Latest Health News

1Sep
2022

Deadly 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Looks Like Candy, Could Entice Kids

Deadly `Rainbow Fentanyl` Looks Like Candy, Could Entice KidsTHURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the public that colorfully dyed fentanyl — dubbed "rainbow fentanyl" — is readily available across the United States. “Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States,” Milgram added in an agency news release.The DEA and other law enforcement...

Who's at Higher Risk for A-Fib, Men or Women?

1 September 2022
Who`s at Higher Risk for A-Fib, Men or Women?THURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Doctors have long thought men had more risk of developing atrial fibrillation (a-fib) than women, but the reverse may actually be the case.When researchers accounted for height differences between men and women, a new study revealed that women were 50% more likely to develop a-fib, an irregular heart rhythm disorder, than men."This is the first study to show an actual flip in the risk of atrial fibrillation," said senior author Dr. Christine Albert, head of cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Albert also led the nationwide VITAL Rhythm Trial, the basis of these findings."In this population of 25,000 individuals without prior heart disease, after adjusting for differences in height, women...

FDA Warns of Dangers From Skin Lightening Creams

1 September 2022
FDA Warns of Dangers From Skin Lightening CreamsTHURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Skin lightening products can be dangerous for consumers when they contain harmful ingredients that are illegal for over-the-counter sales, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday.The potentially harmful ingredients are hydroquinone or mercury, the agency said in a news release.People who have used products with hydroquinone have suffered side effects that included rashes, facial swelling, and permanent skin discoloration, the FDA warned. Meanwhile, mercury is highly toxic and can damage the nervous, digestive and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.Skin lightening products are marketed as treatments for uneven skin tone, acne, age spots, freckles and wrinkles. Companies may describe skin lightening...

A Dermatologist on Recognizing the Monkeypox Rash

1 September 2022
A Dermatologist on Recognizing the Monkeypox RashTHURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Anyone who gets a new, unexplained skin rash should call their doctor and get medical care in case it's monkeypox, public health officials advise.How can you tell when it is time to worry?The American Academy of Dermatology offers some tips for helping distinguish monkeypox from other health issues that cause rashes and for getting care. "This time, monkeypox looks different," said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Esther Freeman. She is director of Global Health Dermatology for Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, as well as a member of the American Academy of Dermatology's Monkeypox Task Force.While past outbreaks of monkeypox have started with fever and flu-like symptoms and a rash that could include more than 200...

Widely Used Steroid Meds Could Alter the Brain

31 August 2022
Widely Used Steroid Meds Could Alter the BrainWEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term steroid use can reshape the structure of the brain, causing some parts to shrink and others to grow, a major new study reports.People taking steroids -- even inhaled steroids -- appear to have less intact white matter structure in their brains compared with those not taking the drugs, brain scans reveal. White matter serves as the communication link between different regions of the brain.Scans also showed changes in brain regions associated with thinking, reasoning and emotional processing, according to findings published Aug. 30 in BMJ Open.These changes could help explain why people on long-term steroids sometimes report mental effects from the drugs, including anxiety, depression, mania and delirium, researchers argue.For...

Lupus, MS and Other Autoimmune Disorders Raise Heart Risks

31 August 2022
Lupus, MS and Other Autoimmune Disorders Raise Heart RisksWEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Research has linked heart disease to specific autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Now, a huge study shows that autoimmune diseases as a group increase your chances of developing heart ills.Autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and type 1 diabetes occur when the body engages in friendly fire against its own organs, tissues, joints or bones.These diseases may more than triple the odds for heart woes, and the excess risk is especially high among younger patients, the study found.The new study wasn't designed to say how autoimmune diseases are linked to the risk of heart disease, but researchers have their theories. "Chronic and systemic inflammation is a common denominator across...

Tight Blood Sugar Control Boosts Brain Power of Teens With Type 1 Diabetes: Study

31 August 2022
Tight Blood Sugar Control Boosts Brain Power of Teens With Type 1 Diabetes: StudyWEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When teenagers with type 1 diabetes get better control of their blood sugar, their brains may benefit, a new clinical trial shows.Researchers found that when teenagers started treatment with a newer technology — often dubbed "artificial pancreas" systems — they were better able to avoid high blood sugar episodes than teens who stuck with traditional diabetes treatment.And that, in turn, led to improvements in brain structure and IQ test scores.Experts said the findings support the value of tighter blood sugar control for kids with type 1 diabetes — whether that's through artificial pancreas systems or conventional treatment.But, they said, that kind of control is generally easier with the newer technology."We know these systems provide...

FDA Approves Omicron-Specific Booster Shots From Pfizer, Moderna

31 August 2022
FDA Approves Omicron-Specific Booster Shots From Pfizer, ModernaWEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday gave the green light to updated COVID booster shots from both Pfizer and Moderna that target Omicron variants, paving the way for the shots to get into American arms within a few days.“The FDA has been planning for the possibility that the composition of the COVID-19 vaccines would need to be modified to address circulating variants," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release announcing the emergency approval. "We sought input from our outside experts on the inclusion of an Omicron component in COVID-19 boosters to provide better protection against COVID-19. We have worked closely with the vaccine manufacturers to...

U.S. Life Expectancy Fell by Nearly 1 Year in 2021 Due...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Life expectancy in the United States dropped for the second straight year, government health officials reported Wednesday.The decline from 77 years in...

With PFAS in Packaging, How Safe Is Microwave Popcorn?

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Munching handfuls of microwave popcorn might be perfect for movie night, but your snack could be loading your body with potentially harmful "forever...
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