Latest Health News

29Jan
2021

Another Deadly Disease for Smokers: Pulmonary Fibrosis

Another Deadly Disease for Smokers: Pulmonary FibrosisFRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Current and former smokers are at risk for a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis, but many aren't aware of the threat, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation says. There is no cure for the disease, which affects more than 200,000 Americans.A recent foundation survey found that more than 80% of smokers are unfamiliar with pulmonary fibrosis. This is a concerning statistic among a group disproportionately affected by the disease.Both smokers and nonsmokers have little awareness of the disease, and nearly 9 out of 10 Americans don't know its symptoms: shortness of breath, a dry, chronic cough and fatigue."Smokers are often aware that tobacco usage can lead to diseases such as lung cancer, COPD and emphysema, among others. However, as smokers...

Compared to Other Countries, Americans Pay Much More for...

29 January 2021
Compared to Other Countries, Americans Pay Much More for Prescription Drugs FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Americans pay nearly three times more for prescription drugs than people in dozens of other countries, a new study shows.Researchers analyzed 2018 data and found that prescription drug prices in the United States average 2.5 times more than in 32 other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations.The cost of brand-name drugs is even more -- an average of 3.4 times higher -- in the United States than in other countries.However, generic drugs are slightly cheaper in the United States than in most other nations. In this country, generic drugs account for 84% of drugs sold by volume but only 12% of drug spending, according to the researchers at the RAND Corp., a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. "Brand-name...

Is There a 'Risk-Taking' Center in the Brain?

29 January 2021
Is There a `Risk-Taking` Center in the Brain?FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Why does one person take a lot of risks and another proceed with more caution?Researchers came closer to that answer with a new study that shows risk-taking behavior may be related to characteristics in the brain. The study found there is no one risk area in the brain. Instead, there are many regions where anatomy is altered in people who take risks. Yet there is a connection between genes, lower levels of gray matter and risky behavior, researchers concluded."People have different tendencies to engage in behavior that risks their health or that involve uncertainties about the future," senior author Gideon Nave said in a University of Pennsylvania news release. He's an assistant professor of marketing at the university's Wharton School.The...

COVID Especially Deadly for People With Schizophrenia

28 January 2021
COVID Especially Deadly for People With SchizophreniaTHURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Schizophrenia is second only to age when it comes to risk factors for dying from COVID-19, new research suggests.People with this mental illness are known to be at greater risk for contracting COVID-19, but the new study shows they are also more likely to die from this virus."Old age is still the most important risk factor for dying of COVID-19, but in our study, schizophrenia surpassed even heart, lung and kidney disease," said study author Dr. Donald Goff, director of the Institute for Psychiatric Research at NYU Langone in New York City. "We believe that people with schizophrenia should be prioritized in terms of receiving COVID 19 vaccinations and encouraged to observe safety precautions," said Goff, who is also a psychiatry professor at...

Too Many Kids With Special Needs Are Going Without Adequate Support

28 January 2021
Too Many Kids With Special Needs Are Going Without Adequate SupportTHURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As many as one in five U.S. children has special health care needs, and some of their caregivers are struggling to get them the support, care and services they need, new research shows.Kids with special health care needs may have physical conditions (such as asthma or diabetes), mental health issues (including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or anxiety), developmental disorders (like autism or Down syndrome), or a combination of these conditions. These kids often require additional health care and support. Right now, those who receive such care are likely to get it through the "medical home" model, new research shows. In such a model, a pediatrician serves as quarterback and coordinates care with specialists and other providers....

Lockdowns Might Not Have Long-Term Psychological Effect: Study

28 January 2021
Lockdowns Might Not Have Long-Term Psychological Effect: StudyTHURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- While pandemic lockdowns may have initially triggered feelings of isolation and worry, stay-at-home stress dissipated with time as people adjusted to their "new normal," research suggests.In the study, scientists did a state-by-state analysis of Google search trends between January and June of 2020, covering topics such as COVID regulation policies, mental health concerns and in-home activities. On the "negative feelings" side of the ledger, search terms included "antidepressants" and "suicide." More positive searches included "cooking" and "exercise tips." Search trends were then stacked up against the varying timing and nature of each state's particular lockdown experience.The result: "Google searches for mental health symptoms such as...

States Start to Loosen Restrictions as U.S. COVID Cases Level Off

28 January 2021
States Start to Loosen Restrictions as U.S. COVID Cases Level OffTHURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Some states have started to ease tight social distancing restrictions as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations begin to plateau across the United States.Still, the emergence of more infectious coronavirus variants in this country has prompted many officials to proceed cautiously on reopening their economies, the Associated Press reported.The recipe for the balancing act seems simple, but experts say it isn't."If the frequency [of hospitalizations] goes up, you tighten it up. If the frequency goes down, you loosen up. Getting it just right is almost impossible," Dr. Arnold Monto, a public health professor at the University of Michigan, told the AP. "There's no perfect way to do this."As Michigan's coronavirus infection rate dropped to the...

Early Promise for Therapy Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

28 January 2021
Early Promise for Therapy Against Duchenne Muscular DystrophyTHURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy shows promise, a small study suggests.The severe form of muscular dystrophy -- which affects about one in 3,500 males born each year in the United States -- causes muscles to progressively weaken and lose the ability to regenerate after an injury.Muscle tissue is eventually replaced by fat and collagen. Many children with the disease require a wheelchair by their teens, and their heart and lungs are affected as it progresses.Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by a mutation in the gene for dystrophin, a protein essential for muscle growth and health. The experimental therapy delivers a form of the dystrophin gene directly to the muscles.This study, by a team at the University of...

Vitamin D: Good for Your Health, It Might Even Fight...

THURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, and recent research has suggested it may also help guard against severe COVID-19.But how much is enough, and how...

Do Touchscreens Make Your Toddler More Distractible?

THURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Too much screen time can make your toddler more distractible, British researchers warn.The use of smartphones and tablets by babies and toddlers has...
RSS
First776777778779781783784785Last