Folks who’ve had a clogged artery reopened probably can stop taking blood thinners sooner than previously thought, a new study argues. Patients are regularly prescribed blood thinners for a year or more after angioplasty. This is to make sure that blood doesn’t clot inside the metal stent that now holds their artery open. That could… read on > read on >
U.S. government worker compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate had reached 95% as of Monday, which was the deadline set by the Biden administration. “Already 95% of USG [federal government] employees are in compliance with the President’s vax requirement,” White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz wrote on Twitter. “There are no disruptions related to… read on > read on >
Becoming a couch potato as you get older goes against evolution and puts your health at risk, a new study suggests. Humans have evolved to be active in their later years, and staying active can protect against heart disease and a number of other serious health problems, according to researchers at Harvard. “It’s a widespread… read on > read on >
A widely available drug used to treat alcoholism has potential as a COVID-19 treatment, researchers say. The investigators found that people taking disulfiram (Antabuse) for alcoholism had a lower risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and were less likely to die from COVID-19 if infected than those not taking the drug. The study was observational, so… read on > read on >
Teens and young adults with autism show marked differences in their brains’ white matter compared to those without the disorder, a new study finds. “If you think of gray matter as the computer, white matter is like the cables,” said study co-author Clara Weber, a postgraduate research fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. The… read on > read on >
An experimental Lyme disease vaccine shows promise in animal studies and could also help protect against other tick-borne diseases, researchers say. The vaccine — which relies on the same mRNA technology used by some COVID-19 vaccines — protected guinea pigs against infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The vaccine doesn’t trigger… read on > read on >
Pfizer Inc. said Monday that its coronavirus vaccine provides long-term protection in youth ages 12-15, according to data from a company clinical trial that included more than 2,200 participants. In a company clinical trial that included more than 2,200 adolescents, getting two doses of the vaccine was 100% effective against the coronavirus from seven days… read on > read on >
COVID-19 booster shots trigger much stronger and longer protection than full vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to a small study. It also found that the response to a booster is even greater in fully vaccinated people who have had infections. “Because these antibody levels are so robust, the booster… read on > read on >
Physiotherapist David Putrino was working on a vibrating glove to help deaf people experience live music when a friend mentioned that the same technology might stop tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease. Putrino, director of rehabilitation innovation for Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, was intrigued. The friend’s father had Parkinson’s, so they… read on > read on >
The evidence against vaping is mounting, and a new study now links e-cigarettes with an increased risk for broken bones. Over time, vaping appears to increase the risk for fracture of the hip, spine and wrist by 46%, according to the findings. Researchers said these fractures happen from falls while standing and even from lower… read on > read on >
