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FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug combination lengthens survival for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), new research shows. A previous clinical trial found that the two-drug combo -- called AMX0035 -- slowed progression of the neurodegenerative disease over six months. The new clinical trial of 137 patients with the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, found that those who took AMX0035 lived a median of 6.5 months longer than those who received a placebo. Median means half lived longer, half for less time. The study, published Oct. 16 in the journal Muscle & Nerve, was conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which makes the drug. According to The New York Times, the...

FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- If you're pregnant and you think popping nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for your aches and pains is safe, think again. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Thursday that taking these widely used painkillers -- which include Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Celebrex -- at 20 weeks or later in a pregnancy could raise the risk of complications. Specifically, taking the medications can cause rare but serious kidney problems in the unborn baby that can lead to low levels of amniotic fluid, increasing the potential for pregnancy complications. After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus's kidneys begin producing most of the amniotic fluid, so kidney problems can cause low levels of this protective fluid. Low levels of amniotic...

FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans who get recommended colon cancer screening may end up with "surprise" medical bills, a new study suggests. Looking at insurance claims for more than 1.1 million elective colonoscopies, researchers found that 12% involved out-of-network charges. That's concerning, the study authors said, because those patients may well have faced bills averaging $400 for a procedure they thought was covered. The issue has received much media attention of late. Surprise billing happens when insured people receive treatment from a provider in their health plan's contracted network, but someone on the medical team is not in-network. The insurance plan may pay part of that provider's charges, but generally not all. So the patient often ends up...

FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Chanel Davis-Mitchell and her husband, Benji Mitchell, were looking forward to parenthood after the birth of their healthy baby boy, Braxton. Despite a high-risk pregnancy and a massive amount of fluid weight Chanel gained during the final two months, doctors assured her all would be fine after the delivery. Then, 11 days after Braxton's birth in May 2016, Chanel and Benji were preparing to take Braxton to a pediatrician appointment when Chanel began feeling ill. She had chest pains and thought she had an extreme case of heartburn. "It was the worst feeling I had ever had," she said. As they drove toward Braxton's doctor's office about 30 miles away in rural North Carolina, Chanel's symptoms worsened. She felt nauseous. Her arm...