Latest Health News

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Urban air cleared during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as fewer commuters hit the road daily, and that might have resulted in one unexpected heart health benefit for Americans, a new study suggests.Those reductions in air pollution appear to be linked to a decrease in heart attacks during the shutdowns, according to research slated for presentation Saturday at the American Heart Association's online annual meeting. The number of heart attacks dropped by 6% for every 10 microgram-per-cubic-meter decline in fine particle pollution, researchers found."The main message from our research is that efforts to reduce ambient pollution can prevent the most severe form of heart attacks," said lead researcher Sidney Aung, a fourth-year medical student at...

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Eating alone may be a recipe for heart trouble if you're an older woman, Korean researchers suggest.Those who eat by themselves are likely to eat faster and less healthily, which can lead to weight gain, higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increasing the risk for heart disease, the new study found."Women who live alone, who aren't cooking for a family or their husband, tend to eat more poorly," said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.They may also be less aware of healthier foods, which puts them at higher risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease, said Wu, who had no part in the study.Although the study was done in South Korea, Wu believes that the same phenomenon occurs...

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to a COVID-19 shot, fear might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.A new study found that folks who worried about possible side effects after vaccination were more likely to actually experience those side effects. Along with explaining why some people feel poorly after getting a jab, the findings may also help guide efforts to convince hesitant people to get vaccinated. Previous research has shown that psychosocial factors can affect the success or side effects of certain treatments, but this is the first to investigate that link in regard to COVID-19 vaccines. The study included 551 unvaccinated U.S. adults who were asked about their expectations for seven common vaccine side effects widely publicized by the U.S. Centers for Disease...

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The sale of unproven and unapproved stem cell treatments has skyrocketed in the United States, according to a new five-year study.The study found a fourfold jump since 2016 in the availability of the treatments, which claim to do everything from relieving pain to slowing aging.People who use these treatments are needlessly spending thousands of dollars and could be putting their health at risk, study author Leigh Turner warned."One of the most troubling features of this marketplace is that businesses selling unproven and non-FDA-approved stem cell products often use marketing misrepresentations and aggressive sales tactics to exploit the hope, suffering, fear or desperation of patients," said Turner, a professor of health, society and behavior...