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TUESDAY, July 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Deep sleep is essential for good health, and too little of it may shorten your life, a new study suggests. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is when dreams occur and the body repairs itself from the ravages of the day. For every 5% reduction in REM sleep, mortality rates increase 13% to 17% among older and middle-aged adults, researchers report. "Numerous studies have linked insufficient sleep with significant health consequences. Yet, many people ignore the signs of sleep problems or don't allow enough time to get adequate sleep," said lead researcher Eileen Leary. She is a senior manager of clinical research at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. "In our busy, fast-paced lives, sleep can feel like a time-consuming nuisance. This...

TUESDAY, July 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- With the number of coronavirus cases in the United States approaching 3 million on Monday, hospitals across the Sun Belt continued to be flooded with COVID-19 patients. Arizona reached 89 percent capacity for ICU beds, as Alabama, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas also reported unprecedented numbers of hospitalizations, the Washington Post reported. For the 28th day in a row, the country's rolling seven-day average of daily new cases obliterated previous records, though the number of deaths nationwide has remained relatively stable, the newspaper reported. Testing centers across the country are now being stretched to their limits, according to the Post. In many cities, a combination of factors are fueling the...

MONDAY, July 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Falling off a ladder can cause long-lasting mental and physical health problems, researchers say. The new study included 134 people who fell off ladders and were seen at the emergency departments of two hospitals in Queensland, Australia, between October 2015 and October 2016. More than half of the patients were men over 55 and most were injured while doing chores around the house. "Ladder falls go far beyond that of the physical injury; they significantly impact a person's mental health and the whole family," said study author Rob Eley, academic research manager on the faculty of medicine at the University of Queensland. "It's frustrating because ladder-related falls are frequently preventable, yet they're a common cause of injuries...

MONDAY, July 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Early-stage breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in U.S. states that have expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare than in those that haven't, researchers say. Their new study looked at a database of more than 71,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 31 states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act and 14 states that did not. In the expansion states, the average rate of uninsured breast cancer patients fell from 23% to 14%, and the rate of women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer fell from 23% to 20%. No significant changes occurred in states that didn't expand Medicaid. "If the cancer is diagnosed early, generally treatment is definitive and women have good overall survival," said study first author...