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WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Talking with their doctors may help convince reluctant Americans to get COVID-19 vaccines, evidence from a previous pandemic suggests.Researchers analyzed responses from more than 19,000 people in the United States who were surveyed during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009.The poll assessed respondents' attitudes toward doctors, their openness to discussing vaccines with their physician, their willingness to get vaccinations, and whether or not they got the H1N1 vaccine.The results showed that being willing to talk to doctors about the issue was associated with increased trust and receipt of the vaccination, according to the study published online recently in the journal Health Communications.Previous research has shown that doctors can...

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A new tissue infection has been identified in Crohn's disease patients, and researchers say their finding could ultimately lead to better treatment of the common inflammatory bowel disease.Areas of unhealed wounds in the intestines of Crohn's patients have elevated levels of a type of yeast widely found in cheese and processed meat, the new study found.The researchers discovered that levels of the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii are higher in Crohn's disease patients than in people without the disease.In Crohn's patients, levels of the yeast are especially high in chronically inflamed regions of the colon and small intestine, indicative of unhealed intestinal wounds, according to the study. "Impaired wound healing can promote chronic...

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Serious vision problems among older Americans have declined sharply, and the improvement has been greatest among women, folks over 85 and seniors who are Black or Hispanic, a nationwide study shows."The implications of a reduction in vision impairment are significant," said study first author ZhiDi Deng, a pharmacy student at the University of Toronto in Canada. "Vision problems are a major cause of age-related disability, and serious vision impairment can increase the risk of falls and fractures and undermine quality of life."The rate of adults 65 and older who reported serious vision impairment fell from 8.3% in 2008 to 6.6% in 2017.If the rate had stayed at 2008 levels, 848,000 more seniors would have experienced serious vision...

TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The same lifestyle habits that protect the heart can also curb the risk of a range of cancers, a large new study confirms.The study of more than 20,000 U.S. adults found both bad news and good news.People with risk factors for heart disease also faced increased odds of developing cancer over the next 15 years. On the other hand, people who followed a heart-healthy lifestyle cut their risk of a cancer diagnosis.Experts said the findings are no surprise. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has estimated that close to half of cancer deaths in the United States are linked to modifiable factors -- including poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.But the study drives home an important message, according to Marjorie McCullough, senior...