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TUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Traits particular to certain dog breeds — the distinctive spots of a dalmatian or the stubby legs of a dachshund — are often achieved through inbreeding.But most breeds are now highly inbred, increasing a dog's risk of health problems, a new study confirms."It's amazing how inbreeding seems to matter to health," study leader Danika Bannasch said. Her genetic analysis of 227 breeds found an average inbreeding rate of 25%. That's the equivalent of sharing the same genetic material with a full sibling. That level is far above what would be safe for either wild animals or humans. For example, high levels of inbreeding in humans (3 percent to 6 percent) are associated with increased rates of complex diseases and other health conditions,...

TUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a sign that the expansion of Medicaid has really worked, new research finds that death rates have declined in states that expanded the public health insurance program. Medicaid expansion began in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare") and has provided health coverage for an additional 12 million Americans. Expansion is optional, and nearly one-quarter of states have not yet expanded access to Medicaid. In this study, researchers at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine assessed the impact of Medicaid expansion by analyzing 2014 to 2018 data from 32 expansion states and 17 non-expansion states. Medicaid expansion was associated with nearly 12 fewer deaths per 100,000 U.S. adults...

TUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Genetic testing can help guide management and treatment of unexplained epilepsy in children, new research suggests."A genetic diagnosis impacted medical management for nearly three out of four children in our study," said study author Dr. Isabel Haviland. She's a postdoctoral research fellow in neurology/neurobiology at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.In the study, Haviland's team examined the medical records of 152 children with epilepsy who were tested between 2012 and 2019 at one U.S. institution and received a genetic diagnosis. For 72% of the children, genetic testing affected at least one of four areas of management of their condition: care coordination, meaning they were referred to specialists and/or for...

MONDAY, Dec. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 235,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products were recalled by Michigan-based Alexander & Hornung on Sunday due to possible listeria contamination.There are no confirmed reports of illness associated with the products that were sold across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).The recalled products were produced on various dates and sold with Alexander & Hornung labels as well as the following labels: Wellshire, Butcher Boy, Garrett Valley Farms, Food Club, Niman Ranch, Open Nature, Big Y and Five Star Brand.They have the establishment number "EST. M10125" inside the USDA mark of inspection.Eating food contaminated with listeria can cause listeriosis, a...