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FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Using gas stoves can increase indoor air levels of benzene, a chemical linked to higher risk of leukemia and other blood cell cancers, a new study reports.Analysis of dozens of stoves revealed that a single gas cooktop burner on high or a gas oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit can raise indoor levels of benzene above those typically released by secondhand tobacco smoke, the researchers reported.Benzene emitted by gas stoves also can drift throughout a home and linger for hours, according to the study published June 15 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.More than one-third of U.S. households, some 47 million homes, cook with gas, researchers said in background notes.“Benzene forms in flames and other high-temperature...

FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The White House announced Friday that a former Obama administration official with extensive experience in federal and state health services will be named the next leader of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Former North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen comes with credentials that should help her lead the beleaguered agency, criticized for its response to the pandemic."Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track record protecting Americans’ health and safety," President Joe Biden said in a news release announcing the appointment."Her leadership through the COVID-19 crisis drew bipartisan praise, as did her successful...

FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for most men with heart problems who also have been diagnosed with a low testosterone disorder, a new clinical trial has concluded.The trial found that testosterone replacement did not raise these patients' incidence of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death in a group of men with both heart problems and hypogonadism -- a condition in which low testosterone levels have led to specific health problems.“For men with heart disease or at risk for heart disease, taking testosterone -- when given in appropriate doses and carefully monitored -- did not increase the risk of heart-related events like heart attack, stroke or death from heart-related causes,” said senior researcher Dr. Steve Nissen, chair...

FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pope Francis is now “better than before” after his release from a Rome hospital Friday following surgery on June 7 to repair a hernia and remove scarring.The 86-year-old pope joked that he was “still alive," as he was met by reporters while leaving the Gemelli Polyclinic nine days after surgery to reduce pain and prevent a future intestinal blockage, the Associated Press reported.“The pope is well. He’s better than before,″ said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who performed the three-hour operation."He'll be a stronger pope," Alfieri told reporters.This was Francis' third hospitalization at Gemelli Polyclinic since July 2021, first to remove 13 inches of his bowel and then last spring to receive intravenous antibiotics for bronchitis, the AP...