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MONDAY, April 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Monitoring blood pressure is important for transgender people, according to new research, which found changes in systolic blood pressure after the start of gender-affirming hormone therapy.Transgender men and transgender women have a higher burden of heart attack, stroke and related conditions, the study noted.Gender-affirming hormone therapy isn't new. Doctors have prescribed the hormones for more than 25 years, but little is known about their impact on high blood pressure rates and how the effects change over time."There are many important gaps in our knowledge about the effects of hormone therapy for transgender people," said senior author Dr. Michael Irwig, director of transgender medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in...

MONDAY, April 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- American families that suffered job losses during the pandemic are struggling to pay their bills and afford food, and many have turned to government help, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 7,700 adults who took part in an Urban Institute survey in December 2019 and from more than 7,700 who took part in a December 2020 survey. Despite major nationwide job losses, there were overall declines in food insecurity (from 23.9% to 20.5%), utility shutoffs (from 3.8% to 2.6%), and difficulty paying medical bills (from 18.8% to 14.9%) among study participants between December 2019 and December 2020. However, rates were still much higher among adults who had job losses in their families due to the pandemic. Compared to those...

SUNDAY, April 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Climate change has made North America's pollen season longer and more severe, but there are ways to reduce your allergy misery, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).The best way to deal with worsening pollen seasons is to get ahead of them."If you know it's likely that your allergy symptoms will arrive earlier in the spring or fall season, start taking your medications sooner," ACAAI President Dr. Luz Fonacier said in a college news release. "If you begin your medications two to three weeks before your symptoms begin in earnest, chances are your suffering will be lessened," Fonacier said. Pollen levels tend to be higher from trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, but may vary...

SATURDAY, April 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Young baseball players are at risk for overuse injuries, but there are ways to play it safe and prevent such problems, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says."Overhead athletes, such as baseball players, place significant repetitive stress on the shoulder and elbow joints," orthopedic sports surgeon Dr. Nima Mehran said in an academy news release.Between overuse and the year-round nature of the sport, young athletes are at increased risk for shoulder and elbow injury, he said."The best way to avoid these injuries in baseball players is by avoiding single sport specialization and encouraging the kids to be active in multiple sports," said Mehran, an AAOS spokesman. "This will allow them to break from the repetitive motions...