Latest Health News

16Mar
2022

Omicron Wave Had 5 Times as Many Small Kids Hospitalized Compared to Delta

Omicron Wave Had 5 Times as Many Small Kids Hospitalized Compared to DeltaWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Omicron appears to have hit America's youngest children much harder than any previous variant of the virus, a new government report shows.Five times as many kids aged 4 and younger landed in the hospital during the Omicron wave than were hospitalized when Delta was the predominant strain, according to findings published March 15 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIt was even worse for babies younger than 6 months -- six times as many were hospitalized during Omicron as during Delta.Fortunately, in-hospital death rates remained the same during both waves, with only 0.5% of children dying from COVID."The vast majority of kids were treated and did well and were...

AHA News: A Routine Checkup Led Him to Fix a Leaky Heart...

16 March 2022
AHA News: A Routine Checkup Led Him to Fix a Leaky Heart Valve Before It Became a ProblemWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- When Randy Fritz went to his primary care physician for a checkup, he hadn't been to see his doctor in more than a decade, but he wasn't concerned. Why would he be? He played tennis and racquetball regularly with nary a problem. He ate healthy foods. He felt fine.So, he was shocked by what his doctor told him: He had a heart murmur and needed to see a cardiologist."The cardiologist said I had a leaky mitral valve," said Fritz, who lives near Austin, Texas. "I jokingly said, 'So I guess I'll need surgery?'""Yes," his doctor said."I was being sarcastic!" Fritz replied."Sarcastic or not," his doctor said, "you're going to need it."Then the cardiologist emphasized two points. Even if Fritz felt fine, a leaky mitral valve would...

AHA News: Want a Personalized Diet to Prevent Disease?...

16 March 2022
AHA News: Want a Personalized Diet to Prevent Disease? Nutrition Scientists Are Working on ItWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- You know that phrase "you are what you eat"? Nutrition scientists are getting to the bottom of what that means with an emerging area of research called precision nutrition.It's a growing field of study that assumes each person may have unique responses to eating specific foods and nutrients – and blends data based on genetics, behavior, socioeconomics, environment and eating patterns to potentially develop diets that are personalized to improve health and help prevent chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease."There's no question that diet influences our health and can help prevent disease, but now this science will advance through carefully detailed research and intervention efforts to identify exactly what type of...

'Lives Turned Upside Down': Ukraine's Refugees Struggle...

16 March 2022
`Lives Turned Upside Down`: Ukraine`s Refugees Struggle in Health CrisisWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Since Russia invaded Ukraine, millions have fled their homes and sought refuge wherever they could find it.Each individual story is intensely personal, but mental health experts warn of a refugee crisis that risks leaving a nation of 43 million with deep psychological scars for years to come.Marina, from Kyiv, now counts herself among the displaced. "Today, I would only like to have a bit of calm," she said. At 5 a.m. on Feb. 24, the beauty salon owner's world of pedicures, manicures, massages and cosmetics suddenly gave way to rattling windows and explosions. Russia had begun its attack, lobbing missiles at her doorstep. Marina, who has asked to use her first name only, has been in non-stop survival mode ever since."We live on the 21st...

Mammograms Can Also Highlight Heart Risks: Study

16 March 2022
Mammograms Can Also Highlight Heart Risks: StudyWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Your annual screening mammogram may do more than spot breast cancer early — it may give you a heads up on your heart disease risk, too.Digital breast X-rays can also detect a build-up of calcium in the arteries of your breasts, an early sign of heart disease. These white areas — known as breast arterial calcification, or BAC — are markers of hardening in the arteries and tend to go along with advancing age, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and inflammation. (It is not the same as calcification of the inner layer of the arteries that is often found in smokers or people with high cholesterol.)"A single test that is universally accepted can address the two leading causes of death in women," said study author Dr. Carlos Iribarren. He...

Palliative Care Crucial After Severe Stroke, But Many Patients Miss Out

16 March 2022
Palliative Care Crucial After Severe Stroke, But Many Patients Miss OutWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Landing in the hospital with a serious illness such as stroke can be one of the worst experiences of a person's life.Why, then, do so few take advantage of a medical specialty aimed at easing pain and suffering during their hospital stay?Palliative care professionals focus on improving a patient's quality of life by emphasizing pain management and symptom relief during medical treatment. They also help the sick person and their loved ones deal with stress and grief and guide them through important decision-making.But only 1 in 5 people hospitalized with a severe stroke during a recent three-year period received a palliative care consultation, according to a recent study in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management."I don't think that every...

New Law Expands Care for Rape Victims

16 March 2022
New Law Expands Care for Rape VictimsWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Expanded care for sexual assault victims is a main feature of the Violence Against Women Act that was signed into law Tuesday by President Joe Biden.Along with providing greater access to rape testing kits, the legislation seeks to develop national standards of care for victims of sexual assault and also includes measures to better study the issue and create a federal grant program to help hospitals train specialized nurses called sexual assault nurse examiners.The legislation was drafted by Washington Senator Patty Murray (D) after she learned that a constituent in Seattle was unable to receive a rape examination at her neighborhood hospital in 2014.“When Leah [Griffin] bravely shared her story with me back in 2014, I was furious that...

Breathing Dirty Air Could Raise Your Odds for Rheumatoid Arthritis

16 March 2022
Breathing Dirty Air Could Raise Your Odds for Rheumatoid ArthritisWEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to air pollution can wreak havoc on your lungs and heart, but new research suggests another vulnerability: It may increase your risk of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.For the study, the researchers analyzed health information on more than 81,000 people in Italy submitted by more than 3,500 doctors between June 2016 and November 2020. Most of the patients were women (92%), with an average age of 65.More than 9,700 (12%) of the patients were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease — including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel diseases (such as ulcerative colitis), connective tissue diseases (such as osteoarthritis) and multiple sclerosis — during the data collection period.The researchers...

Rise in U.K. COVID Cases Closely Watched by U.S. Health...

TUESDAY, March 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The United States is keeping a close eye on rising COVID cases and hospitalizations in Britain, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.Compared to the previous...

Mental Issues Can Linger More Than a Year After Severe COVID

TUESDAY, March 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People who have severe COVID-19 are at higher risk for depression and other mental woes that can last more than a year, a large study...
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