Latest Health News

FRIDAY, Sept. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Winter months can be a challenge for those trying to keep their high blood pressure in check, new research suggests.In an analysis of more than 60,000 American adults being treated for high blood pressure at six health care centers in the Southeast and Midwest United States, scientists found that systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- rose slightly in winter months, by up to 1.7 mm Hg. Meanwhile, population blood pressure control rates decreased by 5% in the winter compared to control rates from the summer.These findings were presented Thursday at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2023. “Despite the smaller degree of systolic blood pressure variation in comparison to previous studies on seasonality in...

FRIDAY, Sept. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- New Swedish research suggests that up to 5% of 70-year-olds have glaucoma, and half of those diagnosed didn't even know they had the disease. “Of those who were diagnosed with glaucoma via the study, 15 people -- or 2.7% of all participants -- were unaware that they had the disease before being examined,” said study author Lena Havstam Johansson, a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg and a specialist nurse at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, both in Gothenburg, Sweden. “So half of those who turned out to have glaucoma were diagnosed because they took part in the study.” Those who received this diagnosis were able to start treatment with daily eye drops that lower the pressure in the eye and slow optic nerve damage.Researchers...

THURSDAY, Sept. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Some people mistrust the safety and effectiveness of human vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases, a fact that became abundantly clear during the pandemic. Now, a new survey of 2,200 dog owners shows this mistrust may often extend to canine vaccinations.The finding suggests there is spillover between the issues, with those who have negative feelings about human vaccines more likely to hold these same views about vaccinating their pets, even when it comes to deadly conditions like rabies. “We knew that this phenomenon existed, but we didn't know how prevalent it was. We didn't know where it came from and what policy and public health implications might be, and that's why we set out to do this research,” said Matt Motta, an assistant...

THURSDAY, Sept. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- “Vain” isn’t a word normally associated with football players, but many wide receivers believe they look slim and fleet-footed with a lower number on their jersey rather than a higher one.New research shows these players are onto something.In two experiments, subjects shown images of players consistently said that those wearing jerseys numbered 10 to 19 looked thinner than those in jerseys 80 to 89 -- even when their body sizes were the same, according to a new report in the journal PLOS ONE.Researchers say this is because the way we perceive numbers appears to influence our perceptions of body sizes.“How we perceive the world is highly influenced by our prior knowledge,” said senior researcher Ladan Shams, a professor of psychology...