Latest Health News

18Aug
2021

Less Than Three-Quarters of March Madness Fans Wore Masks Properly

Less Than Three-Quarters of March Madness Fans Wore Masks ProperlyWEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- It could have been a slam-dunk, but fewer than 3 out of 4 fans at the March Madness basketball tournament wore masks correctly, a new study reports.Mask mandates at sporting events, concerts and other large indoor gatherings play an important role in combating the spread of COVID-19, the researchers pointed out."With vaccination rates still low and COVID transmission ongoing, the more people that are correctly and consistently masked at large events, the better," said corresponding author Joshua Vest, a professor of health policy and management at the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis.Masks were required for all spectators at the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Indiana, and multiple enforcement and social messaging measures...

Diabetes in Pregnancy Tied to Eye Issues in Kids

18 August 2021
Diabetes in Pregnancy Tied to Eye Issues in KidsWEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Children whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk for severe forms of common eye problems such as far- and near-sightedness and astigmatism, a long-term study suggests.Collectively, they're known as refractive errors, conditions in which the eye is unable to properly focus images on the retina."As many [refractive errors] in young children are treatable, early identification and intervention can have a lifelong positive impact," the study authors wrote in the Aug. 17 issue of the journal Diabetologia.Rates of refractive errors have risen in recent decades, suggesting that non-genetic factors may play a role, the researchers noted.Using computers for long periods of time or doing other types of close-up work, and a...

College Freshmen Drank Less as Pandemic Began

18 August 2021
College Freshmen Drank Less as Pandemic BeganWEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Here's an unexpected silver lining to the pandemic: New research shows there was a decline in overall drinking and binge drinking among U.S. college freshmen during the early months of the new coronavirus' spread across America."We found that social factors, like social distancing and reductions in social support from friends, were associated with decreases in alcohol use among first-year students. By contrast, stress-related factors were less important," said study author Jane Cooley Fruehwirth. She is an associate professor in the department of economics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.The researchers analyzed survey data from 439 first-year college students in North Carolina and found that overall drinking rates...

Vitamin D Might Help Prevent Early-Onset Colon Cancer

18 August 2021
Vitamin D Might Help Prevent Early-Onset Colon CancerWEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Foods rich in vitamin D may help protect younger adults against colon cancer, researchers report.While colon cancer is decreasing overall, cases among younger adults have been on the rise. The trends dovetail with a decline in vitamin D intake from foods such as fish, mushrooms, eggs and milk.There is growing evidence of a link between vitamin D and risk of colon cancer death, but little research on whether vitamin D intake is associated with the risk of young-onset (before age 50) colon cancer. "Because vitamin D deficiency has been steadily increasing over the past few years, we wondered whether this could be contributing to the rising rates" of colon cancer in younger people, said study co-senior author Dr. Kimmie Ng, director of the...

Child Injuries, Deaths Spur Recall of 10 Million Magnet Balls, Cubes

17 August 2021
Child Injuries, Deaths Spur Recall of 10 Million Magnet Balls, CubesTUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Ten million high-powered magnetic balls and cubes have been recalled in the United States because they pose a risk of serious injury or death if swallowed, a new report shows."Zen Magnets LLC is aware of two children who ingested Zen Magnets and required surgery to remove the magnets and parts of their intestines and bowels. In addition, CPSC [the Consumer Product Safety Commission] is aware of other reports of children and teenagers ingesting high-powered magnets and requiring surgery. A 19-month-girl died after ingesting similar high-powered magnets," the CPSC said in a news release.It said Zen refused to issue a voluntary recall, so the CPSC sued the Colorado-based company to force a mandatory recall.It includes all Zen Magnets and Neoballs...

Race-Based Disparities in Americans' Health Haven't Improved: Study

17 August 2021
Race-Based Disparities in Americans` Health Haven`t Improved: StudyTUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a paradoxical finding, new research reveals that more Americans of color have access to health insurance now than they did 20 years ago, but their perceptions of their health status have not improved at all.The study, published Aug. 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, paints a sobering picture.In the bit of good news, researchers found that between 1999 and 2018, the percentages of Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans who lacked health insurance shrank. The decrease appeared largely related to the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), which expanded many states' Medicaid programs.Then there was the other side: Despite gains in health insurance, the high cost of health care remained a major problem for Americans...

Lyme Disease Can Wreak Havoc on Mental Health

17 August 2021
Lyme Disease Can Wreak Havoc on Mental HealthTUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Lyme disease can exact a significant mental toll as well as a physical one on its sufferers, a new study confirms.Patients hospitalized for Lyme disease had a 28% higher incidence of mental disorders and were twice as likely to attempt suicide than people without Lyme, researchers report. "These findings highlight the need for greater awareness in the medical community that patients after a serious case of Lyme disease are at increased risk of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, particularly during the first year after diagnosis," said study author Dr. Brian Fallon. He is a psychiatrist with the New York State Psychiatric Institute and director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia University, in New York...

Dexamethasone Can Help the Sickest COVID Patients Survive. So Why Are Too Few Getting It?

17 August 2021
Dexamethasone Can Help the Sickest COVID Patients Survive. So Why Are Too Few Getting It?TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- There's strong evidence that the steroid drug dexamethasone can significantly lower hospitalized patients' risk of dying from COVID-19, but many who might benefit from it the most aren't getting it."Dexamethasone is a steroid that is used for the treatment of arthritis, inflammation and allergic reactions," explained Hemalkumar Mehta, who studied its use in treating COVID-19 patients. He said the drug can also combat the inflammation that can severely damage COVID-19 patients' lungs and other organs.But in a new study, "approximately one out of five patients who may have benefited from dexamethasone did not receive it," said Mehta, who is assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore.He...

AHA News: Son's Scary Heart Defect Led Couple to Help...

TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- Linda and Clint Pilkinton had a healthy toddler when Linda got pregnant with their second child. They were eager to give Charlie a baby...

Physics Shows Why 20 Seconds Is Right for Hand-Washing

TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty seconds.That's how long you need to wash your hands to remove germs, a new physics study confirms. Typical hand-washing guidelines — including...
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