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TUESDAY, July 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In a finding that suggests the seeds for heart disease are sown early in life, researchers report they found evidence of stiff, thickened arteries in children who had been obese as toddlers. "Public health efforts are needed in the very early years to prevent problems with obesity and being overweight, to avoid the risk of adolescent and adult cardiovascular disease," said study author Melissa Wake, from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia. Wake's team followed more than 1,800 children in Australia whose weight and height were checked every two years to determine their heart disease risk scores. At age 11 to 12, their blood pressure, blood vessel health, cholesterol and blood glucose (sugar) levels were also...

TUESDAY, July 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many cancer patients have faced delays to their health care during the coronavirus pandemic, but with what consequences? Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston analyzed 15 years of data to determine how long surgery for certain types of cancer can be delayed without harming patients' chances of survival. The study began in early spring, as the pandemic led many hospitals to cancel or postpone non-emergency procedures, including surgery for cancer. "We were worried that the surgeons and patients were being forced to make treatment decisions without a clear understanding of the risks," said Dr. Scott Fligor, a general surgery resident who led the review. From more than 2,000 papers published in the last 15 years,...

TUESDAY, July 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Joint replacements for knee osteoarthritis are becoming more common, and now researchers have identified jobs that may lead to one. Based on a review of 71 studies that included nearly one million workers, the riskiest occupations include agriculture, construction, mining, service jobs and housekeeping. And jobs that demand excessive kneeling, squatting, standing, lifting and climbing stairs all increase your odds. A team of researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia, and the Universities of Oxford and Southampton in the United Kingdom found that: Carpenters, bricklayers and floor installers have roughly three times the risk for knee osteoarthritis, compared with sedentary workers. Farm workers have 64% higher odds for the...

TUESDAY, July 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- While Americans continue to debate whether face masks can stop the spread of coronavirus, a new report offers compelling evidence that the coverings do indeed work. In May, two hairstylists at a Missouri salon who had COVID-19 but wore face masks cut the hair of 139 masked customers for roughly a week, and did not infect a single client. They also did not infect any of the clients' contacts or any of the other stylists in the salon, researchers report. The first stylist worked with clients for eight days while symptomatic, while the second stylist did the same for five days, the researchers wrote. "The message is clear: Face masks work," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency room physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "They...