Dementia patients who suffer from seizures tend to decline faster and die younger, according to a new study that urges caregivers to watch for these sudden brain changes. “Our hope is that controlling seizures by prescribing antiseizure medications to these patients will slow down the progression of cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Ifrah Zawar, lead study… read on > read on >
Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research. Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, largely because of third-generation and brand-name drugs, the study found. “While it’s very important that Medicare and Medicaid… read on > read on >
If you’ve ever left a medical appointment confused, it’s probably not you: A new study finds that the medical jargon doctors use can be completely misunderstood by patients. Common medical lingo that makes perfect sense to doctors often gets lost in translation when conveyed to laypeople, the new research found. It turns out that many… read on > read on >
The winter holidays are a time of celebrating and sharing precious time with family and friends, but they can also be deadly: More people die of heart attacks on Christmas Day than on any other day of the year. Experts aren’t certain what’s behind that troubling fact, but they offer some suggestions to help ensure… read on > read on >
After repeat U.S. outbreaks of salmonella tied to frozen, breaded and stuffed chicken products, researchers are now pointing to microwave cooking as a key driver of illness. Because they’re breaded, the popular products — for example, chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese, chicken cordon bleu, or chicken Kiev — can look cooked. But under that… read on > read on >
The United States will renew its focus on ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, with new funding and a five-year strategy, the White House said Thursday. The Biden administration announced its ambitious plans on World AIDS Day. Among the plan’s components are requesting $850 million in the 2023 budget for HIV prevention and care programs.… read on > read on >
Moms-to-be can safely take Paxlovid to help keep their COVID infection from turning serious, a new study shows. Nearly everyone in a group of 47 pregnant women prescribed Paxlovid did well on the drug, which did not appear to interfere with their pregnancy in any significant way, researchers report in the Nov. 29 issue of… read on > read on >
COVID-19 may harm the liver, a small study suggests. The virus appears to increase liver stiffness, a sign of potential long-term injury, but it’s too early to tell if that portends serious liver disease, the researchers said. “COVID infections have been observed to cause inflammation and damage to a number of different organ systems like… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first fecal microbiota treatment, aimed at helping adults battling tough-to-treat Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections. “Today’s approval of Rebyota is an advance in caring for patients who have recurrent C. difficile infection [CDI],” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Don’t call it a comeback if it was never really gone, but the flu is poised for a breakout year. Like the killer in a horror movie franchise, this season’s flu is bringing fresh twists to a familiar theme. Here are seven things you should know… read on > read on >
