Vaccines and masks will be the United States’ first line of defense against the new Omicron variant, not lockdowns or border closures, President Joe Biden told the nation Monday. “If people are vaccinated and wear their mask, there’s no need for lockdowns,” Biden said, noting that vaccinated people who’ve gotten a booster shot are expected… read on > read on >
Early detection of ovarian cancer helps boost a woman’s survival, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new imaging drug that can help spot tumors during surgery. The drug, Cytalux (pafolacianine), is meant to improve a surgeon’s ability to detect ovarian cancer while operating on a patient. It is administered intravenously… read on > read on >
Nearly 1 in 5 people with hypertension may be unintentionally taking a drug for another condition that causes their blood pressure to climb even higher, a new study suggests. Left untreated or undertreated, high blood pressure will increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and vision problems by damaging blood vessels. Lifestyle changes… read on > read on >
A heart condition, myocarditis, has been found in a number of U.S. college athletes who have had COVID-19, a new study finds. Myocarditis has also been linked in some young people to the COVID vaccine. But the odds are far greater that this inflammation of the heart muscle will occur in those who get COVID… read on > read on >
Repetitive head hits are common in football, and they’re also linked to debilitating brain injuries. But rendering a definitive diagnosis typically means waiting for autopsy results after the player has died. Now, a new study suggests that brain scans can reliably spot troubling signs of sports-inflicted neurological damage while a person is still alive. The… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Nov. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — The National Football League over the past decade has launched concussion protocols in response to scientific studies showing repeated head injuries during play could cause serious neurological disorders. Now, a new study funded by the NFL finds the odds of having a stroke are much higher… read on > read on >
Hopes for an easing of the pandemic were dealt a major setback over the Thanksgiving weekend, with news that a variant first spotted in southern Africa carries a multiplicity of mutations that might make it resistant to approved vaccines. At an emergency meeting convened Friday by the World Health Organization, the agency dubbed the variant,… read on > read on >
Worried about climate change? You can do something about it every time you lift your fork, a new study suggests. Folks can reduce their personal carbon footprint by eating less red meat, nibbling fewer sweets and cutting back on tea, coffee and booze, according to the findings. “We all want to do our bit to… read on > read on >
As concerns about the new Omicron variant grow, vaccine makers say they’re already working on ways to protect people against the potential new threat. Pfizer said it and its partner BioNTech could develop and produce a “tailor-made vaccine” in about 100 days if a “vaccine-escape” variant emerges, NBC News reported. Meanwhile, Moderna said it was… read on > read on >
Merck’s experimental COVID-19 antiviral pill appears effective, but may pose risks for pregnant women, including birth defects and toxicity to developing fetuses, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. On Friday morning Merck announced updated results from its molnupiravir study that showed a smaller benefit than first thought: Among more than 1,400 adults in… read on > read on >
