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MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. opioid abuse epidemic wages on, and overdose deaths continue to rise, yet just 1 in 5 people receives potentially lifesaving medication such as methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone to treat their addiction, a new study finds.“These medications are effective for prescription opioids like hydrocodone [Vicodin] and oxycodone [OxyContin] and all those medications we rely on for pain, or street opioids such as fentanyl, heroin and a handful of others,” said study author Dr. Wilson Compton. “Despite the availability of medication, the vast majority of people with opioid use disorder are not using medications that could help treat this serious health disorder," added Compton, deputy director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug...

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Rekha Desai planned to play Legos and blocks with her 2-year-old grandson, Kaveh, as she watched him in his Atlanta home.But Rekha never arrived. Instead, the 73-year-old lay in a gurney thousands of feet in the air after having a stroke.A helicopter raced Rekha to a hospital that could perform a specialized procedure. Her son, Dr. Dhaval Desai, drove 20 minutes to meet her. His wife, Dr. Yogita Tailor, also a doctor, waited nervously at home with Kaveh and their daughter, Kaiya."Will Dida be OK?" Kaiya asked about her grandmother, or dida, her best friend and cooking and slumber party partner.Yogita hugged Kaiya and hoped the answer would be yes.Rekha's medical drama started in July 2022 when her son asked her to watch Kaveh...

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new brain-zapping technology may help ease the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children without some of the side effects stimulant medications can cause, a small, preliminary study suggests.Marked by trouble concentrating, sitting still and/or controlling impulsive behaviors, ADHD affects about 5.3 million children, according to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).The new technology, called transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), involves placing two electrodes on the brain where they emit a mild, painless electrical current. The study was funded by Tech Innosphere Engineering Ltd., the device manufacturer.“A novel form of noninvasive, safe and painless brain...

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- In the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic, a new study is pointing to a way to help school kids maintain a healthier weight: clean, accessible drinking water.The decidedly low-tech solution emerged in a study of 18 California elementary schools that serve largely low-income minority families. Researchers found that when they kicked off a "Water First" program -- which included putting tap water stations in the schools -- it made a difference in kids' weight gain.At the nine schools where the program launched, the percentage of kids who fell into the overweight category held fairly steady over 15 months. In contrast, that figure rose by almost 4 percentage points at schools without the water program.Experts said the impact was striking, given...