Latest Health News

19Mar
2021

'Avoidable Hospitalizations:' Another Way the Pandemic Is Tougher on Minorities

`Avoidable Hospitalizations:` Another Way the Pandemic Is Tougher on MinoritiesFRIDAY, March 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- White Americans had a greater decline in potentially avoidable hospitalizations during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic than Black Americans, according to a new study.The findings suggest that Black patients may have had less access to outpatient care that could have helped keep them out of the hospital for non-COVID health problems.Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles said their findings show another way the pandemic has increased racial disparities in health care."At a time when large-scale community activism has brought attention to systemic racial injustices, it's important to bring these inequities to light so that action can be taken," said study author Dr. Richard Leuchter, a resident at UCLA Health.He...

Surgical Patients Allergic to Penicillin Have Another...

19 March 2021
Surgical Patients Allergic to Penicillin Have Another Safe AlternativeFRIDAY, March 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The antibiotic cefazolin is a safe alternative to prevent infection in most surgical patients who are allergic to penicillin, according to a new study.Cefazolin is a type of antibiotic known as a cephalosporin. It's the recommended antibiotic for most surgical procedures, but some doctors are reluctant to give it to patients with penicillin-allergies based on research from the 1960s and 1970s that found some might also be allergic to cephalosporins like cefazolin."Under current practice, the roughly 10% of U.S. patients reporting a penicillin allergy are less likely to receive cefazolin at the time of surgery and more likely to receive clindamycin or vancomycin, which increases their risk of developing a surgical infection," said study...

1 in 3 Older Thyroid Patients Takes a Med That Can...

18 March 2021
1 in 3 Older Thyroid Patients Takes a Med That Can Interfere With TestsTHURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one-third of seniors who take thyroid hormone also take drugs known to interfere with tests of thyroid function, a new study finds.It's common for older adults to take a thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) to treat low levels of natural thyroid hormone. But tests used to determine the dose and effectiveness of treatment can be affected by other medications, including prednisone, prednisolone, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, amiodarone, lithium, interferon-alpha and tamoxifen."Our study highlights the complexity and challenges of managing thyroid hormone replacement in older patients, many of whom are at risk for adverse effects in the context of having multiple chronic conditions and being on multiple other medications," said...

Some Folks Do Age Slower Than Others

18 March 2021
Some Folks Do Age Slower Than OthersTHURSDAY, March 198 2021 (HealthDay News) -- People really do vary in how fast they age, and the divergence starts in young adulthood, a new study suggests.The researchers found that by the tender age of 45, people with a faster pace of "biological aging" were more likely to feel, function and look far older than they actually were. And that relative sprint toward old age began in their 20s.The findings, the study authors said, suggest we need to take a different view of aging."Aging is a lifelong process. It doesn't suddenly begin at the age of 60," said lead investigator Maxwell Elliott, a doctoral student at Duke University in Durham, N.C.Anyone who has ever known a spry, sharp-as-a-tack 80-year-old -- or a 50-year-old burdened with health problems and disabilities -- knows that...

Many U.S. Mammography Centers Aren't Following Expert Guidelines: Report

18 March 2021
Many U.S. Mammography Centers Aren`t Following Expert Guidelines: ReportTHURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- An ongoing debate about when and how often women should undergo screening mammograms is intensifying in medical circles.A new study and an editorial published online March 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine are adding new fuel to the fight. The research suggests many U.S. screening centers are testing women earlier and more often than necessary, and an accompanying editorial warns that "recommendations from breast cancer centers for frequent screening mammography in younger women may do more harm than good."That prompted a rapid response from the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging, which called both pieces misleading. The groups added that the writers ignored racial and regional disparities.So, when should a woman...

AHA News: Her Daughter's Earache Might Just Have Saved Her Life

18 March 2021
AHA News: Her Daughter`s Earache Might Just Have Saved Her LifeTHURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- When her 3-year-old daughter's earache stretched into a sixth hour, Sarah Conaway decided it was time to get some answers. Even if it was 3 a.m.Conaway woke her mom, who lived with them, and they drove to the nearby children's hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Sitting in the lobby, Conaway was filling out paperwork when she said, "I can't feel my right side.""She's just had a stroke," thought Julie Williams, Conaway's mom.Williams ran for help. A medical team jumped into action, getting her next door to another hospital.An MRI was inconclusive. Hours later, a second MRI showed Conaway had experienced an ischemic stroke, the kind caused by a blood clot. The news was jarring because she was taking blood thinners.Over the next two...

AHA News: Stroke Deaths Rise in Rural Areas, Hold Steady in Cities

18 March 2021
AHA News: Stroke Deaths Rise in Rural Areas, Hold Steady in CitiesTHURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- Stroke death rates have increased among middle-aged adults in rural counties in the U.S., according to new research that also found declining deaths in urban areas have recently stalled.Overall, stroke deaths dropped nationally for more than four decades before progress started slowing in recent years. Researchers wanting to take a closer look zeroed in on what's happening in rural versus urban areas.Using a national database of people ages 35-64, researchers found stroke deaths rose nearly 2% per year in rural counties between 2013 and 2018. Urban counties showed little or no change in stroke deaths between 2013 and 2018, after dropping between 1999 and 2012."It's disturbing to see that cerebrovascular health is not getting...

Still Leery of COVID Vaccines? Top Expert Debunks Those Myths

18 March 2021
Still Leery of COVID Vaccines? Top Expert Debunks Those MythsTHURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Don't believe everything you hear: A sizable minority of Americans are still hesitant about getting the new COVID-19 vaccine, but their fears are mostly not warranted, a leading vaccine expert says."Not only has it been shown to be safe in tens of thousands of people before approval, it's been shown to be safe in tens of millions of people post-approval," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said during a HealthDay Now interview. "It doesn't even have a rare side effect. It is remarkable how effective and safe these vaccines are."During the interview, Offit refuted many of the rumors that lead some to avoid the vaccine, while noting others that actually have some basis in...

Kids' ER Visits for Swallowed Magnets Soared After U.S....

THURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Calls to U.S. poison centers about incidents involving children and high-powered magnets surged more than 400% after a court overturned a ban on the...

Unhealthy in Your 20s? Your Mind May Pay the Price...

THURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- If you're a 20-something who wants to stay sharp, listen up: A new study suggests poor health habits now may increase your risk of mental decline later...
RSS
First736737738739741743744745Last