People with heart implants could be in trouble if they’re hit with a powerful handheld taser, a new study says. A heavy electrical charge delivered by a taser could cause a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator to malfunction, researchers report in the journal Heart Rhythm. As a result, the implant might stop working or deliver its… read on > read on >
Severe and possibly deadly strep infections are on the rise in the U.S., a study published Monday in Journal of the American Medical Association said. The rate of invasive group A strep infections more than doubled from 2013 to 2022, jumping from about 4 cases per 100,000 people to 8 per 100,000, NBC News reported.… read on > read on >
More than 212,000 pounds of liquid egg substitutes have been recalled because they may be contaminated with a cleaning solution that contains bleach. Cargill Kitchen Solutions, based in Lake Odessa, Mich., recalled the products after discovering they might contain sodium hypochlorite, a chemical also known as bleach. The liquid eggs were sold under the Egg… read on > read on >
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will tell the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water across the country. He also announced plans to form a special task force to focus on health risks of fluoride. Kennedy made the comments Monday during a media… read on > read on >
Pregnancy might offer women some protection from developing long COVID, a new study says. Women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy were 14% to 30% less likely to develop lasting symptoms from their illness, researchers reported recently in the journal Nature Communications. “Though we observed that pregnant women have a significant risk of long COVID, it… read on > read on >
A non-intoxicating extract of cannabis appears to help children and teenagers with autism, a new study says. Cannabidiol (CBD) enhanced social responsiveness, reduced disruptive behavior and alleviated anxiety among kids with autism, researchers reported today at the European Congress of Psychiatry in Madrid. “The global population prevalence of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis amongst children and… read on > read on >
The U.S. government has shut down or paused several major anti-smoking efforts. Public health leaders say the cuts could reverse decades of progress that have smoking rates in the country at all-time lows. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made major cuts to tobacco control offices at the U.S. Centers for… read on > read on >
The Trump administration has decided not to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for popular obesity drugs, blocking a Biden administration initiative that could have helped millions of Americans access the medications. Catherine Howden, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said that expanding coverage for these drugs “is not appropriate at… read on > read on >
Lung cancer screening can save the lives of former and current smokers, but most aren’t taking advantage of it, a new study says. Fewer than 1 in 5 people eligible for lung cancer screening go through with a chest CT scan, according to research published April 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.… read on > read on >
More people die from heart problems during heatwaves where high temperatures stretch through both the day and night, a new study says. Heatwaves that offer no relief at night — known as compound heatwaves — are much more deadly than soaring daytime temperatures alone, researchers reported April 1 in the Journal of the American College… read on > read on >
