Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Aluminum in childhood vaccines has long been the cause of speculation about a potential link to allergies and asthma, but a new study designed to figure out whether there might be a connection did not come to a definitive conclusion.While the federally funded study found a possible link, experts noted the research has important shortcomings.And the lifesaving benefits of vaccines are still likely to outweigh the asthma risk, even if researchers confirm a link later, lead study author Dr. Matthew Daley, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Aurora, told the Associated Press. Some health experts expressed concern that the research might needlessly scare parents.Among the issues were that the...

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Cases of a virus that strikes children and teens and can trigger paralysis in rare cases have been increasing in the United States and could continue to do so this fall, health officials warned Tuesday. Increases of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), happen about every couple years. The outbreaks tend to peak in late summer and early fall. This summer, U.S. health officials noted an increase in acute respiratory illnesses and emergency department visits due to rhinovirus and enterovirus.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday that doctors should prepare for further increases in the number of young patients with EV-D68. Positive test results for rhinovirus/enterovirus “appears to be increasing at a rate comparable...

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Millions of seniors who had to pay high increases in Medicare premiums this year will get a break in 2023 when they see a rare drop in monthly premiums for Medicare Part B. The rate decrease is 3%, which will reduce what most people pay for a variety of outpatient care by $5.20 -- to $164.90 a month. Last year, consumers faced a $21.60 monthly increase, in part because of the costs of the new controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. Since then, Medicare set limits on the drug’s use and the drugmaker has cut the $56,000 price tag in half. That led to Medicare paying less than expected, the Associated Press reported. Spending on other Medicare and Medicaid services has also been lower than expected this year. In addition to the rate...

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin is increasing among young people, and calls to poison control centers and visits to the emergency room are also on the rise. This is mostly because young children and teens are accidentally ingesting more of the supplement than is safe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has issued an advisory urging parents to talk to a doctor before giving children melatonin or any other dietary supplement.“The availability of melatonin as gummies or chewable tablets makes it more tempting to give to children and more likely for them to overdose,” said Dr. Muhammad Adeel Rishi, a critical care specialist at Indiana...