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THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Certain genetic factors in people with Down syndrome may increase their COVID-19 risks.Previous studies have found that people with Down syndrome are 10 times more likely to die from COVID-19, and experts have said they should be among those given priority for vaccination.In this new study, Spanish researchers examined genetic differences in people with Down syndrome that might affect their risk of infection and severe illness from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.While each cell expresses, or turns on, only a fraction of its genes, researchers found that people with Down syndrome have 60% higher expression of a gene called TMPRSS2. It turns on an enzyme that plays a key role in helping SARS-CoV-2 enter human cells.The gene is...

THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Getting a colonoscopy as soon as possible after an abnormal stool test could reduce your risk of colon cancer and death from the disease, researchers say.In a new study, investigators analyzed data from more than 200,000 U.S. veterans, aged 50 to 75, who had an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Both are common stool blood screening tests. Abnormal results (blood in the stool) on the tests should be followed by a colonoscopy to check for precancerous and cancerous colon growths called polyps. Patients who had a colonoscopy more than 13 months after an abnormal stool blood test were up to 1.3 times more likely to develop colon cancer than those who had colonoscopy up to three months after the stool...

THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescription opioid painkillers or a common class of antibiotics during pregnancy doesn't increase the risk of major birth defects, according to two new studies.Both are often prescribed to pregnant women. Some studies have linked them with certain birth defects, but findings have been inconsistent.These new studies -- published Feb. 10 in the BMJ -- sought to clarify the issue.In the first study, researchers led by Dr. Brian Bateman, an associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, analyzed 2000-2015 data for more than 82,000 U.S. women who received two or more opioid prescriptions during the first trimester of pregnancy.After accounting for other potential risk factors, there was no clinically meaningful...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- An inner-ear implant may help people with a debilitating balance disorder get steady on their feet again, an early study suggests.The study involved eight patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). The disorder arises from a problem in the balance system of both inner ears, leading to chronic dizziness and instability when standing or walking. Researchers found that surgically implanting a device that stimulates the vestibular nerve in the inner ear improved those symptoms -- to the extent that patients could get back to exercising and gardening.The implant borrows from the principle behind cochlear implants, which are commonly used to treat hearing loss. However, the BVH procedure is still experimental."Right now, we can only...