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FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- It often seems the older a person gets, the less they sleep, but new research suggests that inconsistent sleep patterns might predict a future diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Researchers who studied 2,930 older men for more than a decade found that those with a particular sleep problem -- called circadian rhythm disruptions -- were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. A central nervous system disorder, Parkinson's affects balance and movement, and often causes tremors. The study findings "can potentially help with the early detection of Parkinson's in older adults," said study lead author Yue Leng, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Circadian rhythms tell the body when...

FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A mainstay of 18th-century medicine -- the lowly leech -- has made something of a comeback in the 21st century. That's largely due to powerful blood thinners the parasitic worm secretes naturally. Now, genetic research could give a major boost to the medical use of leeches, scientists say. An international team sequenced the genome of a European leech called Hirudo medicinalis, a blood-sucking worm often used in hospital treatments. Two leech species -- Hirudo verbana and Hirudo medicinalis -- are used in modern medicine, primarily for the reattachment of digits, or in skin-grafting surgery. Their saliva contains the strongest known blood thinners. Researchers focused on the diversity of blood-thinning substances (anticoagulants) within...

FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of U.S. states are seeing upticks in new coronavirus cases, leading some state officials to order the reimposition of mask wearing for citizens. In California on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that people will be required to wear masks in any indoor space, while Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a similar order for people living in seven counties there, CNN reported. North Carolina and Arizona are considering similar measures. Those four states -- along with Alabama, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas -- are experiencing the highest week-long average rise in new daily cases seen in their states since the pandemic began, according to a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. Floridians, in particular,...

THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Wondering whether stay-at-home advisories mean you should skip your child's check-up? According to one pediatrician, parents should keep their kids' regular health appointments during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm having these conversations every day with my patients," said Dr. Mona Patel, an attending physician in the division of general pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "I'm encouraging families to come in. It's so important that children continue to get the health care they need, including preventive care." It's important not to wait until the pandemic is over to get your child immunized. This is especially true for babies and children younger than 2 years. Vaccinations are timed with the risk that a child could get a...