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WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that has been around for a long time, creating multiple health issues for users.But there is another downside to this drug: It can ravage the dental health of users.Meth was first used during World War II by both sides, to increase the focus and energy of soldiers. However, in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, amphetamines were classified as Schedule II drugs, meaning they could only be used for medical reasons, since they have such a high risk of abuse and addiction.In the past few decades, there has been an explosion in the abuse of this man-made substance.According to the Pew Trust, “The use of the stimulant methamphetamine, as well as related overdose deaths and arrests, rose...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Lack of transportation isn't just a hassle. When it delays getting care, it also ups the risk of emergency room use and death in adults, new research shows.This is especially risky for cancer patients.“Transportation barriers prevent many patients with cancer from accessing timely and effective care. Lack of reliable and affordable transportation can lead to missed appointments, delayed diagnoses, treatment interruptions, and incomplete follow-up care,” said study author Xuesong Han, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society. “These factors can worsen the prognosis and quality of life of cancer survivors, as well as increase the costs and burdens on the health care system,” she said in a society...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Maintaining tight control of your blood pressure could help your brain, potentially reducing your risk of stroke, a new study says.When blood pressure was intensively managed in adults over age 50, patients had fewer lesions in the brain’s white matter, according to researchers. Having this consistently controlled blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of stroke, they found.“Our study demonstrates that lowering systolic blood pressure to below 120 mm Hg is more effective in preserving brain health compared to standard treatment goals,” study co-author Mohamad Habes said in a news release from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is an assistant professor of radiology there and director of the...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new drug for people who have a rare, inherited type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.The medication, toferson (Qalsody), targets a mutation in the SOD1-ALS gene. ALS attacks and kills nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. With ALS, patients lose nerve cells that affect chewing, walking, breathing and talking. The muscles weaken, and that leads to paralysis.The newly approved medication is made by the company Biogen, which is based in Cambridge, Mass.The FDA approved the drug based on evidence of a reduction in plasma neurofilament light, a blood-based biomarker of nerve injury and neurodegeneration. It did not show that the drug...