Latest Health News

19May
2022

U.S. Pedestrians Dying at Highest Rate in 40 Years

U.S. Pedestrians Dying at Highest Rate in 40 Years THURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. pedestrian deaths in 2021 were the highest in four decades, with an average of 20 deaths every day, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. An estimated 7,485 pedestrians were killed in 2021, which was 12% more than in 2020, preliminary data show.The findings are "heartbreaking and unacceptable," said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the highway safety association. "The pandemic has caused so much death and damage, it's frustrating to see even more lives needlessly taken due to dangerous driving," he said in an association news release.The pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 people rose to 2.26 in 2021 from 2.02 the previous year. There were 2.32 pedestrian deaths per billion vehicle miles traveled in 2021 --...

Obamacare Helped Extend Lives of People With Cancer

19 May 2022
Obamacare Helped Extend Lives of People With CancerTHURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer survival rates rose more in states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare than in those that did not, and rates increased most among Black patients and those in rural areas, according to a new study."Our findings provide further evidence of the importance of expanding Medicaid eligibility in all states, particularly considering the economic crisis and health care disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," said lead study author Xuesong Han. She is scientific director for health services research at the American Cancer Society. "What's encouraging is the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides new incentives for Medicaid expansion in states that have yet to increase eligibility," Han added in a cancer society news release.Medicaid...

Study in Rats Offers Hope for New Parkinson's Therapy

19 May 2022
Study in Rats Offers Hope for New Parkinson`s TherapyTHURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Experimental stem cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease shows promise in rats and will soon be tested in a human clinical trial, researchers say."We cannot be more excited by the opportunity to help individuals who suffer from [a] genetic form of Parkinson's disease, but the lessons learned from this trial will also directly impact patients who suffer from sporadic, or non-genetic forms of this disease," said study co-author Jeffrey Kordower. He is director of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at Arizona State University, in Tempe. Parkinson's disease causes damage to a specific type of neuron in the brain that produces a chemical messenger called dopamine.The lack of dopamine causes physical symptoms such as...

Many Older Women Have Active Sex Lives, But Menopause...

18 May 2022
Many Older Women Have Active Sex Lives, But Menopause Can InterfereWEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Many women remain sexually active into their 70s, but for others, menopause symptoms and chronic health issues get in the way.That's among the findings from the latest University of Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, which surveyed more than 1,200 U.S. women ages 50 to 80.Overall, 43% said they were sexually active, be that intercourse, foreplay and caressing, or masturbation. A similar proportion, however, were limited by health issues.More than one-quarter of women said menopause symptoms were interfering with their sex lives -- including one-third of those ages 50 to 64. Meanwhile, 17% said other health conditions were the problem.It's not clear what specific issues were the biggest obstacles. But experts said menopause can affect a woman's...

Could Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fight Acne?

18 May 2022
Could Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fight Acne?WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 50 million Americans deal with acne. The blemishes can be painful and, for some, embarrassing.Now, researchers may have found a new weapon to fight acne — one without harsh side effects.A study in Germany has pinpointed omega-3 fatty acids — found in fish oil, wild salmon, nuts and seeds — as a nutrient helpful for reducing acne. Among 100 participants with acne, about 94% had low levels of the fatty acid in their blood, the study discovered. Many also had higher levels of a hormone known to stimulate acne production."As someone who loves to treat acne and someone who performs clinical trials, this is a very interesting study," said Dr. Sandra Johnson, a dermatologist in Fort Smith, Ark. Johnson was not involved in the study....

More Cases of Monkeypox Emerge in Portugal as Outbreak Widens

18 May 2022
More Cases of Monkeypox Emerge in Portugal as Outbreak WidensWEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- After four new cases of typically rare monkeypox infection were spotted in Britain earlier this week, the illness has now been confirmed in five young men in Portugal and 15 other suspected cases are being investigated, health officials in that country said Wednesday.The patients in the confirmed cases have skin lesions and are in stable condition, according to Portugal's General Directorate for Health, the Associated Press reported. The disease, which is usually not lethal, is typically limited to Africa, but there have been recent cases reported in Europe.Portuguese officials did not say if the men had a history of travel to Africa or any connection with recent cases in Europe, the AP reported. All cases reported arose this month in and...

Workers in U.S. Southwest in Peril as Summer Temperatures Rise

18 May 2022
Workers in U.S. Southwest in Peril as Summer Temperatures RiseWEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- It's getting hotter and hotter outside due to global warming and, as a result, outdoor workers in southwestern states are increasingly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.Making matters worse, many of these workers may not realize their health is in jeopardy.This is the main finding of a new study that looked at how extreme heat affects outdoor workers' health in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix, three of the hottest cities in the United States."Heat is not always perceived as a health risk, but it can cause significant problems," said study author Erick Bandala. He is an assistant research professor of environmental science at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas."Heat-related illness can range from mild headaches, cramps or...

ER Docs to Parents: Please Don't Dilute Infant Formula

18 May 2022
ER Docs to Parents: Please Don`t Dilute Infant FormulaWEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- As the United States faces critical shortages of baby formula, parents are being cautioned against watering down formula in an effort to stretch out what they have."Adding extra water to baby formula to try and make it last longer can put a child at risk of a seizure or another medical emergency," said Dr. Gillian Schmitz, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). "Given the current formula shortage, it may be tempting to look for a workaround, but it is very important to always mix formula according to the manufacturer's instructions," Schmitz said in an ACEP news release.Unless advised by a physician, infants younger than 6 months should not be given water or any liquids other than infant formula or breast milk, the...

AHA News: Rate of High Blood Pressure Disorders in...

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- The rate of pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders doubled in the U.S. between 2007 and 2019, according to new research that...

Is It COVID, Flu or RSV? New At-Home Test May Tell

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Americans will soon be able to self-test at home to find out whether they have COVID-19, the flu or another common germ, respiratory syncytial virus...
RSS
First384385386387389391392393Last