If you’ve gone to the doctor for a urinary tract infection (UTI), chances are that you’ve been given the wrong antibiotic or a longer-than-necessary treatment plan. That’s even more likely if you live in a rural area, researchers say. A new study of private insurance claims data found that 47% of women were prescribed antibiotics… read on > read on >
MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Systolic blood pressure is the best way to predict future cardiovascular events and death, irrespective of age, according to new research. But in younger people, diastolic blood pressure could still be important. Systolic pressure – the upper number in a blood pressure reading – measures how… read on > read on >
MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Some patients looking to reschedule annual physicals, wellness visits or other routine medical appointments long delayed by COVID-19 first may need to make time to find a new doctor. Thousands of practices have closed because of the pandemic, a recent survey shows, with thousands more planning… read on > read on >
(Healthday News) — The amount of COVID-19 testing being done in the United States has fallen by 30 percent in recent weeks, even though testing can curb the spread of coronavirus and spot new outbreaks quickly. From a high of nearly 14 million tests a week in early January, the pace fell to fewer than… read on > read on >
With U.S. deaths from COVID-19 passing the grim milestone of a half-million, a new study suggests that another 30,000-plus Americans have died due to pandemic-related unemployment. Using various data sources, researchers estimated that number of deaths between April 2020 and March 2021 could be attributed to pandemic-fueled job losses. And in a pattern that’s been… read on > read on >
Older Americans on a Medicare Advantage plan could face hospital bills of $1,000 or more if private insurers start charging out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving COVID-19 care, a new study warns. Cost data show that Medicare Advantage patients pay an average $987 out-of-pocket when they are hospitalized with the seasonal flu, and about 3% pay more… read on > read on >
Putting the oldest people near the front of the line for COVID-19 shots will save more lives and may extend their lifespan, too, researchers say. The new study findings challenge the view that older people should be lower on the list for shots because they have a shorter life expectancy, according to the team from… read on > read on >
Five servings. That is all the fruits and vegetables you need to eat every day to live longer, new research suggests. Scientists analyzed data from more than 2 million people in the United States and dozens of other countries and found that eating about five servings of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with… read on > read on >
While many Americans await their turn for the COVID vaccine, a potentially record-setting number have already had their flu shot. That’s the key finding in a nationwide poll of more conducted in December by the University of Georgia, involving more than 1,000 adults . In all, 43.5% of respondents said they had already had a… read on > read on >
That swollen lymph node under your arm could be a temporary side effect of a COVID-19 shot and not a sign of serious health problems. Radiologists from Massachusetts General Hospital noticed an increase in patients with swollen underarm lymph nodes as they were doing routine mammogram screenings. So they established an approach to help prevent… read on > read on >
