Latest Health News

17Dec
2020

Air Pollution Takes a Toll on Your Kidneys

Air Pollution Takes a Toll on Your KidneysTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Tiny particles of air pollution were already known to raise people's risk of developing heart and lung disease, but a new study suggests they might also raise the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, found that the risks from this fine particulate matter was significantly stronger in urban areas, and among males, younger adults and adults without other health conditions. The investigators analyzed survey data from more than 47,000 adults in China and estimated the two-year air pollution levels at each person's residence from satellite-based information. They found that 10.8% of participants had chronic kidney disease. Each increase of fine particulate matter of 10 micrograms per...

U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record Highs

17 December 2020
U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record HighsTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The number of U.S. drug overdose deaths reached a record high as the coronavirus pandemic held the country in its grip last spring, new government data shows.For the 12 months ending in May, more than 81,000 people died from an overdose. That is the highest number ever recorded during a 12-month period, scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said."The disruption to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with substance use disorder hard," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a agency health advisory issued Thursday. "As we continue the fight to end this pandemic, it's important to not lose sight of different groups being affected in other ways. We need to take care of people suffering from...

Schools, Day Care Not a Big Factor in Kids Getting...

17 December 2020
Schools, Day Care Not a Big Factor in Kids Getting COVID: StudyTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As a rule, COVID-19 spreads rapidly in most groups, but new research suggests that schools and day care centers appear to be the exception.Among those under 18, the virus is easily spread by close contact with family members who have COVID-19 and at gatherings where people don't wear masks, but going to school wasn't linked to positive COVID-19 tests, according to the researchers.Schools where people wear masks and keep at least 6-feet apart are places where the virus is less likely to spread, said study author Dr. Charlotte Hobbs, a professor of pediatric infectious disease and microbiology at Children's Hospital of Mississippi in Jackson."We've got to play by the rules. Otherwise, we will have situations in which children will not be able...

AHA News: Keep Your Holiday Drinking on the Moderate...

17 December 2020
AHA News: Keep Your Holiday Drinking on the Moderate Side With This AdviceTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- If you're ready to toast – a lot – to the end of 2020, you're in good company. But for your health, find ways to moderate that, experts say.Even in normal years, people find lots extra reasons to raise a glass, or two, at this time of year, said Joanna Buscemi, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. "It's already a very risky period for people," she said. "But then we have the pandemic, which obviously makes things worse."The main problem is stress. Lots and lots of stress, from concerns about COVID-19 to financial worries and the hassles of families working and schooling from home.Working from home, in fact, might be encouraging more drinking, said Buscemi, a licensed clinical...

Pandemic Tied to Higher Suicide Rate in Blacks, Lowered Rate in Whites: Study

17 December 2020
Pandemic Tied to Higher Suicide Rate in Blacks, Lowered Rate in Whites: StudyTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated racial divides in health care in numerous ways, and a new study reveals yet another: Suicides among Black people doubled during COVID-19 lockdowns, while suicides in white individuals were cut in half during the same period."In past pandemics, there has been noted rises in suicide, and the COVID-19 pandemic seemed like the perfect storm for suicide given its economic impact, the fear of illness, increased stress and reduced access to care," explained study author Dr. Paul Sasha Nestadt. He's an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore.But this wasn't the case with the coronavirus pandemic, at least not among the Marylanders followed in this study. "There...

Can Mindfulness Help Ease Migraine?

17 December 2020
Can Mindfulness Help Ease Migraine?THURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A mind-body practice that combines meditation and yoga might help people better manage migraine pain, a new clinical trial finds.The trial, which tested the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), found that the approach helped relieve migraine sufferers' depression and disability. It also boosted how they rated their quality of life.MBSR is a standardized, eight-week program developed in the 1970s. It combines meditation and gentle yoga postures, with the goal of shifting people's responses to stress, including body pain.It's not that mindfulness makes pain go away, explained Daniel Cherkin, a senior investigator emeritus at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, in Seattle.Instead, he said, it helps people...

Support for Obamacare Grows as Biden Takes Control: Poll

17 December 2020
Support for Obamacare Grows as Biden Takes Control: PollTHURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The popularity of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, continues to grow, with nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they want the law to remain as is or be improved, a new Harris/HealthDay poll shows. About 34% of U.S. adults think the Affordable Care Act should remain in place, and another 28% believe it should stay but have some parts changed, according to poll results taken between Dec. 8 and 10.Only 20% of Americans support repeal of the ACA, the poll found."Nearly 2 in 3 Americans now say the health care reform that was signed into law by President Obama should remain in place, either in full or with some parts changed, and the proportion of Americans calling for its repeal -- just 1 in 5 -- is the lowest we've seen since we started...

Narrow Hallways Ideal for Coronavirus Spread: Study

17 December 2020
Narrow Hallways Ideal for Coronavirus Spread: Study THURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- You might want to think twice before you enter a hallway with strangers during the pandemic: Researchers report that following a fast-walking person with COVID-19 down a narrow corridor could increase your risk of infection, even if you keep your distance. That's because that person can leave long streams of virus-laden droplets behind them, according to a study published Dec. 15 in the journal Physics of Fluids. The risk is especially high for children. The findings are from computer simulations that assessed airflow and droplet dispersal patterns behind walkers in different locations. Previous simulations have focused on large, open, indoor spaces, but haven't considered the effect of nearby walls, such as those in a narrow...

Surgery, Drugs Similar for Treating Severe Diabetic Eye...

THURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Surgery and injectable drugs are equally effective in treating a serious diabetes-related eye condition, a new study indicates.It included 205 patients...

I've Lost My Sense of Smell: Is It COVID?

THURSDAY, Dec. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- While loss of smell is a symptom of COVID-19, don't panic -- there are a variety of other possible causes, one expert says."It can be due to nasal or...
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