Nearly half of antibiotic prescriptions for Medicaid patients appear to be inappropriate, new research suggests. That kind of overprescribing raises risks for everyone, experts say, as bacteria gain more chances to mutate around the life-saving drugs. For the study, researchers analyzed 298 million antibiotic prescriptions filled by 53 million Medicaid patients between 2004 and 2013.… read on >
Gastrointestinal bleeding in patients taking blood thinners for an irregular heartbeat should prompt doctors to check for colon cancer, a new study advises. Researchers looked at more than 125,000 patients in Denmark with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib). They reported that those with gastrointestinal bleeding were 11 to 24 times more likely than… read on >
American dentists often prescribe more than the recommended supply of opioid painkillers to patients, a new study finds. Not only that, they are more likely to prescribe more powerful opioids, the researchers found. In this study, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 550,000 dental visits by adult patients between 2011 and 2015, before U.S. Centers… read on >
It’s no yolk: Americans for decades have gotten dietary whiplash from the back-and-forth science on whether eggs are good for them. But a major new study will have many egg-lovers relieved: You can enjoy an egg a day without having to worry about your heart. “Moderate egg intake, which is about one egg per day… read on >
Allowing pharmacists to provide the opioid overdose drug naloxone without a prescription led to a huge increase in dispensing of the lifesaving drug in Ohio. Ohio state lawmakers gave that permission in 2015. Since then, there’s been a 2,328% increase in naloxone dispensing, according to University of Cincinnati researchers. The study also found that counties… read on >
When a child has strep throat, an antibiotic like penicillin usually has them back at school 24 hours later. But a new study warns that strains of bacteria that cause strep throat and “flesh-eating disease” appear close to becoming resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics known as beta-lactams. “If this germ becomes truly resistant to… read on >
Nearly half of all opioid doses and more than a quarter of all opioid prescriptions in the United States come from 1% of health care providers, a new study says. The authors said this suggests that efforts to reduce overuse of prescription opioid painkillers should not focus on strict limits for all doctors but on… read on >
Whether you’re stopping at a casual fast-food place or sitting down to eat in a full-service restaurant, eating out is an easy way to fill up when you’re hungry. But those meals may not deliver much nutritional value, a new study suggests. The researchers found that 70% of fast-food meals consumed in the United States… read on >
Before you throw any leftovers away, heed new research that suggests the choice could hit you right in your pocketbook. It turns out that almost one-third of food in American households goes to waste, costing each household thousands of dollars a year, researchers report. “Our findings are consistent with previous studies, which have shown that… read on >
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals, says Mayo Clinic. A few strains found in contaminated water or food can cause abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. To help prevent E. coli infection, Mayo Clinic encourages people to: Cook hamburgers until they’re 160 degrees Fahrenheit.… read on >
