Latest Health News

30Sep
2022

FDA Approves New ALS Drug Despite Uncertain Data

FDA Approves New ALS Drug Despite Uncertain DataFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday gave its approval to a new drug for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.But approval of the drug, called Relyvrio, is bound to stir new questions, with some doubting the strength of data supporting its effectiveness. Patient advocate groups had strongly lobbied the FDA for its approval, however."This approval provides another important treatment option for ALS, a life-threatening disease that currently has no cure," Dr. Billy Dunn, director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency statement. "The FDA remains committed to facilitating the development of additional ALS treatments."The drug's path to...

U.S. Suicide Rates Rose in 2021, Reversing 2 Years of...

30 September 2022
U.S. Suicide Rates Rose in 2021, Reversing 2 Years of DeclineFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The suicide rate in the United States increased in 2021, following two years of decline, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The number of suicides increased to 47,646 in 2021, up from 45,979 in 2020, according to researchers at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.As a result, the U.S. suicide rate also increased to 14 suicides for every 100,000 people, up from 13.5 per 100,000 in 2020, according to data published in the CDC's Vital Statistics Rapid Release.However, the numbers from 2021 remain lower than the peak set in 2018, suicide prevention experts noted.Still, "the uptick is certainly concerning," said Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide...

After Ian's Destruction: How to Safely Enter, Clean...

30 September 2022
After Ian`s Destruction: How to Safely Enter, Clean Flood-Damaged HomesFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The devastation left by one of the strongest hurricanes to hit Florida in years is immense. But residents flooded out of their homes by Hurricane Ian must be cautious when they return, federal experts warn.First off, always assume there's potential risk from electricity or gas leaks, say experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Return during the daytime, so you don’t need to turn on any lights, and use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches.If there's standing water and you can turn off the house's main power from a dry location, do so first -- even if that means you delay starting cleanup.But if accessing the main power switch means entering standing water, call an...

Could a Folic Acid Prescription Help Prevent Suicide?

30 September 2022
Could a Folic Acid Prescription Help Prevent Suicide?FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- More than 1 million Americans attempted suicide in 2020, and a new study is hinting at a potential way to reduce that risk: prescription folic acid.The study, of more than 800,000 Americans in a health care database, found that when people were on prescription folic acid, their likelihood of being treated for self-harm or suicide attempt dropped by 44%.Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, or vitamin B9, that is used in supplements and added to some foods.Experts stressed that the new findings do not prove that folic acid, itself, reduces suicide risk. "I would not rush out to the drugstore to get folic acid," said lead researcher Robert Gibbons, a professor at the University of Chicago. "And I certainly wouldn't replace any medical...

More Americans With Heart Disease Are Also Becoming 'Food Insecure'

30 September 2022
More Americans With Heart Disease Are Also Becoming `Food Insecure`FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans with heart disease also have limited access to food, and this dangerous combination is growing rapidly, a new study finds."Food insecurity is a common problem among people with cardiovascular disease, and we are seeing that issue become even more prevalent in recent years," said lead author Dr. Eric Brandt. He's a cardiologist at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center.About 38% of people who have heart disease did not have regular access to food in 2017-2018, researchers discovered while analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That survey included 312 million American adults. When researchers looked at food insecurity and heart disease from 20 years prior, they found...

Fitness Trackers Could Get You Stepping More -- Even If You Don't Look at Them

30 September 2022
Fitness Trackers Could Get You Stepping More -- Even If You Don`t Look at ThemFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Wearing a fitness tracker may help you get more steps in -- even if you never give it a glance.A new study found that folks who wore a pedometer averaged 318 more steps a day than those who didn't, even without specific fitness goals or incentives and even if they couldn't see the step count."Humans are hardwired to respond to what is being measured because if it's being measured, it feels like it matters," said study co-author William Tayler, a professor of business at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah."When people go get an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, of course it's going to affect their behavior; they obtained the device with the goal of walking more," he said in a university news release. "But it's helpful for individuals to know that...

Attending Church Might Lengthen Black Men's Lives

30 September 2022
Attending Church Might Lengthen Black Men`s LivesFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Places of worship may provide respite for Black men that not only enhances their lives, but may extend them, new research suggests."Black men have been oppressed, commodified, surveilled and criminalized like no other group in U.S. history and they often experience disproportionately high levels of social and psychological stress from structural racism, institutional discrimination and unfair treatment from early childhood through late adulthood," lead researcher Marino Bruce and colleagues said in the study. At places like a church, mosque, synagogue or other center of worship, Black men find sanctuary where they can feel safe and free of judgment or suspicion, according to the study."Churches and similar institutions represent a safe space,"...

Money, Good Info Can't Undo Resistance to COVID Vaccine: Study

30 September 2022
Money, Good Info Can`t Undo Resistance to COVID Vaccine: StudyFRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Public health officials tried everything to convince Americans to get vaccinated against COVID, including giving away cash, but that wasn't enough to change hesitant minds, a new study shows.Researchers were surprised by the findings."There is literature and evidence from other vaccination campaigns like the flu, and even some childhood vaccinations, showing that financial incentives do move the needle. We were expecting similar results," reasoned study co-author Mireille Jacobson. She's associate professor at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. However, it looks like "people have much stronger beliefs and objections about COVID-19 vaccination," Jacobson concluded in a university news release.The...

Healthy Living Boosts Life Span, Even for Former Smokers

THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Eating well and exercising can make for a longer life, and that holds true for former smokers, too, a new study shows.Researchers found that of nearly...

AHA News: For This Race Car Driver, Curing a Racing...

THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Bryce Cornet is no stranger to a racing heart. His heart beats faster each time he puts on his helmet, slides into the cockpit of his...
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