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TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women who give birth to bigger-than-average babies are susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes later in life, a new study suggests. Large-for-gestational age infants are defined as those weighing 8 pounds or more, said lead study author Dr. Kartik Kailas Venkatesh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University. "In an environment of obesity, women are at a higher risk of having larger babies," he said. "And they are also at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life."Venkatesh said that women who deliver large babies most likely suffer from glucose intolerance that causes high blood sugar during pregnancy. "Even if you don't have gestational diabetes, there's probably still glucose intolerance that's leading...

TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Americans have less medical debt now than they did a couple years ago, possibly because of policies and programs that gave more people access to health insurance and relief funds.About 8.2 million fewer people had medical debt on their credit reports in early 2022 compared to early 2020, according to the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). That’s a drop of about 18% over the two years, the Associated Press reported.In a separate draft report, White House officials credited an expansion of the Affordable Care Act that provided coverage to an additional 4.2 million Americans.In addition, some local governments are leveraging $16 million in 2021 coronavirus relief funds to buy medical debt and forgive it. That includes Chicago,...

TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When testing determines that a patient who was thought to be allergic to penicillin actually is not, the warning is expected to be removed from their charts and pharmacy records.But that "de-labeling" is not always happening.“Penicillin allergy labels are associated with increased health care cost burdens as well as adverse events for patients,” said lead author Dr. Althea Marie Diaz, an allergist at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. “Many patients carrying a penicillin allergy label can safely take penicillin, but even after allergy testing we’re finding those allergy labels aren’t always being removed.”To study this, the researchers identified 78 charts of patients who were de-labeled for penicillin allergy from...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Keeping your heart healthy has numerous benefits, including a reduced risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack and even dementia.Eating healthy foods is one big step you can take to protect your heart, but most folks wait too long to change what they eat.“Many people ignore their diet until they develop cardiovascular symptoms later in life. Adopting a heart-healthy diet when you are young can help you live longer and healthier,” Loyola University Medical Center cardiologist Khaled Dajani said in a recent blog post.In its 2021 Dietary Guidance Scientific Statement, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating foods from the Mediterranean, Healthy US-Style and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets for...