Getting bariatric surgery may significantly help prevent heart attacks, strokes and angina in very obese people, a new study finds. The study participants were also affected by what’s known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is often linked with obesity. While studying patients who had a body mass index (BMI) higher than 40 and… read on > read on >
All Food:
More U.S. Kids Are Heading to ERs After Drinking Cough Suppressant
Increasing numbers of young children are showing up in emergency rooms after accidentally ingesting the cough suppressant benzonatate, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday. Benzonatate is a non-narcotic cough suppressant first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1958 for children ages 10 and up. It works by reducing the cough reflex in the… read on > read on >
Dangerous Myths Keep Many Adults With Food Allergies From Getting an EpiPen
The EpiPen is a known lifesaver when someone with a serious food allergy eats something they can’t tolerate. Yet the auto-injection treatment is greatly underused in the United States, according to a new survey. Just over half of at-risk adults said they had ever been prescribed the device, researchers found. And more than one-third of… read on > read on >
More Teens Are Getting Weight Loss Surgery, If Families Can Afford It
A growing number of U.S. teenagers are undergoing weight-loss surgery, but the figures suggest many still lack access to the procedures — especially underinsured Black and Hispanic kids. That’s the conclusion of a new study charting trends in bariatric (weight-loss) surgery among U.S. teens. Researchers found that between 2010 and 2017, the annual rate of… read on > read on >
Healthy Dining Is Healthy for the Planet, Too
Plant-based diets can be better for the environment, but they’re not all created equally, new research shows. The best type of plant-based diet for health and environmental benefits are those higher in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils and tea/coffee. Meanwhile plant-based diets high in fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes and… read on > read on >
Binge Eating Disorder Looks Different in Brains of Boys and Girls
The brains of girls and boys who have binge eating disorder show key differences, according to a new study. That’s an important finding, researchers say, because both genders struggle with eating disorders, yet treatments are mainly targeted at girls. “Males have been excluded from research on eating disorders for decades,” said Stuart Murray, an associate… read on > read on >
Low Vitamin D Could Raise Diabetes Risk for Black Americans
FRIDAY, Nov. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Too little of the “sunshine vitamin” — vitamin D — in Black Americans could raise their odds of developing diabetes, new research suggests. Two new studies found an association between levels of vitamin D in the blood and insulin resistance, a precursor to full-blown diabetes. It’s been long… read on > read on >
Raise Med Dosages in Weeks After Heart Failure Crisis for Better Outcome: Study
When people with heart failure wind up in the hospital, it tends to become a slippery slope: They are more likely to be readmitted or die within six months during this vulnerable period. Now, new research shows that ramping up doses of three heart failure medications within two weeks of hospital discharge along with more… read on > read on >
13 Illnesses, 1 Death From Listeria in Deli Meat, Cheese
Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of listeria that has infected people in at least six states, hospitalizing 13, killing one and causing the loss of a pregnancy. The outbreak strain is connected to deli meat and cheese, including those sold at NetCost Markets in New York, though that isn’t the only source, according… read on > read on >
Could ‘Food Stamps’ Program Give Memory a Boost?
Signing up for “food stamps” might help lower-income seniors preserve their mental capabilities, a new U.S. study suggests. Researchers found that eligible older adults who used the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — commonly called food stamps — had two fewer years of mental decline over a 10-year period than those who could have… read on > read on >