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MONDAY, May 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women who’ve had certain pregnancy complications have significantly higher odds for a stroke than women with uncomplicated pregnancies, new research shows. Moreover, these strokes may occur at a relatively early age, according to investigators at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.Also, compared to women with a single uncomplicated pregnancy, women who experienced complications in two or more pregnancies had twice the risk of stroke before age 45, the study authors noted.In light of these findings, women and their doctors should talk about a history of pregnancy complications including gestational high blood pressure, preeclampsia or preterm birth, the researchers said.“We understand from past studies in...

MONDAY, May 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When Medicare expanded coverage for methadone, more people used this treatment for opioid use disorder, a new study shows.Use rose sharply but did not displace other opioid treatments such as buprenorphine, according to researchers. Much of the rise in methadone use was among Medicare Advantage enrollees under age 65. It was especially true among those who qualified for both Medicare and Medicaid.“These new policies represent an important step in increasing access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder for Medicare beneficiaries,” said lead author Erin Taylor, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization.To study this, the researchers analyzed encounter data and pharmacy records covering nearly...

MONDAY, May 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers may have found a new target in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms that could potentially save more lives.The study focused on mucus plugs, which clog airways in the lungs of many patients with the respiratory disease.“As a chronic disease, COPD can’t be cured, but our findings suggest that using therapies to break up these mucus plugs could help improve outcomes for COPD patients, which is the next best thing,” said corresponding author Dr. Alejandro Diaz, an associate scientist in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Mucus is something that we already know a lot about from a basic science standpoint, and there are also a lot of mucus-targeting...

MONDAY, May 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The Atlantic hurricane season in the United States starts June 1, and some dangers might not be immediately obvious: carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and electric shock.“Hurricanes and major storms in the U.S. have increased in frequency and severity in recent years. This hurricane season may bring widespread destruction that could impact millions of Americans,” said Alex Hoehn-Saric, chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I urge consumers to follow CPSC’s safety tips to prepare ahead of storms to prevent loss of life in a storm’s aftermath," he said in a commission news release. Carbon monoxide (CO) from gasoline-powered portable generators can kill within minutes if used improperly. It has no color or odor, so can...