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 >
Most prescriptions for the medication gabapentin are for unapproved uses — and many patients end up taking it along with drugs that create potentially dangerous interactions. That’s the conclusion of a new study that looked at “off-label” use of gabapentin. In the United States, the drug is officially approved for treating certain seizures and some… read on > read on >
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who take medications that suppress the immune system don’t have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 than those with normal immune systems, a new study finds. Early in the pandemic, it was feared that people taking immunosuppressive drugs were at increased risk of severe COVID-19 due to their weakened immune systems. The… read on > read on >
Can your weight before pregnancy determine your baby’s chances of developing asthma or allergies? Yes, claims a study that looked at that question, as well as whether weight gain during pregnancy might have an impact. “We did find that there was a link between the mother’s weight before pregnancy, entering pregnancy, with the development of… read on > read on >
A new study is highlighting yet another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: It has likely made it even harder for kids with obesity to manage their weight. The findings, researchers said, are no surprise. Many adults, faced with normal life being upended during the pandemic, have seen changes on the bathroom scale. It’s also clear… read on > read on >
It’s probably fair to say that most people know of the so-called “Freshman 15” — the weight that college students are often said to gain when they’re away from home for the first time. But in recent decades, matters have gotten much worse in the United States. A new study using national data for people… read on > read on >
The COVID-19 pandemic, heart-healthy eating, and better ways to treat and prevent heart disease were among the hot topics that emerged during the American Heart Association’s annual meeting this week. “I was at the sessions yesterday, I was actually in clinic this morning, and there were things I learned at the sessions that are affecting… read on > read on >
Guidelines for treating movement problems in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease have been updated. The new treatment recommendations from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) focus on dopaminergic medications, which increase dopamine levels or mimic dopamine effects. Parkinson’s is a movement disorder that occurs when nerve cells in the brain fail to… read on > read on >
Neurologists must make sure Alzheimer’s patients and their families understand that the controversial drug aducanumab does not restore mental function, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) said in new position statement that includes ethical guidelines. “Aducanumab is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, yet since it has been approved by the [U.S. Food and Drug… read on > read on >
