MONDAY, Nov. 15, 2021 Certain commonly prescribed antidepressants appear to substantially lower the risk of dying among seriously ill COVID-19 patients, a large new study indicates. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of depression. They include drugs like Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline). “We… read on > read on >
A new and expensive Alzheimer’s drug called Aduhelm is responsible for about half of the $21.60 increase in monthly premiums for Medicare’s Part B outpatient program in 2022, Medicare officials report. The new premium will be $170.10 a month, and the $21.60 boost is the biggest increase ever in dollar amount, but not in percentage… read on > read on >
Your daily cup of joe might be a quick pick-me-up, but it comes with a mixed bag of good and not-so-good effects on your health, a new study reports. Drinking coffee helps people stay more active, but it also significantly robs some of sleep, researchers say. And while java doesn’t seem to cause irregular rhythms… read on > read on >
Despite concerns about his close ties to the drug industry, President Joe Biden is expected on Friday to nominate Dr. Robert Califf, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to lead the agency once more. Califf, who served during the last year of the Obama administration, has long been a consultant to drug… read on > read on >
As many parents know, children can be notoriously picky eaters. In some cases, their chronically fearful approach towards food amounts to what is considered a serious psychiatric condition. But a new survey of adults who were, and continue to be, finicky eaters suggests that rather than forcing a child to eat foods they don’t like,… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021Weight-loss surgery sliced the risk of severe liver disease or liver cancer in obese people with fatty liver disease, a new study finds. It included more than 1,100 patients with an aggressive type of fatty liver disease. Patients who had weight-loss (bariatric) surgery had a nearly 90% lower risk of advanced liver… read on > read on >
A recall of Ellume at-home COVID-19 test kits has been expanded to include roughly 2 million of the 3.5 million tests that had been shipped to the United States by last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. The original recall, involving 427,000 kits, was first announced in early October due to a… read on > read on >
Eating lots of fruits, veggies, beans and other foods with inflammation-cooling properties may lower your odds of developing dementia as you age. But, if your diet is loaded with pro-inflammatory foods, you may be up to three times more likely to experience memory loss and issues with language, problem-solving and other thinking skills as you… read on > read on >
Sorry, parents, but giving your babies enriched formula won’t improve their chances of doing well in school when they’re in their teens, a new study shows. The research was prompted by claims that enriched formula promotes brain development. To learn more, researchers analyzed data from seven randomized trials of nutritionally modified infant formula conducted at… read on > read on >
Illustrating the power of the mind to heal itself, new research suggests that the placebo effect could help drive antidepressants’ effects against anxiety disorders. The placebo effect refers to an increase in the success of a treatment when a patient expects a benefit. In the new study, patients with social anxieties who were assured that… read on > read on >
