Latest Health News

9Jun
2023

FDA Panel Backs RSV Vaccine for Infants, Some Toddlers

FDA Panel Backs RSV Vaccine for Infants, Some ToddlersFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) – A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday recommended that the agency approve an RSV vaccine for infants and some toddlers.The monoclonal antibody shot would protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants born during or entering their first RSV season, the New York Times reported. It could also be used for toddlers up to 24 months old who are particularly vulnerable to the virus.The panel voted 21-0 in favor of using the vaccine, called Beyfortus, for infants and 19-2 in favor of use in toddlers, the Times said.While RSV can be as minor as a cold for many people, it is a leading killer around the world for infants and toddlers, the Times reported. As many as 80,000 kids younger than age 5 are hospitalized with...

Young Adults' Use of Hallucinogens Like Mushrooms, PCP...

9 June 2023
Young Adults` Use of Hallucinogens Like Mushrooms, PCP Doubled in a Few Years: StudyFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Young American adults have doubled their use of non-LSD hallucinogens in just a few years, a new report warns. Researchers found that between 2018 and 2021, U.S. adults aged 19 to 30 increased their use of mescaline, peyote, psilocybin ("magic mushrooms") and PCP, though not LSD.The prevalence of young adults’ past-year use of these drugs was 3.4% in 2018, but it hit 6.6% in 2021."However, the prevalence of LSD did not see this dramatic increase, and was around 4% in 2018 and 2021," said study co-author Megan Patrick. She is a research professor at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor and co-principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future study, which focuses on substance use and health.The study found that...

Disability a Growing Concern for U.S. Cancer Survivors

9 June 2023
Disability a Growing Concern for U.S. Cancer SurvivorsFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of cancer survivors who struggle with a disability has doubled in the past 20 years, new research shows.“The fact that we are saving more lives from cancer is worth celebrating, but it also warrants a shift toward understanding and improving the quality of life for those who survive,” said study co-author Dr. S.M. Qasim Hussaini. He is chief medical oncology fellow and a health systems researcher at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, in Baltimore. “Overall, our study calls for urgent action to address the burden of cancer and its treatment on physical, psychosocial and cognitive function,” Hussaini said in a Hopkins news release.The study of more than 51,000 survivors was weighted to represent a larger population of...

Long Space Flights Could Take Toll on Astronauts' Brains

9 June 2023
Long Space Flights Could Take Toll on Astronauts` BrainsFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Astronauts spending six months or longer in space should stretch their time between trips to three years, warns new research on the impact of space travel on the brain.To study this, researchers examined the brain scans of 30 astronauts, looking at scans that depicted their brains both before and after their missions.The research team included missions that were two weeks long, six months long and a full year. Eight of the astronauts were on the shortest missions, four on the longest and the remaining 18 were gone for six months. “We found that the more time people spent in space, the larger their ventricles became,” said study author Rachael Seidler, a professor of applied physiology and kinesiology at the University of Florida (UF)....

Seniors: Stay Social, Active for 'Optimal Aging,' Study Shows

9 June 2023
Seniors: Stay Social, Active for `Optimal Aging,` Study ShowsFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of friendships and activity aren’t just for the young. Staying socially active can also help older adults age their best, according to new research that pinpoints volunteering and recreational activities as important for seniors. “Although the study’s observational nature prohibits the determination of causality, it makes intuitive sense that social activity is associated with successful aging,” said study co-author Mabel Ho, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Being socially active is important no matter how old we are. Feeling connected and engaged can boost our mood, reduce our sense of loneliness and isolation, and...

Seizures While Driving Highlight Importance of Early  Diagnosis of Epilepsy

9 June 2023
Seizures While Driving Highlight Importance of Early  Diagnosis of EpilepsyFRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Before learning they had epilepsy, about 5% of people who have what's called focal epilepsy had a seizure while driving, new research suggests. “Seizures while driving pose substantial risks for those experiencing them and for others on the road,” said study author Dr. Jacob Pellinen, of the University of Colorado in Aurora and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.“While medication may make it possible for some people with epilepsy to safely drive, they must first be diagnosed. Our study sought to define how often seizures happen while driving before a diagnosis and then how long it takes before a person is diagnosed. Our results can then help inform how to diagnose people sooner, with a goal of lowering the number of...

Nutrient Taurine Might Help Extend Life, Animal Studies Show

8 June 2023
Nutrient Taurine Might Help Extend Life, Animal Studies ShowTHURSDAY, June 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- An amino acid found in meat, fish and energy drinks might be a key regulator of aging in animals, a new study suggests.However, experts warn that no one should start seeing Red Bull as a fountain of youth.Researchers found that deficiencies in the amino acid, called taurine, seemed to be a prime driver of aging in lab mice: Their taurine levels naturally declined with age, but giving middle-aged mice a daily taurine supplement for one year essentially slowed the aging process.Compared with lab mice fed a placebo supplement, the taurine-consuming mice survived 10% to 12% longer.These mice were also more likely to be living their best lab-mouse lives — staying leaner, maintaining stronger bones and muscles, showing fewer depression- and...

Pope Has Hernia Repaired During 3-Hour Surgery

8 June 2023
Pope Has Hernia Repaired During 3-Hour SurgeryTHURSDAY, June 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- After three hours of surgery on Wednesday, Pope Francis was recovering at Gemelli hospital in Rome on Thursday.Pope Francis had a hernia in his abdominal wall repaired, along with the removal of scar tissue in his intestine that had created a partial blockage and was causing him pain, the Associated Press reported. Doctors placed a prosthetic mesh in his abdominal wall to repair the hernia, which had not yet led to protrusion of the intestine through the tear. They did not find other pathologies. The tissue that was removed was benign, the AP reported.“It appears they operated on him in a timely fashion, with no compromise to his intestine,” Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, told the...

AHA News: Bored With Plain Water? Turn It Into Agua Fresca.

THURSDAY, June 8, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- A cold glass of water can refresh when temperatures soar. But if your taste buds need an extra zing, a sip of agua fresca can help.Agua...

AHA News: She's Survived Cancer, Heart Failure and a...

THURSDAY, June 8, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- When Dawn Mussallem was little, she dreamed of having her face on a Smucker's jar – the recognition the "Today" show gives to people...
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