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FRIDAY, Aug. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Elevated levels of a specific protein appear to be linked to an increased risk of developing diabetes and dying from cancer, a new study finds.High levels of prostasin -- mainly found in epithelial cells, which line the surfaces and organs of the body -- are associated with both diabetes and cancer, researchers report Aug. 4 in the journal Diabetologia.For this study, researchers analyzed blood samples taken from nearly 4,700 middle-aged Swedish adults as part of a large study that's been running since 1993.Prostasin helps regulate sodium balance, blood volume and blood pressure, researchers said in background notes. The protein is also associated with metabolism of blood glucose.Over an average 22-year follow-up, participants with the highest...

FRIDAY, Aug. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Social isolation and loneliness put people at a 30% higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death from either, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) warns.The statement also highlights the lack of data on interventions that could improve heart health in isolated or lonely people. It was published Aug. 4 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.“Over four decades of research has clearly demonstrated that social isolation and loneliness are both associated with adverse health outcomes,” said Dr. Crystal Wiley Cené, who headed the team that wrote the statement. “Given the prevalence of social disconnectedness across the U.S., the public health impact is quite significant.”Nearly a quarter of U.S....

FRIDAY, Aug. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Kids with type 1 diabetes and their closest relatives are more likely to experience mental health issues than people without the disease, Swedish researchers report.“Many clinicians assume intuitively that diabetes in a child negatively affects the mental health of both the patient and the family members,” said study co-author Agnieszka Butwicka, an assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute in Solna. “But we think the answer is not that simple. Our study indicates that there could also be a genetic component behind this association.”The findings — published Aug. 1 in the journal Diabetes Care — highlight the importance of mental health screening both for children with diabetes and their families. These mental health problems...

THURSDAY, Aug. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden Administration on Thursday declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, a move intended to dramatically ramp up the fight against the spread of the virus.“We're prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said during a media briefing on Thursday.The number of reported monkeypox cases has grown to just over 6,600 in the United States, up from less than 5,000 a week ago, Becerra said. The viral disease varies in severity but is rarely fatal and typically requires close physical contact for transmission. In...