Latest Health News

29Jan
2020

Spinal Fusion Outcomes Worse for Black Patients, Large Study Finds

Spinal Fusion Outcomes Worse for Black Patients, Large Study FindsWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Black Americans who have lower spinal fusion surgery have more complications, spend more time in the hospital and have higher costs than white patients, new research shows. For the study, the researchers analyzed the discharge records of nearly 268,000 patients in California, Florida, New York, Maryland and Kentucky who had this common surgery from 2007 through 2014. Of those, nearly 78% were white and 6.5% were black. Compared to white patients, black patients were 8% more likely to have complications specific to spinal surgery and 14% more likely to have general complications, the findings showed. In addition, black patients were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital, and also were more likely to have a longer hospital stay and...

Massachusetts' Health Reforms Helped Catch More Cancers...

29 January 2020
Massachusetts` Health Reforms Helped Catch More Cancers EarlyWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Advanced-stage colon cancer diagnoses declined after Massachusetts expanded health insurance coverage, a new study finds. In 2006, state legislators passed a health insurance reform law with the aim of providing health care access to nearly all residents. "Colorectal cancer frequently occurs in adults under 65 who are not yet eligible for Medicare. And we know from previous research that people who do not have health insurance or who are underinsured are less likely to get recommended preventive health screenings," said study lead author Lindsay Sabik. She's an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh. "Cancer is only one disease area where preventive care and early diagnosis can make a big...

Weight-Loss Surgery Brings Surprise Bonus: Breathing Easier

29 January 2020
Weight-Loss Surgery Brings Surprise Bonus: Breathing EasierWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Countless Americans who struggle with extreme obesity turn to weight-loss surgery for help, and now new research shows the procedure can deliver an unexpected benefit: better breathing. Until now, few studies have used CT scans to peer inside the body, to actually see obesity's effects on the respiratory system -- specifically, the lungs and trachea, or windpipe. "This study gave an anatomical basis to what we see in practice," said Dr. Rodrick McKinlay, a Utah-based weight-loss surgeon who was not involved in the research. In this new British study, doctors used such scans to observe changes in the respiratory systems of 51 obese individuals who underwent weight-loss (bariatric) surgery. They measured both the size and shape of the...

Bone Marrow Transplants Less Risky Now

29 January 2020
Bone Marrow Transplants Less Risky NowWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The risks faced by U.S. bone marrow transplant patients have dropped sharply, a new study shows. While this type of transplant can be lifesaving for patients with blood cancers (such as leukemia) and other diseases, there are potentially life-threatening risks, the researchers noted. But the new analysis of 1,148 patients who had bone marrow transplants at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance between 2003 and 2007, and 1,131 patients who had the procedure between 2013 and 2017, showed a significant decline in risk. Compared to the 2003-2007 group, the overall risk of death after transplant was 34% lower in the 2013-2017 group, even though they were older and sicker when they had their transplant, the findings showed. The death rate among...

Where Is the New Coronavirus Most Likely to Spread?

29 January 2020
Where Is the New Coronavirus Most Likely to Spread?WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As Chinese health officials fight to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has sickened nearly 6,000 and killed 132, British researchers have mapped out which international cities are most vulnerable to its spread. While the greatest risk for infection with what is now dubbed 2019-nCoV are the cities of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Taipei, that doesn't mean other cities around the world are safe. New York City and London are among the 30 cities most likely to see coronavirus infections, according to a team of experts in population mapping (known as WorldPop) at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The three countries/regions worldwide most at risk are Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. The United States is 6th on the list, Australia...

AHA News: Processed vs. Ultra-Processed Food, and Why It Matters to Your Health

29 January 2020
AHA News: Processed vs. Ultra-Processed Food, and Why It Matters to Your HealthWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- The difference between "processed" and "ultra-processed" foods might sound like an issue best left to linguists or hungry English teachers. But for the sake of your health, it's worth understanding. That's because some of those foods are just fine – and some can harm you. What is the difference? Definitions vary, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says anything that changes the fundamental nature of an agricultural product – heating, freezing, dicing, juicing – is a processed food. Which means some can be quite good for you. "Those little baby carrots that you get in a supermarket – that's a processed food," said Penny Kris-Etherton, registered dietitian and distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania...

Family's Experience in Vietnam Shows Coronavirus Spreading Outside China

29 January 2020
Family`s Experience in Vietnam Shows Coronavirus Spreading Outside ChinaWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A man from Wuhan, the Chinese city that's the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, apparently transmitted the infection to his son living in Vietnam, a new case report shows. The report, published Jan. 28 in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlights how the respiratory illness can spread person-to-person, experts say. As of Wednesday morning, 5,974 cases of the coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, have been reported in China, while the death toll has climbed to 132. Only five cases -- all brought back from China by people traveling there -- have been reported in the United States, and patients are thought to be in good condition. But researchers now believe that 2019-nCoV can be spread even when an infected person doesn't show symptoms....

New Coronavirus Infections in China Top SARS Total, as U.S Evacuates Americans

29 January 2020
New Coronavirus Infections in China Top SARS Total, as U.S Evacuates AmericansWEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the case count in China's new coronavirus outbreak eclipsed those reported in the 2003 SARS outbreak on Wednesday, the United States evacuated 200 Americans from the center of the epidemic. Overnight, the number of cases of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus in China shot from 4,515 to 5,974, while the death toll climbed to 132. There were 5,327 cases and 348 deaths reported in China during the SARS outbreak, with more than 800 deaths reported worldwide, the Associated Press reported. Late Tuesday night, a flight chartered by the U.S. State Department to evacuate American government workers and private citizens landed in Anchorage, Alaska. After refueling, it headed for the March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, Calif., according to CNN. In...

Health Tip: Causes of Hoarseness

(HealthDay News) -- Hoarseness describes abnormal voice changes, says Cleveland Clinic. Your voice may sound raspy or strained. Most causes of hoarseness are not serious and go away within two...

Health Tip: Healthy Ways to Deal With Sadness

(HealthDay News) -- Sadness is a normal emotion that often accompanies loss, says Gundersen Health System. Big life events, such as the end of a close relationship or the death of a loved one, can...
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