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TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There was a steep drop in the number of low-income people without health insurance in so-called Diabetes Belt states that expanded Medicaid, a new study shows. The Diabetes Belt is a swath of 644 U.S. counties across 15 southeastern states that have high diabetes rates. More than 11% of adults in the Diabetes Belt have the condition, compared with 8.5% outside the belt. It's believed that diabetes is a major factor in shorter life expectancy. "States that expanded Medicaid achieved an absolute reduction of 20 percentage points in uninsured rates, while states that did not achieved 13% reduction," the researchers reported. The study examined uninsured rates among adults aged 64 or younger with household incomes equal to or less than 138%...

TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In another sign of just how bad the U.S. opioid abuse epidemic has become, a new study finds family members often steal painkillers from dying relatives in hospice care. In a survey of 371 hospices, 31% reported at least one case in which drugs were taken from a patient in the past 90 days. The thieves were most often relatives. Lead researcher John Cagle said it's not clear if those who steal the drugs are addicted, financially struggling, or both, though he assumes that is the case. No matter what, swiping drugs that dying patients need to manage their pain is cruel, he said. "Where medications are being taken from patients, those patients are probably suffering," said Cagle, an associate professor of social work at the University of...

TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- When pregnant women use cosmetics containing parabens, their children may have a greater likelihood of becoming overweight, a new study suggests. Parabens are chemicals that have long been used as a preservative in cosmetics and body care products. A number of studies have suggested that parabens mimic estrogens in the body and may disrupt the normal function of hormones. In the new study, researchers found detectable parabens in the urine of pregnant women who used paraben-containing "leave-on" products every day -- makeup, body lotion or facial moisturizers. The higher those urinary paraben levels, the more likely it was that a woman's child would be overweight by age 8. A compound called butylparaben stood out: Kids were twice as likely...

TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From hormonal changes to new schedules and altered expectations, children face a variety of challenges when they enter middle school. But students and their parents aren't the only ones stressing out. Researchers from the University of Missouri found that 94% of middle school teachers experience high stress levels. Reducing this burden could improve student success, researchers say. "Many studies of teacher stress have used samples from elementary schools," said study author Keith Herman, a professor in the MU College of Education. "However, middle school is a particularly important time in students' lives as they transition from elementary school and have many different teachers. It's critical that we understand how stress impacts middle...