An experimental drug, added to chemotherapy, may benefit women with an aggressive form of breast cancer, suggests an early study offering much-needed good news. The study involved women with “triple-negative” breast cancer, which accounts for about 15% to 20% of breast cancers among U.S. women. It is so called because the cancers lack receptors for… read on > read on >
Margarine has gotten a bad rap for years, but a U.S. ban on partially hydrogenated oils may have made it a healthier choice than butter, a new study suggests. Before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned such oils in 2018, margarine contained these oils, which are heavy in trans fats and raise bad (“LDL”)… read on > read on >
For certain leukemia patients, some welcome findings: New research confirms long remissions after treatment with the drug ibrutinib and chemotherapy. The study involved 85 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). All were 65 or younger, and 46 had more aggressive, unmutated IGHV subtype of the disease. “Patients with lower-risk CLL, which is marked by mutated… read on > read on >
A new study confirms yet another consequence of the pandemic for children and teenagers: Eating disorders, and hospitalizations for them, rose sharply in 2020. The study of six hospitals across Canada found new diagnoses of anorexia nearly doubled during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the rate of hospitalization among those patients was… read on > read on >
Older adults have a higher risk of delirium after hip and knee surgery if they’re taking anxiety, depression or insomnia drugs, researchers say. “Our findings show that different classes of medicine are riskier than others when it comes to causing delirium after surgery, and the older the patients are, the greater the risk,” said lead… read on > read on >
They take care of others, but many U.S. home health care workers say they’re not in good shape themselves, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed self-reported data collected from nearly 3,000 home health care workers in 38 states between 2014 and 2018 and found that more than a quarter rated their general health as fair… read on > read on >
This time of year can be hard on the heart. The United States has more heart attack deaths between Christmas and New Year’s Day than at any other time of year, so the American Heart Association (AHA) offers some holiday health tips. “The holidays are a busy, often stressful, time for most of us,” said… read on > read on >
The Omicron variant could prompt a reshuffling of the way doctors treat COVID infections in the United States, and antiviral pills will likely lead the way in that redoubled effort, Harvard experts say. New antiviral pills developed by Merck and Pfizer are expected to remain effective against the Omicron variant, mostly because they interfere with… read on > read on >
“Fights off tumors and alleviates symptoms of chemotherapy,” one vape’s advertising claims, while another is touted as an “asthma remedy, ADHD remedy, and dementia treatment.” Don’t believe the hype. Despite claims that certain vaping products may alleviate health problems, there’s no proof that they do — and they may even cause health issues, the U.S.… read on > read on >
Children with hard-to-control asthma may get relief from adding an injectable antibody drug to their standard treatment, a clinical trial has found. The drug, called dupilumab (Dupixent), has been available for several years to treat stubborn asthma in adults and teenagers. Based on the new findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave it… read on > read on >
