TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — From the day Kristin VanSingel was born until now, 38 years later, her heart has set her life’s course. That path started less than 24 hours after being born when she was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and had her first open-heart surgery. Doctors performed a valvotomy,… read on > read on >
Breast cancer death rates are inching up in American women under age 40 again, after more than two decades of decline, researchers say. The study authors said they hoped their new report would lead to a deeper look at reasons for the change. “Our hope is that these findings focus more attention and research on… read on > read on >
New guidance on what social distancing measures are best for people who are fully vaccinated is on the way, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday. Right now, the advice from health officials is to keep wearing your mask, keep social distancing and keep away from gatherings after you receive both shots of coronavirus vaccine. But during… read on > read on >
His second COVID-19 vaccine shot wiped Dr. Greg Poland out. Poland, 65, said he suffered five hours of shaking chills, fever up to 101 degrees, severe headache, nausea, ringing in his ears and a sore arm after getting his booster dose of the Moderna vaccine. “I’ve never had a reaction to a vaccine like that,”… read on > read on >
A new drug combination for advanced liver cancer can extend people’s lives substantially more than the long-standing drug of choice, new study findings confirm. The treatment involves two drugs approved to fight various cancers: bevacizumab (Avastin) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq). Avastin, an intravenous (IV) drug, starves tumors by preventing new blood vessel growth. Tecentriq, also given… read on > read on >
Although more teens are getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, parents’ hesitancy is growing, a new study finds. From 2012 to 2018, more doctors recommended their patients get vaccinated with the HPV vaccine — from 27% to 49%. But at the same time, the number of parents who were reluctant to have their kids vaccinated… read on > read on >
Children in day care centers had low coronavirus infection rates early in the pandemic, and are unlikely sources of COVID-19 transmission, a new study from France finds. COVID-19 can infect people of all ages, but children tend to develop mild, if any, symptoms, and very rarely need to be hospitalized. Very young children’s role as… read on > read on >
Fill up that mug: Having one or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day may reduce your risk of heart failure, new research suggests. There was one caveat, however: Decaffeinated coffee doesn’t appear to provide the same protection as caffeine-rich blends. “The association between caffeine and heart failure risk reduction was surprising,” admitted study senior… read on > read on >
Keep flossing: A new study finds that gum disease may raise the chances of hospitalization or death if COVID-19 strikes. The reason? Gum disease can be a sign of inflammation throughout the body. “It is well-established that systemic inflammation is not only linked with periodontal disease, but to several other respiratory diseases as well,” explained… read on > read on >
Severe frailty significantly increases the risk of death in COVID-19 patients, British researchers say. In their new study, the investigators analyzed data from more than 5,700 COVID-19 patients at 55 hospitals in 12 countries. They found that those who were severely frail were three times more likely to die than those who weren’t frail. That… read on > read on >
