Latest Health News

18Sep
2023

Kim Kardashian Just Got a Whole-Body MRI Scan. Should You?

Kim Kardashian Just Got a Whole-Body MRI Scan. Should You?MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Whole-body MRI scans are the latest health fad to be promoted by celebrities, with Kim Kardashian taking to Instagram last month to tout the practice.But doctors are warning that such whole-body scans, while tempting, are pricey and not all that accurate.In fact, the average person is more likely to be unnecessarily harmed by having a whole-body MRI than helped by catching a disease early, according to a recent report in the American Journal of Roentgenology.In her post, Kardashian said the whole-body MRI scan "has the ability to detect cancer and diseases such as aneurysms in its earliest stages, before symptoms arise."But about 15% to 30% of all imaging tests, and 20% to 40% of CT scans, detect abnormalities in a person’s body that...

ADHD Drug Errors Among Kids Have Quadrupled in 20 Years

18 September 2023
ADHD Drug Errors Among Kids Have Quadrupled in 20 YearsMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Over 3 million American children now take medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but new research shows medication errors have spiked nearly 300% in the past two decades for these kids.The increase in ADHD medication errors parallels the increase in ADHD diagnoses, said study co-author Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.“Because therapeutic errors are preventable, more attention should be given to patient and caregiver education, and development of improved child-resistant medication dispensing and tracking systems,” Smith suggested. “Another strategy may be a transition from pill bottles to unit-dose packaging, like blister...

Pediatricians' Group Warns Against Keto Diet for Kids...

18 September 2023
Pediatricians` Group Warns Against Keto Diet for Kids With DiabetesMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Low-carb diets may be all the rage, but they're not for kids with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).In a new report, the AAP says that low-carbohydrate diets cannot be recommended for children or teenagers with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. That's because there's little evidence they're helpful, but there are concerns about restricting kids' diets to that degree.Instead, the AAP encourages families to focus on cutting out "bad" carbs: sugary drinks, sweets and other processed foods that are low in nutrients. Just as important, kids should get enough healthy carbs, including vegetables, beans and fiber-rich grains.The "keto" diet and similar ones popular among adults can put very strict limits on carbs, with a...

1 in 4 Older, Low-Income Americans Are Uninsured

18 September 2023
1 in 4 Older, Low-Income Americans Are UninsuredMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As people age, health issues tend to mount, but roughly a quarter of low-income adults over 65 have no medical insurance.That’s the age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance for seniors. But many of the uninsured seniors are Hispanic Americans who aren't eligible for that coverage, or lower income people who may not be able to afford Medicare premiums.“It’s particularly concerning to think of older adults not having health insurance, given that the prevalence of disease and related complications increase with age,” said study first author Nathalie Huguet, an associate professor of family medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University.“It’s more challenging to manage health conditions in the...

In Public Spaces, Women Less Likely to Get CPR If Cardiac Arrest Strikes

18 September 2023
In Public Spaces, Women Less Likely to Get CPR If Cardiac Arrest StrikesMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- CPR could save your life if you suffer cardiac arrest in a public place, but you're less likely to receive it if you're a woman, a new study finds.The findings were presented Monday at the European Emergency Medicine Congress, in Barcelona.“In an emergency when someone is unconscious and not breathing properly, in addition to calling an ambulance, bystanders should give CPR. This will give the patient a much better chance of survival and recovery,” co-author Dr. Alexis Cournoyer, a researcher at Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, said in a meeting news release. Co-author Sylvie Cossette, a nurse researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute, said the study was meant to uncover factors that might discourage people from delivering CPR.“Our...

Study Debunks Notion That Antidepressant Might Ease COVID Symptoms

18 September 2023
Study Debunks Notion That Antidepressant Might Ease COVID SymptomsMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A clinical trial designed to test repurposed medications for their impact on fighting COVID-19 has found no benefit to taking the antidepressant fluvoxamine (Luvox) to ease coronavirus symptoms.The study, led by Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) in partnership with Vanderbilt University, found no symptom improvement in those taking the antidepressant at a dose of 100 milligrams (mg) twice daily for 13 days compared to those taking a placebo.“There was no evidence of improvement in the rate of sustained recovery in participants who took this dose of fluvoxamine versus those who took a placebo,” said researcher Dr. Adrian Hernandez, executive director of the Durham, N.C.-based institute.Researchers studied fluvoxamine because previous...

Doctors Often Wary of Asking Patients About Guns in the Home

18 September 2023
Doctors Often Wary of Asking Patients About Guns in the HomeMONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It's an important health topic, but both adult patients and their primary care doctors shy away from discussing firearms and gun safety, a new survey finds.While they may discuss a variety of health risks, firearm safety isn't often one of them, the study from Michigan Medicine found.Of more than 500 adult patients who had regular checkups during a one-month period, about 56% bypassed a question about firearms on a questionnaire used in many clinic waiting rooms and online portals of Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s academic medical center, where the study was done.Nearly all answered the rest of the questions about other health and social topics.A survey of 109 doctors and other providers at those clinics found 36% were...

Using a CBD Product? Be Sure to Tell Your Doctor

17 September 2023
Using a CBD Product? Be Sure to Tell Your DoctorSUNDAY, Sept. 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Cannabinoid products may interfere with some prescription medications, so people who use them should add these to the list of supplements they tell their doctors about.This interference could have serious health consequences, according to Penn State Health, which offered some additional advice as legal medical and recreational cannabis becomes more common.“Whether it’s recreational cannabis, prescribed cannabinoid or medical marijuana, it’s important your doctor knows you’re using it,” said Kent Vrana, head of the pharmacology department at Penn State College of Medicine.“A problem in Pennsylvania is that you can get a medical marijuana card without any involvement by your [primary care physician], meaning your doctor may have no...

Melasma: New Dark Patches or Freckling -- A...

SATURDAY, Sept. 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Dark patches or freckle-like spots on the face are melasma, and it’s possible both to prevent them and make them less noticeable, according to a skin...

Dental Issues Plague America's Nursing Home Residents

FRIDAY, Sept. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Good oral health is one of the keys to healthy aging, but a sobering new study shows that many U.S. nursing home residents have significant dental...
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