Latest Health News

18Feb
2022

As Fentanyl Overdoses Rise, So Does Use of 'Party Drug' Test Strips

As Fentanyl Overdoses Rise, So Does Use of `Party Drug` Test StripsFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Potent and poisonous, the synthetic opioid known as fentanyl has infiltrated nearly every corner of the U.S. illegal street drug market, experts warn. In the process, it's killing addicts and recreational "party drug" users alike. "This is the time of fentanyl, a drug that's 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. [The drug] tells our brain to stop breathing and then causes the heart to stop," said Van Asher, a harm reduction coordinator with Housing Works, a nonprofit social services organization based in New York City.Everyone agrees that staying away from illicit drug use is the obvious way of avoiding fentanyl's dangers. But for those who don't, outreach organizations such as Housing Works now offer free "test strips" that can spot...

AHA News: Black Running Group Members Want Others to...

18 February 2022
AHA News: Black Running Group Members Want Others to Follow in Their Healthy FootstepsFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- No matter how you look at them, Janita Poe and D. L. Dean are standout long-distance runners.Poe, 58, of Atlanta, estimates she's completed 17 half-marathons, three full marathons, four half Ironman triathlons and one full Ironman. Dean, 52, of Marshalltown, Iowa, has done eight marathons, plus more than 350 half-marathons.They also stand out because they are Black participants in an overwhelmingly white sport. That is why both also have found purpose in Black running clubs that help them spread the word about how running keeps them physically and mentally healthy."When I'm out there, I don't care what anybody says," said Poe, a member of South Fulton Running Partners, which was one of the nation's first Black running clubs...

AHA News: Research Says Fad Diets Don't Work. So Why Are...

18 February 2022
AHA News: Research Says Fad Diets Don`t Work. So Why Are They So Popular?FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Two years into a pandemic that landed people in their living rooms, generating countless hours of television bingeing and stress eating, the nation has a new problem to worry about: Nearly half of U.S. adults, many already classified as overweight, reported they put on extra pounds.Turning to fad diets or cleanses may be tempting for those looking for a quick fix or a dramatic drop in weight. But experts caution against answering the siren call of products, apps and ads that promise to help you shed pandemic pounds while living your best life."Avoid them, because they don't work and can even be counter-productive," said Charlotte Markey, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. "They can even lead...

Brut, Sure Brand Deodorants Under Recall Due to Benzene

18 February 2022
Brut, Sure Brand Deodorants Under Recall Due to BenzeneFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Six Brut and Sure aerosol antiperspirant and deodorant sprays sold in the United States and Canada have been recalled by their maker due to the presence of the chemical benzene."Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen. Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life-threatening," stated a news release from TCP HOT Acquisition LLC dba HRB Brands."While benzene is not an ingredient in any of the recalled products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can," the company said. But it added that there have been no reports of...

Scientists Report 'Rogue Antibodies' Behind Severe Clotting With COVID

18 February 2022
Scientists Report `Rogue Antibodies` Behind Severe Clotting With COVIDFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- "Rogue antibodies" that seem to trigger severe blood clotting and illness in COVID-19 patients have been identified by scientists.Their analysis of blood samples from 244 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 revealed circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, which are autoantibodies that target a person's own organs and systems.These autoantibodies are more common in people with autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, but can be activated in response to viral infections and also activate other immune responses, according to the study authors.The report was published Feb. 17 in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.Specifically, the investigators found that blood samples from the COVID-19 patients had higher levels of the antibody IgG than people...

Fracking Wastewater Loaded With Toxic Chemicals, Study Shows

18 February 2022
Fracking Wastewater Loaded With Toxic Chemicals, Study Shows FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fracking has already raised the ire of environmentalists for its effects on the planet, but new research sends up another red flag: The wastewater produced by the complicated oil and gas drilling process is loaded with toxic and cancer-causing contaminants that threaten both people and wildlife. In fracking, water that contains a number of additives is used in the drilling process. This injected water mixes with groundwater and resurfaces as a waste byproduct containing both the additives and contaminants from the drilling site. In this study, researchers analyzed untreated fracking wastewater samples from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford formation, both in Texas, and found 266 different dissolved organic compounds. They included: a pesticide...

Eagles Are Being Poisoned by Environmental Lead

18 February 2022
Eagles Are Being Poisoned by Environmental LeadFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The national bird of the United States is facing a deadly threat from within: widespread lead poisoning, largely caused by ingesting fragments of hunters' lead ammunition.The poisoning is slowing the population growth of both bald eagles, the nation's symbol since 1782, and golden eagles, whose numbers also have been dwindling.Previous research has shown that lead is deadly to individual eagles, "but this new study is the first to show population-level consequences from lead poisoning to these majestic species at such a wide scale," said Anne Kinsinger, associate director for ecosystems with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).The study — led by scientists from the USGS, Conservation Science Global, Inc., and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...

Research May Help Focus Treatment for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis

18 February 2022
Research May Help Focus Treatment for Kids With Cystic FibrosisFRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Hundreds of new proteins that may be linked to cystic fibrosis have been identified by researchers and could point the way to better treatments for people with the genetic disease.There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, which affects more than 90,000 people worldwide. It's caused when children inherit two mutated CFTR genes, one from each parent, resulting in defective CFTR proteins that trigger a dangerous buildup of mucous in the lungs and other organs.Many of the newly discovered proteins interact with CFTR, according to the international team of researchers."We identified more than 400 proteins associated with either healthy or mutant CFTR, and have shown that some of them could predict the variability seen in patient symptoms and treatment...

Autism, ADHD Raise the Odds for Early Death

THURSDAY, Feb. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Young people with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher risk of dying early from a range of causes, a new research...

Mental Health Woes Can Rise in Year After COVID Recovery

THURSDAY, Feb. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 can take a heavy toll on the body, but new research shows that patients are also 60% more likely to suffer lingering mental and emotional woes...
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