Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

New Flu Variant Could Bring Another Severe U.S. Season

A new flu variant spreading overseas may set the stage for another tough winter in the United States, experts warn. The strain, called subclade K, has caused a rise in flu cases in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. And now signs suggest it is beginning to take hold across the United States as flu… read on > read on >

Want A Happier Hospital? Hire More Nurses, Study Says

Adding even a few extra nurses can dramatically reduce burnout and improve morale among hospital medical staff, a new study says. Increasing nurse staffing by as little as 10% improved attitudes among both physicians and nurses working in hospitals, researchers reported Nov. 17 in JAMA Network Open. “Physician burnout is a global crisis, but few… read on > read on >

Head CT Scan Use Has Doubled In U.S. ERs

Use of head CT scans in U.S. emergency departments has more than doubled over the past 15 years, a new study says. Nearly 16 million head CT scans were ordered by ERs in 2022, up from under 8 million in 2007, researchers reported Nov. 17 in the journal Neurology. “Head CT scans are a critical… read on > read on >

Plasma Treatment Shows Promise For Menopause Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Plasma infusions may help breast cancer survivors avoid genital and urinary symptoms while on hormone blockers, a recent study says. As many as 70% of breast cancer survivors suffer from vaginal dryness, itching, burning, frequent UTI and pain during sex while taking estrogen-blocking drugs called aromatase inhibitors. But an infusion of platelet-rich plasma relieved these… read on > read on >

Wildland Firefighters Could Soon Get Mandatory Respiratory Protection

Firefighters support better protection but say equipment must be safe and practical read on >

Eating Disorders Impact Health For Years, Researchers Find

Eating disorders can harm a person’s physical and mental health in ways that linger for years, a new study reports. Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other such disorders bring with them a high risk of health problems like diabetes, kidney or liver failure, broken bones and premature death, researchers said. This risk is sky-high within… read on > read on >

Firefighters support better protection but say equipment must be safe and practical read on >

Metal detectors and active shooter drills have become hallmarks of school safety, but many parents think educators should focus on children’s mental health, a new poll reports. Nearly 60% of parents of elementary and middle schoolers say teacher training to identify and support students with emotional or behavioral problems would make schools safer, according to… read on > read on >

Brain implants that deliver electric pulses can ease depression in people who aren’t responding to psychiatric drugs, a new study says. Half of a small group of people who received brain implants experienced significant improvement in their depression symptoms, researchers reported Nov. 18 in the journal Nature Communications. Further, more than one-third wound up virtually… read on > read on >

Thousands of clinical trial participants lost access to important medical studies this year after the Trump administration terminated hundreds of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, according to new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study found that 383 clinical trials had their NIH funding cut this year between late February and August, affecting… read on > read on >

Usually, it’s not until late middle age that folks start worrying about heart disease. But a first-of-its-kind online calculator is now available to help adults as young as 30 forecast their risk of heart problems decades out, researchers reported Nov. 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. This tool will help younger… read on > read on >

Pharmaceutical companies are using the citizens of lower-income countries as guinea pigs to test cutting-edge drugs headed mainly for the United States and other well-off nations, a new study says. Only a quarter of medicines tested in other countries wound up available to the citizens there within five years of the drugs’ approval by the… read on > read on >

The brain is thought to be a sterile environment, free from germs. But unexpected deposits of bacteria have been found inside brain tumors, apparently affecting how the cancers grow and behave, a new study says. “This work opens a new dimension in our understanding of brain tumor biology,” senior researcher Dr. Jennifer Wargo, a professor… read on > read on >

A Washington state resident has become the first person in the United States to test positive for a rare bird flu strain that has never before been found in humans. The older adult, who has underlying health problems, was hospitalized in early November after developing a high fever, confusion and trouble breathing. “This is a… read on > read on >

Alana “Lani” Silverberg was a real firecracker with a big personality at age 3 — until she started having seizures. The sweetheart swiftly turned quiet, cranky, sleepless and fatigued, worn down by her seizures. “It was every parent’s nightmare. Lani was having one large seizure a week. At one point, we didn’t know what else… read on > read on >