 suggests that the number of patients in intensive care in both the northern Lombardy region and Italy as a whole has peaked. However, the number of deaths in hospitals will still increase at the maximum rate for several more days, and significant numbers of deaths may...

AHA News: Given 2% Chance of Survival, 'Batman' Came to the Rescue

1 April 2020
AHA News: Given 2% Chance of Survival, `Batman` Came to the RescueWEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- "Hey, look, it's Lazarus, back from the dead." Steve Seeram was confused. Regaining consciousness, he recalled being diagnosed with a blocked artery and being prepared to undergo a routine non-invasive procedure to implant three stents. Doctors had said he'd be home the next day. "What are you talking about?" Steve asked. He looked down and saw a large bandage on his chest. "You had open-heart surgery," Dr. Clay Burnett told him. "You died on my table twice. I literally had your heart in my hand." Then Steve, still confused, noticed the doctor's surgical cap. It was covered with Batman emblems. "Why are you wearing a Batman hat?" Steve asked. Burnett said "Batman" had been his nickname playing college football....

Certain Health Conditions Up Risks for Severe COVID-19

WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that having an underlying health condition might be one of the most significant risk factors for developing a severe case of...

Coronavirus Crisis Could Help Trigger Relapse Among...

WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The social distancing and isolation of the coronavirus pandemic may put people struggling with addiction at risk for relapse, an expert says. Feeling...
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