After years of improvement, Americans with diabetes may be losing some ground in controlling the condition, a new government-funded study shows. Researchers found that between 1999 and the early 2010s, U.S. adults with diabetes made substantial gains: A growing percentage had their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol down to recommended levels. Since then, the… read on > read on >
When antidepressants fail to rein in hard-to-treat depression, the common anesthetic most know as “laughing gas” might be a safe and effective alternative, new research suggests. The finding follows work with 28 patients struggling with “treatment-resistant major depression,” a severe condition that investigators say affects about one-third of all patients — an estimated 17 million… read on > read on >
The color of your skin may very well determine how your headache gets treated, a new study warns. The same percentage of white, Black and Hispanic Americans — about 15% — suffer from severe headaches and/or migraines, the investigators noted. But the current analysis, conducted by 16 headache disorder experts, found that Black men are… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — The coronavirus pandemic and the equity movement have shined a spotlight on longstanding systemic problems that contribute to health disparities linked with factors such as race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and sexual identity. But health disparities don’t only affect those facing them. In a time of… read on > read on >
Breast cancer patients who have adequate levels of vitamin D — the “sunshine vitamin” — at the time of their diagnosis have better long-term outcomes, a new study finds. Combined with the results of prior research, the new findings suggest “an ongoing benefit for patients who maintain sufficient levels [of vitamin D] through and beyond… read on > read on >
The United States plans to purchase 500 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine that it will then donate to countries in need around the world. The first 200 million doses will be sent out this year, with 300 million more shared in the first half of next year, three people familiar with the plan told… read on > read on >
The death of a Miami woman in her 30s from locally acquired dengue fever highlights the need for awareness of a potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus that’s now found in the United States. Once only seen in hot and steamy tropical or subtropical locales, dengue has been on the rise in parts of the southern United… read on > read on >
There’s more proof that getting a flu shot during pregnancy doesn’t pose a risk to children’s health. “This study adds to what we know from other recent studies showing no harmful effects of flu vaccination during pregnancy on the longer-term health of children,” said study leader Dr. Deshayne Fell, an associate professor of epidemiology at… read on > read on >
Very rarely, blood clots can develop after COVID-19 vaccination, and doctors in Canada describe a new test and treatment for the condition in a case study of three patients. All three developed the condition called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. Two developed blood clots in their legs, and the third… read on > read on >
The coronavirus pandemic has affected American smokers in different ways, a new study finds. While some smoked more to help them cope with the crisis, others quit to reduce their COVID-19 infection risk. “Even before the pandemic, tobacco smoking was the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. COVID-19 has given smokers yet… read on > read on >
