People with chronic heartburn may face increased risks of several rare types of cancer, a large U.S. government study shows. Researchers found that among more than 490,000 Americans aged 50 and up, those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) had about twice the risk of developing cancers of the esophagus or larynx (also known as the… read on > read on >
Pulse oximeters — small devices that clip onto fingertips — can seem like a handy way to gauge oxygen levels while monitoring a case of COVID-19. But people of color should be cautious about relying on them because they’re more likely to give inaccurate readings when used on darker skin, the U.S. Food and Drug… read on > read on >
In the wake of U.S. recommendations to re-open schools, a new government report indicates that teachers may be key spreaders of COVID-19 in schools and should be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that educators were responsible for recent clusters of COVID-19 in suburban Atlanta schools.… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Feb. 22, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Enduring a lifetime of discrimination may increase the risk of high blood pressure in Black people but not in Hispanic, Chinese or white people, a new study suggests. Previous research has linked lifelong discrimination to the development of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, in… read on > read on >
While coronavirus infections in America plunge to levels not seen in months, the country prepares to mark the devastating toll of 500,000 dead so far in the pandemic. The seven-day rolling average is now under 65,000 and the daily death toll is also dropping, with fatalities decreasing by 30 percent in the past week, the… read on > read on >
A new combo pill can substantially reduce bleeding caused by uterine fibroids — possibly offering some women yet another alternative to surgery, a new trial finds. The once-daily medication, which combines a drug called relugolix with estrogen and progestin, is not yet approved in the United States. But it is under review by the U.S.… read on > read on >
Worried or wondering about COVID-19 vaccines? Many Americans are, so experts at Penn State Health are offering some reassuring insight. “People are approaching this vaccine with more hesitation because it was approved quickly, but that really just speaks to how far we have come in vaccinology,” said Dr. Mohammad Ali, an infectious disease physician at… read on > read on >
Pregnant women have high COVID-19 infection rates — especially women of color — and they should be near the front of the line for vaccines across the United States, researchers say. “Our data indicates that pregnant people did not avoid the pandemic as we hoped that they would, and communities of color bore the greatest… read on > read on >
Breathing in air that has even low levels of pollution poses a threat to older adults’ heart and lungs, a new study warns. Researchers analyzed medical records of more than 63 million Medicare patients from 2000 to 2016. They found that long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution could increase the risk of pneumonia,… read on > read on >
The drug cabozantinib is more effective than two similar drugs, as well as the current standard treatment, in extending the lives of patients with a rare and deadly type of kidney cancer, according to a new study. The cancer is called metastatic papillary kidney cancer. There are currently no effective treatments for it. A previous… read on > read on >
