Stroke rates continue to rise among adults and children living with sickle cell disease, despite new standards of care meant to lower their risk, a new study finds. People with sickle cell are vulnerable to strokes caused by a blood vessel to the brain either bursting or becoming clogged, researchers said. Following a landmark 1998… read on > read on >
Controversial fentanyl lollipops and similar products will no longer be made by drug makers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced. Known as TIRF medications, these products contain fentanyl and are used to manage breakthrough pain in cancer patients who have become tolerant to around-the-clock opioid therapy, the FDA said in a statement released… read on > read on >
A cavalry of sorts can come to the rescue of combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study says. Combat veterans who regularly care for horses experience an easing of their PTSD symptoms, as well as an overall improved mental outlook, researchers found. Focusing on a horse’s welfare can help a veteran… read on > read on >
Heavy-duty endurance exercise can cause body fat levels to drop without any accompanying weight loss, a new small-scale study indicates. A group of eleven middle-aged men who cycled 710 miles in seven days lost only about 1% of their total weight, because they ate and drank enough to offset the calorie burn. But they lost… read on > read on >
Pulling your hair out in frustration with your finicky youngster? Don’t blame your parenting style — genetics likely played a huge role in their eating habits, a new twins study FINDs. Fussy eating is mainly influenced by genes, according to findings published Sept. 19 in the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. Further, finicky eating… read on > read on >
Millions of women struggle with the discomfort and stress of urinary incontinence, and many turn to medications for help. Now, new research suggests that yoga and other exercise regimens might work just as well to control these bladder issues. Researchers at Stanford University report that 12 weeks of yoga practice cut incontinence episodes among participants… read on > read on >
Each year, an average of 174 U.S. kids under the age of 5 lose their lives over causes linked to nursery products. Many of these tragedies could be prevented, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday issued a list of products deemed most hazardous. Leading the list by far: Any soft bedding added… read on > read on >
Doctors sometimes turn to antidepressants as a means of easing older people’s physical pain, but a new expert review finds there’s little evidence to support the practice. Antidepressants may even come with hazards for seniors who don’t need them, said researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia. “Harms of antidepressant use in older people… read on > read on >
An arthritis sufferer’s joints start to get ornery when the weather turns colder, getting stiff and achy as the mercury drops. Cold weather doesn’t cause arthritis, but it can make it worse, experts say. “Our joints operate best in temperate weather,” said Dr. Mariko Ishimori, interim director at the Cedars-Sinai Division of Rheumatology in Los… read on > read on >
Would-be dads don’t have to worry that taking the epilepsy drug valproate will result in children with birth defects, a new review concludes. Valproate, an anti-seizure drug, is known to cause birth defects and developmental disorders when taken by pregnant women. But the drug does not appear to have the same impact on the fetus… read on > read on >
