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TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As many as one-third of doctors may be sending patients for a thyroid ultrasound for reasons not supported by guidelines, a new study finds. The use of ultrasound to detect thyroid cancer has led to a large increase in thyroid cancer cases, but many of these cancers are low-risk and won't cause serious harm, the study authors explained. For the study, the researchers questioned 610 surgeons, endocrinologists and primary care doctors involved in thyroid cancer care. Most doctors said they used ultrasound for reasons that are supported by guidelines, such as a large nodule that can be felt or one seen on another imaging test. But 33% said they prescribed an ultrasound because the patient wanted it and 28% said an abnormal thyroid...

TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- More than two in five working-age U.S. adults didn't have stable health insurance in the first half of 2020, while more than one-third struggled with medical bills, according to a new survey. "The survey shows a persistent vulnerability among U.S. working-age adults in their ability to afford coverage and health care. That vulnerability could worsen if the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic downturn continue," said report author Sara Collins. She is vice president for health care coverage, access and tracking at the Commonwealth Fund. "Coverage inadequacy is compromising people's ability to get the care they need and leaving many with medical debt at a moment of widespread health and financial insecurity," Collins explained in a news...

TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A lot of kids have been pushing up the scale numbers while home during the pandemic -- and parents need to take steps to prevent the dreaded "quarantine 15," an expert says. "During the school year, most parents rely on schools to provide their child with regular exercise," said Dr. Joyce Samuel, an associate professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). "Because of the ongoing situation surrounding COVID-19, it is important for parents to focus on their child's health and ensure they are getting the proper exercise and nutrition to avoid child obesity," Samuel said in a center news release. If your children are learning remotely, she noted there are plenty of...

TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D supplements don't prevent severe asthma attacks in at-risk children, according to a study that challenges previous research. "The reason that's important is there are colleagues around this country and worldwide who are testing vitamin D levels for kids with asthma and giving them vitamin D," said study lead author Dr. Juan Celedón. He's chief of pediatric pulmonary medicine at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "As a system, it costs a lot of money to run all these tests and give the supplements. We've shown no benefit for children with moderately low vitamin D levels," Celedón said in a hospital news release. While past observational studies suggested that vitamin D could reduce asthma-attack severity, this is reportedly...