Latest Health News

29Sep
2021

New Hope for IBD Patients

New Hope for IBD PatientsWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A drug previously approved for multiple sclerosis also can treat inflammatory bowel disease in some patients, a new clinical trial reports.The medication, ozanimod (Zeposia), proved effective in helping patients with ulcerative colitis, sending many into full remission, according to results being published Sept. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine.Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which the immune system promotes inflammation that creates ulcers on the large intestine's inner lining.In the clinical trial, about 37% of patients who responded to ozanimod went into full remission from their symptoms, compared with 18.5% of those receiving a placebo.Because the drug works differently from other...

Stopping Antidepressants Raises Relapse Risk

29 September 2021
Stopping Antidepressants Raises Relapse RiskWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- People who stop taking antidepressants after long-time use may face a high likelihood of spiraling into depression again, a new study suggests.British researchers found that among patients who stopped taking their antidepressants because they felt well, 56% relapsed within a year. That compared with 39% of patients who stayed on medication.Experts said the results offer some hard data to help answer a common question."Often, patients want to know: How long do I need to be on this medication?" said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness."This study helps equip psychiatrists in talking to patients about the risk of relapse if they stop taking their antidepressant," said Crawford, who was...

Black Parents Most Hesitant About COVID Vaccines for...

29 September 2021
Black Parents Most Hesitant About COVID Vaccines for Kids: PollWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a survey of parents in metro Chicago, nearly half of Black parents (48%) said they were reluctant to have their kids vaccinated against COVID-19, researchers say.That's significantly higher than the 33% of Hispanic parents and 26% of white parents who expressed vaccine hesitancy, the findings showed."As vaccines are becoming available to younger children, and with continued spikes in COVID-19 cases, it is of the utmost importance that we are able to widely distribute the vaccine," said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Kusma, a pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. "We especially need to reach the more vulnerable and hesitant populations to help reduce the substantial health inequities we have seen during this pandemic," she...

Epidurals Not Linked to Autism in Children

29 September 2021
Epidurals Not Linked to Autism in ChildrenWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who receive an epidural to ease their pain during labor aren't any more likely than others to have kids with autism, two new studies show.Earlier research suggested this practice may increase autism risk in offspring, but the pair of studies should put this concern to rest for good, experts say."Parents can be reassured that there is no link between using epidurals and autism spectrum disorder and, based on current evidence, the risk of autism spectrum disorder does not need to be factored into the decision on whether or not to use epidurals during labor," said Dr. Cynthia Wong. She is chair of the department of anesthesia at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. She is also co-author of an editorial accompanying the...

AHA News: What Heart and Stroke Patients Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

29 September 2021
AHA News: What Heart and Stroke Patients Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccine BoostersWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- For people with heart disease and stroke, COVID-19 vaccines offer protection against the life-threatening disease caused by the coronavirus, and a booster dose could bolster that protection, health experts said.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sets policy on vaccine use, recommended Pfizer booster vaccines for several groups last week. People 65 and older; residents in long-term care settings; and people 50 and older with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster at least six months after their initial Pfizer vaccine doses, the CDC said.People 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions and adults 18 to 64 at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their jobs or...

AHA News: Her Husband Died of a Heart Attack, But This Former Nurse Didn't Recognize Her Own

29 September 2021
AHA News: Her Husband Died of a Heart Attack, But This Former Nurse Didn`t Recognize Her OwnWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- Last October, Katherine Romano was cleaning her house when her neck started to hurt. She kept going, trying to complete her chores, until the pain shifted to her upper back."It was so terrible, it took my breath away," she said.Resting didn't help. The pain moved to her left arm. She began to feel nauseated. The day before, her stomach hurt. She thought it might be diverticulitis. Now, when she tried to stand, she was short of breath.Having been a nurse for three decades, Romano headed to a hospital near her home in Perkasie, Pa., a northern Philadelphia suburb. By the time she arrived, "everything hurt from the waist up." She soon began vomiting and felt dizzy."Honey, calm down," she recalled a doctor telling her. "You're...

New Tests for Colon, Prostate Cancer Show Promise

29 September 2021
New Tests for Colon, Prostate Cancer Show PromiseWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of experimental tests could help doctors detect colon or prostate cancer with just a sample of blood or saliva.One test examines a person's blood for four biomarkers linked to inflammation. In a small study, it outperformed the fecal blood test now used in colon cancer screening, said lead researcher Dr. Mona Eldeeb, of Alexandria University Medical Research Institute in Egypt."These combined blood base markers could detect early cancer [of the] colon, especially if applied in a screening program," she said.The other test uses a man's saliva to look for genetic material linked to prostate tumor growth, according to the Iranian researchers who developed it.If approved in the United States, the tests could make screening and diagnosis...

Older Women, Younger Men Struggle More to Control High Blood Pressure

29 September 2021
Older Women, Younger Men Struggle More to Control High Blood PressureWEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Roughly a third of Americans on high blood pressure medications do not have their blood pressure under control, a new study reveals.And younger men and older women are particularly vulnerable, researchers warn."Although this phenomenon has been hinted at in the medical literature, it is a bit surprising to me as we should not expect anyone to have uncontrolled blood pressure, especially if they are already taking prescription medications for them," said study author Dr. Aayush Visaria. He's a postdoctoral research fellow at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research in New Brunswick, N.J.Among patients in their 70s, women were 29% more likely than men to have uncontrolled high blood pressure, Visaria and his...

DEA Warns of Fentanyl in Counterfeit Opioid Pills

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- People buying pills that look like prescription opioid painkillers or stimulants who are not buying them from a licensed pharmacy may be buying a...

Side Effects of Pfizer Booster Shots Similar to First...

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As millions of Americans sign up to get their Pfizer booster shot, a new government report delivers reassuring news about its expected side...
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