Latest Health News

1Aug
2023

Statins' Effectiveness May Rise With Patient Age: Study

Statins` Effectiveness May Rise With Patient Age: StudyTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly adults who start on a statin may see an even bigger drop in their "bad" cholesterol levels than their younger counterparts do, a new study suggests.The study, of nearly 84,000 Danish patients, found that those age 75 and up typically showed a stronger response after starting a low- to moderate-dose statin: Compared with the typical 50-year-old, their LDL cholesterol dipped by a few more percentage points. Researchers said the findings suggest that older patients could begin with a lower-dose statin, to minimize the chances of side effects. While statins are considered safe, they may cause problems like muscle pain or elevated blood sugar in some people.The odds of side effects generally go up with higher statin doses, and older adults...

Psilocybin May Help Some Who Battle Anorexia

1 August 2023
Psilocybin May Help Some Who Battle AnorexiaTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- One dose of the hallucinogenic ingredient in "magic mushrooms" may help some people with anorexia move past their preoccupation with body image, an early study suggests.The study, of just 10 women with anorexia, tested the effects of a single dose of psilocybin plus psychological counseling sessions.Researchers found that the treatment appeared safe, with patients rating the experience as a positive one.And within three months, four of 10 women had a significant improvement in their eating disorder "pathology." That meant certain eating-disorder behaviors — including preoccupation with weight and body shape — improved to the degree that they were close to what's typical of people without an eating disorder.There are plenty of caveats in the...

Kombucha May Help Control Blood Sugar in Folks With Type...

1 August 2023
Kombucha May Help Control Blood Sugar in Folks With Type 2 DiabetesTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Kombucha is a fermented tea that many folks believe offers numerous health benefits — and new research suggests they may be right.Though the study was small -- 12 participants -- it found that kombucha may help lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Fermented with bacteria and yeasts, the drink has been consumed in China since 200 B.C. but it has been embraced in the United States only since the 1990s, researchers said. “Apple cider vinegar was really taking off and people were talking about it all the time and kombucha,” said study author Dr. Daniel Merenstein, director of family medicine research at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “And they have a farmers market at Georgetown where they sell kombucha, so we...

AHA News: Your Home – And Where It's Located – May...

1 August 2023
AHA News: Your Home – And Where It`s Located – May Affect Your HealthTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (American Heart Association News) --They say home is where the heart is. But can a person's home also play a role in how healthy that heart is?A large body of research suggests it can. Experts say housing – where homes are located and if a person has one at all – can make a major contribution to cardiovascular health, impacting numerous risk factors as well as a person's access to the resources needed to maintain good heart health."Your ZIP code is far more predictive of cardiovascular risk than any type of genetic predisposition," said Dr. Boback Ziaeian, an assistant professor of medicine in the cardiology division of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles."The environment you live in affects the risk factors you...

$11 Million Awarded to Family of Woman Who Died After Taking Kratom

1 August 2023
$11 Million Awarded to Family of Woman Who Died After Taking KratomTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The family of a mother of four who collapsed and died while cooking breakfast has been awarded $11 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.The cause of death for Krystal Talavera, 39, involved the opioid-like herb known as kratom. The lawsuit had alleged that the herb’s distributor, Grow LLC, had marketed the product as an all-natural supplement, NBC News reported. “Never in a million years did she think that the kratom would kill her,” Tamara Williams, a lawyer representing Talavera’s estate, told NBC News. Talavera, who lived in Florida, died in June 2021. Her death was due to “acute mitragynine intoxication,” according to the Palm Beach County Coroner. Mitragynine is one of two primary chemical compounds found in kratom, NBC News...

Biden Administration Launches Office for Long COVID Research

1 August 2023
Biden Administration Launches Office for Long COVID ResearchTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As Americans continue to grapple with the effects of long COVID, the Biden administration on Monday announced the creation of a new office focused on research about the condition that will be part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will lead the U.S. response to long COVID, which includes trials that have already been launched, the HHS said in an agency news release.“As our nation continues to make strides in combating COVID-19, it is crucial that we address the impact of long COVID and provide resources to those in need,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Last year, President Biden called on HHS to coordinate the response to long COVID. The official establishment of the...

Could Cold Air Help Settle a Case of Croup? New Study Says Yes

1 August 2023
Could Cold Air Help Settle a Case of Croup? New Study Says YesTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatricians have suspected it for years, and now a new study may be proving them right: Cold air really can help ease children's croup symptoms.Croup is a common childhood illness that usually starts as an ordinary cold. It arises when the infection causes swelling around the voice box (larynx) and wind pipe (trachea), leading to some distinctive croup symptoms: a cough that sounds like a seal's bark and a high-pitched "creaky" or whistling noise when a child inhales (what doctors call stridor).Fortunately, most cases of croup are mild. And pediatricians have long told parents they can try some old-fashioned tricks for milder croup symptoms: running a hot shower and standing with their child in the steamy bathroom; standing in front of an...

New Clues to Treating a Disease That Prevents Children From Swallowing, Eating

1 August 2023
New Clues to Treating a Disease That Prevents Children From Swallowing, EatingTUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Children who have a chronic immune system disease that can prevent them from eating may eventually have a new treatment, decades after the condition was first identified.“Parents and doctors may not be aware of this, but this is a very prominent and serious disease in the pediatric population, and it is increasing in number because it is directly related to food allergens, which are also on the rise,” said lead study author Dr. Anil Mishra, director of the Eosinophilic Disorder Center at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. “In this study, we show that after treating the disease in animals, the disease is gone and completely in remission," he said in a university news release.Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) can be...

Vaping Might Beat Nicotine Patches in Helping Pregnant...

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) – It’s well known that smoking in pregnancy can harm a developing baby’s growth.Now, a new study suggests that using e-cigarettes may be more effective...

Key Ingredient in Breast Milk Could Do Wonders for...

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A micronutrient in human breast milk may provide significant benefit to developing newborn brains, according to new research that sheds light on the link...
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