Latest Health News

20Sep
2023

Could Artificial Sweeteners in Processed Food Raise Depression Risk?

Could Artificial Sweeteners in Processed Food Raise Depression Risk?THURSDAY, Sept. 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Highly processed packaged foods and drinks may be quick, cheap and tasty, but new research suggests they’re also likely to up your risk for depression.Among big consumers of ultra-processed foods, depression risk may rise by as much as 50%, the new study found, particularly when those foods are artificially sweetened.“Given what we know about these foods and the important role of diet in mood, we were not surprised to find this association,” said study author Dr. Andrew Chan, vice chair of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.At issue, he said, are foods that are “highly altered, often through industrial processes such as hydrogenation.”Hydrogenation is a chemical...

FDA Wants More Data on First Needle-Free Antidote for...

20 September 2023
FDA Wants More Data on First Needle-Free Antidote for Severe Allergic ReactionsWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- In a surprising move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opted not to approve a needle-free alternative to the EpiPen for emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions.Approval of the Neffy nasal spray was widely anticipated. An FDA advisory panel voted to recommend approval of the drug for children and adults in May. While the FDA is not obligated to follow the advice of their advisory panels, it usually does. Instead, the FDA told the drug’s maker, ARS Pharmaceuticals, that it needed to conduct another study on the drug before it is approved, the company said in a statement late Tuesday night."We are deeply disappointed that this action further delays the availability of Neffy for the millions of people who are at risk...

Rat-Borne Parasite That Can Cause Brain Disease...

20 September 2023
Rat-Borne Parasite That Can Cause Brain Disease Spreading in Southern U.S.WEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Brown rats found and analyzed near Atlanta now carry rat lungworm, researchers report.It's a parasite that can trigger a dangerous brain encephalitis in both people and pets, and which now threatens a wide area of the U.S. Southeast.Researchers in Georgia say the microscopic rat lungworm, known scientifically as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, typically begins its life cycle in native and exotic snails — rats probably contract the parasite after eating snails.A. cantonensis was first identified in Asia and was for many years not endemic to the United States. It first appeared in Hawaii before being spotted in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, "likely introduced by infected rats and gastropods [snails] through trade routes, such as on...

Patient-to-Patient Transmission Not to Blame for Most C....

20 September 2023
Patient-to-Patient Transmission Not to Blame for Most C. Difficile Infections in HospitalsWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A deadly infection associated with hospitalization may not be the fault of the hospital, but may instead stem from the patients themselves, a new study suggests.Infection caused by the bacterium Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, is still common in hospitals, despite extensive infection control procedures. The new research may help explain why that's so. Among more than 1,100 patients at a Chicago hospital, a little over 9% were "colonized" with C. diff. Analysis of nearly 4,000 fecal specimens showed very little evidence that the strains of C. diff from one patient to the next were the same, which would imply in-hospital acquisition.But only six possible patient-to-patient transmissions were found. Instead, people who already carried...

Few Doctors, Spotty Internet: Finding Mental Health Care Tough for Many Americans

20 September 2023
Few Doctors, Spotty Internet: Finding Mental Health Care Tough for Many AmericansWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in five counties across the United States lack psychiatrists or internet service, making it difficult for around 10.5 million Americans to find mental health care, a new study shows. The counties examined in the study were more likely to be in rural areas, have higher unemployment rates, and have populations that were more likely to be uninsured and lack a bachelor’s degree. What’s worse, individuals who fall into any one of these categories are also more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. So, the need for mental health services is especially critical in areas with the greatest barriers to access, the researchers noted. And while the pandemic created a rapid demand for telehealth, the medium has yet to reach the...

Diabetes Drug Maker Sues Over Compounded Versions of Mounjaro

20 September 2023
Diabetes Drug Maker Sues Over Compounded Versions of MounjaroWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Another diabetes drug maker is taking legal action against businesses in several states, alleging that they’re “fraudulently claiming” that their compounded products are the same as its medication.This time, it’s Eli Lilly suing certain medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies over its medication Mounjaro. Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes.The lawsuits, filed Tuesday, are meant to stop the other companies from “the unlawful marketing and sale of non-FDA approved compounded products.” “Lilly filed this lawsuit to protect patients,” the company said in a statement issued Tuesday. “Lilly cannot validate the...

Bats Don't Get Cancer, and Scientists Are Closer to Understanding Why

20 September 2023
Bats Don`t Get Cancer, and Scientists Are Closer to Understanding WhyWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Bats have an extraordinary ability to avoid cancer and handle infections, and researchers now think they might know why.Specific genetic adaptations caused by rapid evolution have made bats extremely cancer-resistant, researchers report in the Sept. 20 issue of the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.“By generating these new bat genomes and comparing them to other mammals we continue to find extraordinary new adaptations in antiviral and anticancer genes,” said lead author Armin Scheben, a postdoctoral research fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Woodbury, N.Y.“These investigations are the first step towards translating research on the unique biology of bats into insights relevant to understanding and treating aging and...

You Survived a Heart Attack. Here's How Cardiac Rehab Can Help

20 September 2023
You Survived a Heart Attack. Here`s How Cardiac Rehab Can HelpWEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac rehabilitation is a key part of recovery from a heart attack, helping to prevent another, perhaps more severe one.About 800,000 people in the United States have a heart attack every year, about one-quarter of whom have already had a heart attack, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.But research has found that participating in cardiac rehabilitation decreases the chance you will die in the five years following a heart attack or bypass surgery by about 35%.How does it work? Cardiac rehab works by strengthening the heart and body after a heart attack. It can relieve symptoms of heart problems, such as chest pain.These programs are often done in a hospital or rehabilitation center. Some programs can be done...

Job Frustrations Can Really Be a Heartbreaker for Men

TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A job that's demanding but less than rewarding may take a big toll on a man's heart health, a large new study suggests.The study, of nearly 6,500...

Parkinson's Patients Often Battle a Hidden Foe: Stigma

TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with Parkinson’s disease already face poorer mental and physical health, but now a new study shows they also suffer from decreased levels of...
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