COVID-19 may intensify kidney damage in people with acute kidney injury (AKI), researchers report. AKI is a sudden decline in the kidney’s filtration function that happens to 15% of hospitalized patients. It increases a patient’s likelihood of death 10-fold. The reason is unknown, but AKI is more common — and often more severe — in… read on > read on >
COVID-19 transmission is rare in schools that follow precautions such as mandatory masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing, a new study finds. And that’s true even among close school contacts of people who test positive for the new coronavirus, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Schools can operate safely… read on > read on >
It was bound to happen: As the pandemic wore on, many older Americans couldn’t resist the urge to bring home a furry friend. According to a new poll from the University of Michigan, about 10% of all U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 80 adopted a new pet between March 2020 and January… read on > read on >
Total knee replacement is a cost-effective treatment for extremely obese people with knee osteoarthritis, a new study claims. The painful condition affects more than 14 million U.S. adults, and total knee replacement is often recommended to treat advanced knee osteoarthritis. However, concerns about increased risks of poor wound healing, infection and implant failure make some… read on > read on >
Health care workers were just as uneasy as everyone else when COVID-19 vaccines were about to be approved in the United States, with large numbers hesitant to take the shot in early December, a new study reveals. But that hesitancy dwindled over the next few weeks, as health system employees learned more about the safety… read on > read on >
The United States could save thousands of lives each year by addressing its lack of enough primary care doctors, a new study projects. There has been a shortfall of U.S. primary care doctors for a long time, with much of the problem concentrated in rural areas and poverty-stricken urban centers. And the future looks bleak:… read on > read on >
Among older Americans, deaths from falls are up sharply, dovetailing with a surge in use of medications that increase the risk of falling, researchers say. Two decades ago, about 57% of U.S. seniors took medications that increased their risk of falls. By 2017, that number had risen to 94%, and deaths caused by falls had… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, March 23, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Hana Hooper went to college with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She aspired to boost her knowledge of biology and intended to amplify her interest in art. She was 18, and her future was aflame with potential. “We thought she’d go and have a normal college… read on > read on >
U.S. health officials called the results of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine trial into question early Tuesday, saying the company may have used outdated data that could have changed its conclusion about the efficacy of the vaccine. On Monday morning, AstraZeneca had announced that its vaccine was 79 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 infection in the… read on > read on >
The smoke from forest fires is sending children to emergency rooms with respiratory problems at higher rates than ever before, a new study finds. “Kids are particularly vulnerable to pollution from wildfires, so they can have asthma exacerbation and other respiratory problems,” said senior researcher Tarik Benmarhnia, an associate professor of family medicine and public… read on > read on >
