Latest Health News

11Mar
2020

For People With Hepatitis, Daily Aspirin Might Lower Liver Cancer Risk

For People With Hepatitis, Daily Aspirin Might Lower Liver Cancer RiskWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- People with hepatitis B or C are at greater risk for liver cancer, but a low-dose aspirin a day might significantly lower that risk, a new study suggests. Over a median of nearly eight years of follow-up, 4% of those taking low-dose aspirin developed liver cancer, compared with 8.3% of those not taking the drug, researchers found. "It's not clear how aspirin works to prevent liver cancer," said lead researcher Dr. Tracey Simon, an instructor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Simon cautioned that this study cannot prove that aspirin prevents liver cancer. Only an association was seen in the study. But "aspirin may have anti-inflammatory properties that extend beyond its cardiovascular protective effects," she suggested. In other...

Could Green Tea Extract Help Fight Pulmonary Fibrosis?

11 March 2020
Could Green Tea Extract Help Fight Pulmonary Fibrosis?WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A green tea extract has shown early hints of promise against a serious, progressive form of lung disease, researchers say. The disease is called pulmonary fibrosis, where scar tissue builds up in the lungs over time, limiting the amount of oxygen the body receives. Eventually, life-threatening lung failure can develop. There are many types of pulmonary fibrosis, but the most common is the "idiopathic" form. "That's a fancy term doctors use when we don't know the cause," explained Dr. David Hill, a volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Until a decade ago, he said, there weren't many treatments for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), other than measures to help them manage symptoms and maintain...

Serious Eye Problems Common in People With Parkinson's

11 March 2020
Serious Eye Problems Common in People With Parkinson`sWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- People with Parkinson's disease often have eye problems, which can interfere with their daily activities and increase their risk for falls, researchers say. "It is especially important for people with Parkinson's to have the best vision possible because it can help compensate for movement problems caused by the disease, and help reduce the risk of falls," according to the author of a new study, Dr. Carlijn Borm of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The study included 848 people with Parkinson's who had symptoms for an average seven years, and 250 people without the disease. The average age in both groups was 70. Participants were asked about vision and eye problems such as blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble...

Preemies' Impaired Immune Systems Quickly Catch Up: Study

11 March 2020
Preemies` Impaired Immune Systems Quickly Catch Up: StudyWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Premature infants' immune systems develop at a rate similar to full-term infants, a new study finds. British researchers tracked immune system development in babies born before 32 weeks, including identifying different immune cell populations and the types of bacteria present in stool samples. All of the preemies' immune systems progressed similarly as they got older, regardless of how early they were born. Babies born after the shortest gestation -- earlier than 28 weeks -- had a greater degree of immune system progress over a similar time period than those who spent more time in the womb. The findings suggest that preterm and full-term infants' immune system development follows a set pattern after birth, according to the study...

Friends Matter for LGBT Health

11 March 2020
Friends Matter for LGBT HealthWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Having a large social network of other people with the same sexual identity benefits the health of LGBT people, a new study finds. Previous studies have found that discrimination and related stress can be harmful to the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, so researchers decided to look at social factors that may reduce that harm. The investigators surveyed 2,560 LGBT adults about discrimination, stress, social networks, physical health, depression and life satisfaction. The results showed that the harmful effects of discrimination are reduced when LGBT individuals include more people in their social circle who share their sexual identity. The ages of those people didn't matter. The number of straight people...

Living Healthier Can Help Shield You From A-fib: AHA

11 March 2020
Living Healthier Can Help Shield You From A-fib: AHAWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From weight loss to physical activity, lifestyle changes are effective, yet underused strategies to manage atrial fibrillation, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). Atrial fibrillation -- also known as a-fib or AF -- is an abnormal heart rhythm affecting more than 2.7 million Americans. In a-fib, the heart's upper chambers beat erratically, which can lead to blood clots. If clots break off, they can cause a stroke. A-fib increases stroke risk fivefold. "While established medical treatment protocols remain essential, helping AF patients adopt healthier lifestyle habits whenever possible may further help to reduce episodes of AF," said Dr. Mina Chung, who led the team that wrote the new...

U.S. Blood Donors Needed in Face of COVID-19 Crisis

11 March 2020
U.S. Blood Donors Needed in Face of COVID-19 CrisisWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As concerns about the new coronavirus escalate, the American Red Cross urges healthy, eligible people to give blood or platelets to help prevent blood shortages. "We're asking the American people to help keep the blood supply stable during this challenging time. As communities across the country prepare for this public health emergency, it's critical that plans include a readily available blood supply for hospital patients," said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Blood Services. Due to fears of coronavirus infection, low donor participation could harm blood availability at hospitals, Hrouda added in an agency news release. "The last thing a patient should worry about is whether lifesaving blood will be on the shelf when they need it...

AHA News: Unexplained Heart Failure at 24 Leads to Transplant

11 March 2020
AHA News: Unexplained Heart Failure at 24 Leads to TransplantWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- When Trent Paul Arnold was 24 and got worn out walking a short distance at work, it was a "big red flag" that something wasn't right. "Gradually, I just kept losing more and more stamina," he said. His mother, Laura Arnold, believed he was suffering from allergies. By the time Trent visited his doctor, breathing was difficult. His physician immediately sent him to a local hospital in Effingham, Illinois, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit. "My body was shutting down," Trent said. After a night in the hospital, Trent's condition worsened. He was transferred to a larger hospital in Springfield. Doctors dug into his family's medical history, ran a battery of tests and explored the possibility he had a hole in his...

When Chronic Pain Leads to Depression in Kids

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic pain can keep kids from being social and active, leading to anxiety and depression, a child psychiatrist says. Unfortunately, this can turn...

AA Still Best to Beat Problem Drinking, Review Finds

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For people who want to stop drinking, the world's oldest alcohol support group is still the best way, a new review concludes. In an analysis of 27...
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