Latest Health News

MONDAY, July 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Depression that arises after a head injury may be its own distinct condition — one that differs from traditional major depressive disorder, a new study suggests.Researchers found that people with post-concussion depression showed a unique pattern of activity in the brain circuitry involved in depression. This "picture" was different from depression unrelated to a head injury, and different from people who'd suffered a concussion but had no depression symptoms.Experts said the findings shed light on the brain basis for post-concussion depression, and underscore an important take-away for patients: Your mental health symptoms are not just "in your head."While most people recover from concussion, some have lingering symptoms, which can include...

MONDAY, July 10, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Last December, during the week before winter break, Abbie Hauler caught the flu. She had a deep cough and began complaining of chest pain. Her mother, Angie Hauler, told her to stay home and rest. But the eighth grader had tests to take before vacation started. And she didn't want to miss a weekend trip to celebrate the holidays with her father's family."Teens can be stubborn," Angie said. "But on the way home that night, she called me and said, 'Mom, I really don't feel good.'"The next morning, Abbie complained that it hurt to breathe. Her mother took her to an urgent care clinic in suburban Columbus, Ohio, where she tested negative for COVID-19, but positive for influenza A. The doctor said her heart and lungs sounded fine...

MONDAY, July 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs Wegovy and Ozempic are all the rage for weight loss these days, and now a new study shows these injections may be game-changers for obese teenagers, too.This trial, funded by drug maker Novo Nordisk, found that nearly half of all adolescents on semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) were able to achieve a healthy weight in about 17 months.Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which slows digestion, decreases hunger, reduces how much people eat and prompts weight loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Wegovy for treating obesity in kids and adults aged 12 years and older, while Ozempic has been approved at a lower dose to treat type 2 diabetes. “Semaglutide appears to be highly effective in helping teens reduce their body...

MONDAY, July 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers can now detect the COVID-19 virus in any animal using a new all-species test.It’s an advance that they say will help track COVID-19 variants in wild and domesticated animals.“Highly sensitive and specific diagnostic reagents and assays are urgently needed for rapid detection and implementation of strategies for prevention and control of the infection in animals,” the researchers wrote July 6 in the journal mSphere.Ying Fang, a virologist and pathobiology professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led the research.SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in cats, dogs, rodents, deer, apes and a variety of farm and zoo animals. It can also mutate in these animal hosts, leading to new...