A popular asthma inhaler is being discontinued Jan. 1, fueling concerns that patients may have trouble getting insurance coverage for alternatives. GSK, maker of the branded inhaler Flovent, will make “an authorized generic” version of the drug, but without the same branding. While doctors say it will work just as well, it doesn’t appear to… read on > read on >
Seniors with vision issues are at much higher risk for dangerous falls, new research confirms. Compared to seniors with good vision, the odds for a fall rose by 38% for seniors with glaucoma, 36% for those with cataracts and 25% for seniors with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), say a team reporting Dec. 28 in the… read on > read on >
Researchers appear to have discovered a new weapon in the war on a particularly difficult foe. They have identified a previously unrecognized class of antibodies that seem to be capable of neutralizing multiple strains of the flu virus. Their findings, recently reported in the journal PLOS Biology, could lead to development of a vaccine that… read on > read on >
The Vietnam war was a traumatic event in American history, most especially for those who served. However, there’s a glimmer of good news from recent research: Suicide rates for Vietnam veterans over the past four decades were no higher than that of the general population. Still, between 1979 and 2019 — the period covered by… read on > read on >
A popular infant lounger violates U.S. safety standards because it poses a fall hazard and suffocation risk to babies, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns. Though a notice of violation has been issued to the seller, Poetint002 of China, the company has not agreed to recall the loungers or offer consumers a remedy,… read on > read on >
From alcohol use to social isolation, poor hearing and heart disease, researchers have identified more than a dozen non-genetic factors that up the risk of dementia for people under 65. Though about 370,000 new cases a year of young-onset dementia are diagnosed worldwide, it hasn’t been well-researched. Now, a large study from scientists in the… read on > read on >
A new cellular therapy improved learning and memory in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers report. The therapy — developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) — relies on both the immune system to fight key aspects of Alzheimer’s, plus modified cells that zero in on the brain protein plaques that are a hallmark… read on > read on >
Hormone therapy is the usual go-to when women develop painful uterine fibroids, but researchers report they are zeroing in on new avenues for treatment. A University of Cincinnati team found that fibroid cells respond to physical strain differently than the uterine cells around them. That’s important, said researcher Stacey Schutte, because treatment aims to target… read on > read on >
As Americans travel far and wide to see family and friends this holiday season, a new COVID variant named JN.1 has become dominant across the country. A descendant of the variant BA.2.86, JN.1 now accounts for 44 percent of COVID cases, up from roughly 7 percent in late November, the latest data from the U.S. Centers for… read on > read on >
The prognosis is poor for many cancer patients who develop serious urinary blockages, but researchers say less than half receive palliative care. Palliative care aims to relieve pain and other symptoms of serious illness. Hospice care, one type of palliative care, is an option for patients who are expected to live no more than six… read on > read on >
