Latest Health News

30Jan
2023

Utah Becomes First State to Ban Transgender Health Care for Minors

Utah Becomes First State to Ban Transgender Health Care for MinorsMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Transgender youth in Utah are now blocked from receiving gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy after Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Saturday that largely bans such care for youth.Cox said that the ban was necessary until more research was done on long-term effects of treatments, The New York Times reported.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Utah responded, saying the law violated due process and constitutional equal protection rights. "This bill effectively bans access to lifesaving medical care for transgender youth in Utah," Brittney Nystrom, executive director of the organization, said in a statement. "It undermines the health and well-being of adolescents, limits the options of doctors, patients, and parents, and violates...

How Many Daily Steps Do You Need to Lose Weight?

30 January 2023
How Many Daily Steps Do You Need to Lose Weight?MONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It’s clear that staying active is key to being healthy, and fitness trackers and smartwatches have become popular tools for tracking activity.But just how many steps does someone need to take to lose weight? That’s not such a simple a question. While evidence is limited on exactly how many steps a day it takes to lose weight, experts say to get about 150 to 300 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise weekly, said Amanda Paluch, an assistant professor in the department of kinesiology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.That’s about an average of 22 minutes per day on the low end and 45 minutes on the high end, Paluch said. “And we do know that for weight loss and weight...

1 in 8 Older Americans May Be 'Junk Food Addicts,' Poll...

30 January 2023
1 in 8 Older Americans May Be `Junk Food Addicts,` Poll FindsMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It may be that as many as 13% of older adults are addicted to highly processed comfort foods, a new survey finds.Craving cookies, chips, packaged snacks and soda was seen in adults aged 50 to 80, according to new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.Women had higher numbers of addiction to these foods than men, especially those in their 50s and early 60s. Older adults who were overweight or experiencing poor mental health or isolation also had much higher percentages of possible addiction to processed foods.Researchers suggested that doctors should screen for these addictive eating habits, so that patients can get referrals to nutrition counseling or...

Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug Prices

30 January 2023
Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug PricesMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. government could save billions every year once Medicare begins negotiating drug prices in 2026, new research suggests.The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress last year allows Medicare to bargain with drug companies on the prices of 10 of the highest-priced drugs in 2026 before adding 15 more in 2027, 15 more in 2028 and 20 more each year after that.If that had happened in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for 40 drugs, it would have saved the U.S. $26.5 billion, about 5% of all drug spending, according to researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston."That's a pretty sizable reduction in spending from a very small number of drugs," study author Dr. Benjamin Rome, a primary care physician at Brigham and...

Troubling Signs TB Is Gaining Resistance Against Combo Antibiotics

30 January 2023
Troubling Signs TB Is Gaining Resistance Against Combo AntibioticsMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- New drugs may be needed to fight the deadliest form of tuberculosis, because it may no longer respond to current treatments.An animal study by Johns Hopkins University researchers found that an approved antibiotic regimen may not work for TB meningitis due to multidrug-resistant strains. Small human studies have also provided evidence that a new combination of drugs is needed.Doctors currently use a regimen of three antibiotics -- bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid (BPaL) -- to treat TB of the lungs due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The new study showed that is not effective in treating TB meningitis because bedaquiline and linezolid are restricted in crossing the blood-brain barrier, a network of cells that stops germs and toxins...

Fear of Public Spaces Is Common in People With Epilepsy

30 January 2023
Fear of Public Spaces Is Common in People With EpilepsyMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Many adults with epilepsy have agoraphobia, or a fear of public places, new research suggests. That impacts quality of life and is something doctors should include in other screening that looks for anxiety or depression, the investigators said."We know that agoraphobia can lead to delays in patient care because of a reluctance to go out in public, which includes appointments with health care providers,” said lead study author Dr. Heidi Munger Clary, an associate professor of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. “So, this is an area that needs more attention in clinical practice.”Her team used data from a neuropsychology registry study to analyze a diverse sample of 420 adults, ages 18 to 75. The...

Gum Disease Treatments Lose Their Punch in Heavy Smokers

30 January 2023
Gum Disease Treatments Lose Their Punch in Heavy SmokersMONDAY, Jan. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Treatments for gum disease may have little benefit for heavy smokers, new research shows.The study findings suggest the need to rethink treatment of the common gum disease periodontitis, according to researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark.“To our surprise, we could see that the disease had actually grown worse in some parameters in the hardest-hit group, despite the fact that this particular group had received the most extensive, individually designed treatment,” study co-author Julie Pajaniaye, a dental hygienist, said in a university news release.Periodontitis, or gum disease, leads to breakdown of the teeth’s supportive tissue and, in serious cases, can result in loss of teeth.For the study, the researchers studied the effect of...

Silent Killer: Shield Your Family From Carbon Monoxide

29 January 2023
Silent Killer: Shield Your Family From Carbon MonoxideSUNDAY, Jan. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer, but even during winter heating season, it's possible to stay safe.This dangerous gas is produced when fuels burn incompletely.This can happen in furnaces, both gas- and wood-burning fireplaces, space heaters and vehicles that burn fossil fuel. It’s also possible in water heaters, gas clothes dryers and stoves, as well as other equipment, including grills, generators and power tools.The Nebraska Regional Poison Center offers some tips on staying safe, recognizing carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and treating a person who has been poisoned with the gas:Start by installing carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Replace batteries every six months.Have all fuel-burning appliances...

What Is Heartworm and How Can You Protect Your Pet From It?

SATURDAY, Jan. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It’s possible to prevent heartworms in many of your furry friends — dogs, cats and ferrets, specifically.Heading off a severe and sometimes deadly...

FDA Could Ease Blood Donation Rules for Gay Men

FRIDAY, Jan. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Longstanding restrictions on blood donations from gay or bisexual men could soon shift towards a more nuanced policy, where such men are asked about...
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