Latest Health News

31Jan
2020

Study Estimates Actual Coronavirus Case Count in Wuhan May Be Near 76,000

Study Estimates Actual Coronavirus Case Count in Wuhan May Be Near 76,000FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 76,000 people in the city of Wuhan, China, may have already been infected with the new coronavirus, an estimate that is far higher than the number of cases reported so far, researchers say. On Friday, Chinese health officials said nearly 10,000 cases of the virus called 2019-nCoV have been reported, with 213 deaths at this point. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international public health emergency on Thursday. Since the outbreak started in late December, Chinese health officials have determined that the virus, traced to a wild animal market in Wuhan, is now spreading from human to human and that transmission can occur before symptoms appear. The new computer modeling study delivered more bad news: Estimates...

Newer Gene Sequencing Might Help Track Spread of Latest...

31 January 2020
Newer Gene Sequencing Might Help Track Spread of Latest Coronavirus in ChinaFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As China races to stem the spread of a new coronavirus that has now infected nearly 10,000 people and killed more than 200, researchers report that a novel approach to gene sequencing could help monitor coronaviruses more effectively. Coronaviruses in bats have been linked to the outbreak from the virus labeled 2019-nCoV, as well as outbreaks of diseases like SARS and MERS. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is used to monitor how viruses spread and evolve in animals, but routine and large-scale monitoring with NGS can be expensive and labor-intensive, and can miss less abundant viral markers in samples. Those issues have led geneticists to develop less costly and more efficient gene sequencing strategies. In a new study, researchers outline...

Obamacare May Have Boosted Jobs, Education for Poor

31 January 2020
Obamacare May Have Boosted Jobs, Education for PoorFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The Affordable Care Act might have done more than provide more Americans with health insurance: New research suggests accompanying expansions in Medicaid may be linked to higher numbers of low-income people having jobs or going to school. That's what happened after Michigan expanded its Medicaid under new rules from the Affordable Care Act. Researchers surveyed more than 3,000 low-income people with Healthy Michigan Plan coverage in 2016 and again about a year later. During that time, there was an overall 6-point increase in the percentage of study participants who had jobs or were in school, which was higher than employment gains in the general population over the same period. Even larger increases in employment and school enrollment were...

When Pharmacists Allowed to Give Anti-Opioid Med Without...

31 January 2020
When Pharmacists Allowed to Give Anti-Opioid Med Without Rx, Access SoarsFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Allowing pharmacists to provide the opioid overdose drug naloxone without a prescription led to a huge increase in dispensing of the lifesaving drug in Ohio. Ohio state lawmakers gave that permission in 2015. Since then, there's been a 2,328% increase in naloxone dispensing, according to University of Cincinnati researchers. The study also found that counties with low-employment rates had 18% more naloxone dispensed per month than high-employment counties. The findings were published online Jan. 31 in JAMA Network Open. "Our study shows that this change in the Ohio law allowed pharmacists to have more opportunity to participate in the management of patients addicted to opioids," said lead researcher Pam Heaton, a professor of pharmacy...

New Study Supports Lowering Age of First Colonoscopy

31 January 2020
New Study Supports Lowering Age of First ColonoscopyFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of colon cancer among Americans spikes sharply between the ages of 49 and 50, a new study finds -- supporting the case for earlier screening for the disease. Researchers say the uptick between those two ages does not reflect an actual increase in the occurrence of colon cancer but the fact that screening for the disease has traditionally begun at age 50. So "latent" cancers that had been present for some time are caught at that age. Experts said the findings could have implications for colon cancer screening recommendations, which at the moment are conflicting. For years, guidelines from various groups said that people at average risk of colon cancer should begin screening at age 50. Earlier screening was reserved for people at...

AHA News: These Super Sunday Puppies Aren't Just Adorable, They Can Be Good for Health

31 January 2020
AHA News: These Super Sunday Puppies Aren`t Just Adorable, They Can Be Good for HealthFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- It's hard to believe, but America's favorite puppy wrangler used to live in a housing development that didn't allow pets. "They lifted the ban a few years ago and all of a sudden everything changed," said Dan Schachner, a New York-based actor and official referee of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl who fosters dogs for adoption. "People go outside more. They get more exercise. I know my neighbors better. The whole culture is more friendly." Research over the years indicates dogs contribute to human heart health in various ways, from encouraging physical activity and fighting depression to lowering blood pressure and reducing isolation in older people. A meta-analysis published last year in the journal Circulation examined 70...

Too Much Super Bowl Can Mean Too Little Sleep

31 January 2020
Too Much Super Bowl Can Mean Too Little SleepFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Your Super Bowl party this Sunday may leave you feeling beat on Monday morning, a new survey finds. A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that nearly 40% of U.S. adults are more tired than usual the day after the Super Bowl. "It's easy to stay up too late after enjoying a night of football, food and friends," said academy President Dr. Kelly Carden. ""To get the sleep you need after the Super Bowl, it is recommended that you plan ahead and prioritize your bedtime on Sunday night to avoid a tired day at work on Monday," Carden said in an academy news release. Here's a post-Super Bowl sleep plan: Don't eat or drink after halftime. Heavy eating and drinking can make it hard to sleep. Turn the TV and other electronic...

Your Game Plan for Keeping 'Super Bowl Flu' at Bay

31 January 2020
Your Game Plan for Keeping `Super Bowl Flu` at BayFRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Don't get tackled by the flu if you go to a Super Bowl party this weekend. Some simple precautions can protect you and others, said Libby Richards, an associate professor who specializes in public health at Purdue University School of Nursing in West Lafayette, Ind. "If you are sick or a family member or friend you are planning on visiting for a Super Bowl gathering is sick with the flu or influenza-like illnesses, you should avoid contact," Richards said in a university news release. "Don't visit until the symptoms have resolved -- even if that means having to stay home for the big game," she advised. If you're hosting a party, encourage people to wash their hands before eating and to use utensils when they handle food. Have antibacterial...

Coronavirus Doesn't Have to Scare You or Your Kids,...

FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Coronavirus is all over the news, and people are talking about the latest outbreak that started in China and appears to be rapidly spreading to other...

U.S. Spends Trillions on Health Care, But Health Stats...

FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Despite spending far more on health care than other wealthy nations, the United States has the lowest life expectancy and the highest suicide rate, new...
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