Although blood pressure levels among Americans rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests things could have been far worse. “We expected blood pressure control to be worse due to decreased physical activity, stress, poor sleep and other cardiovascular disease risk factors that worsened during the pandemic,” said study leader Dr. Hiroshi Gotanda, an assistant… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) – A weight-loss drug approved for adults may soon become an option for teens struggling with obesity. Young people who received the drug Wegovy (semaglutide) were able to lose an average of 14.7% of their starting body weight in a new clinical trial. More than 40% of the youths… read on > read on >
When a parent is depressed, their child’s asthma care may suffer. Now, research suggests that getting a child’s asthma under control may include assessing a parents’ mental health. Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern found that treating a parent’s depression could sometimes improve symptom control in asthmatic children. About 8% of American children have asthma.… read on > read on >
When you set your clocks back on Sunday, do some simple at-home safety checks that could save your life. Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to be sure they’re working. This is also a good time to replace their batteries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends replacing batteries once a… read on > read on >
Years of litigation over the opioid epidemic could end soon, as the national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens announced Wednesday that each company has agreed to a nearly $5 billion settlement. While neither of the companies admitted wrongdoing, the settlements are part of the fight over the drug industry’s role in the epidemic that has… read on > read on >
Older adults looking to slow down memory loss might find some help in a classic brain-teaser: the crossword puzzle. That’s the suggestion of a small study that followed older adults with mild cognitive impairment — problems with memory and thinking that may progress to dementia over time. Researchers found that those randomly assigned to do… read on > read on >
Obesity is never healthy, and that may be especially true for people who also develop multiple sclerosis. Obese people with MS are likely to see the disability linked to the disease rapidly worsen, said German researchers who followed more than 1,000 patients in a new study. Weight loss, they suggested, might help slow the progression… read on > read on >
Screening tests routinely catch cases of breast and colon cancer early, but a screening test for lung cancer is sorely underused in high-risk people and that needs to change, more than 50 cancer organizations said in a joint statement issued Tuesday. What prompted the move? Low-dose CT screening is recommended for people who are more… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Chest pain and shortness of breath may offer distinct warnings of future heart problems over 30 years’ time, according to a new study. Chest pain accounts for more than 6.5 million visits to U.S. emergency rooms each year. Yet little research has looked at what it… read on > read on >
Most people consider drowsy driving dangerous, but an estimated 37 million Americans still get behind the wheel at least once a year when they’re so tired they can barely keep their eyes open. About six in 10 people admitted to drowsy driving in a new survey by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). “Drowsy driving is… read on > read on >
