Pondering a move to a vegetarian or vegan diet? Your heart might be in it, but your genes might not, a new study says. Genetics are an important part of whether a person responds well or poorly to a vegetarian diet, researchers said. People with a specific genetic variant can see increased calcium levels after… read on > read on >
An experimental drug appears to help women deal with stress incontinence, clinical trial data show. The drug, for now dubbed TAS-303, reduced the frequency of leaks related to stress incontinence by about 58%, compared with 47% reduction in a placebo group, trial results show. Further, about 65% of patients taking TAS-303 had their stress incontinence… read on > read on >
When it comes to health worries, cancer leads the way, a new poll shows. The University of Cambridge poll included 2,000 adults who said their biggest concern is getting diagnosed with cancer when it’s too late to treat it. Seven in 10 respondents have that fear, while 52% fret about the impact of a cancer diagnosis… read on > read on >
Over-the-counter nasal sprays could be a potent weapon against a major public health threat — antibiotic resistance, researchers report. Their analysis, which looked at data from nearly 14,000 adults, found that common nasal sprays could help keep upper respiratory tract infections at bay, reducing the need for antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance caused by overuse and misuse… read on > read on >
Some diabetes drugs appear to lower the risk that people with type 2 diabetes will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a new evidence review says. The risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s is significantly lower in patients treated with metformin or a class of meds called “sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors”, compared with other diabetes drugs,… read on > read on >
Roughly a month after having her second child, Nicole Gerardi-Lukens suddenly felt pressure in her pelvis that was so intense it sent her to the hospital. When doctors told her bladder had prolapsed — meaning that it had slipped from its normal position and was bulging into the vaginal wall — she anticipated surgery and… read on > read on >
Diabetics who sleep too little or too much are more likely to suffer damage to their small blood vessels, a condition that can cause organ damage throughout their bodies. Short sleep duration is tied to a 2.6 times increased risk of small blood vessel damage, also known as microvascular disease, in people with diabetes, a… read on > read on >
Many tweens and teens are filling prescriptions for opioids far in advance of surgeries unlikely to be associated with severe pain afterward, a new study says. Worse, a significant minority continue to fill those opioid prescriptions three to six months after surgery, a sign of possible addiction, researchers found. “Our study found that these patients… read on > read on >
Roughly 20% of Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives, but it’s not inevitable. Skin cancer is not only the most common cancer, it’s also the most preventable. Most of the time, too much sun exposure is to blame. “When it comes to skin cancer, prevention is key,” surgical oncologist… read on > read on >
After an anesthesiologist may have exposed thousands of people treated at several hospitals in Oregon to hepatitis and HIV, those patients are being advised to get tested for the diseases. Two health care providers in Portland — Providence and Legacy Health — have been told to offer the tests as a safety precaution. “We recently… read on > read on >
