The bright lights of the big city might seem exciting, but they could also raise a person’s risk of stroke, a new study suggests. Bright artificial lights that illuminate the night seem to affect blood flow to the brain in ways that make stroke more likely, researchers report. People with the highest levels of exposure… read on > read on >
Six out of every 10 stroke survivors wind up struggling with depression later in their lives, a new study says. That compares to the 22% depression rate of the general population, results show. Further, 9 of 10 stroke-related depression cases occur within five years of surviving a stroke, researchers found. “Depression is common in stroke… read on > read on >
It’s hard for some folks who suffer illness-related urinary incontinence to judge whether they’ll be able to hold it until they get home, or if they should rush to a bathroom now. There might soon be a new app for that. A newly developed soft, flexible, battery-free implant attaches to the bladder wall and senses… read on > read on >
Federal regulators are taking a second stab at banning the controversial use of electroshock devices to manage the behavior of patients with intellectual and developmental disorders. The devices deliver electric shocks to a patient’s skin, in an attempt to stop them from harming themselves or lashing out physically at others, the U.S. Food and Drug… read on > read on >
Drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co is announcing a temporary shortage of two of its insulin products. “The 10 mL [millilter] vials of Humalog® and Insulin Lispro Injection are or will be temporarily out of stock at wholesalers and some pharmacies through the beginning of April,” Lilly said in a recent statement. The company said it… read on > read on >
Most parents are torn about letting their middle or high school students take a sick day. “In some cases, the decision to keep kids home from school is clear, such as if the child is vomiting or has a high fever,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of the Mott Poll from University of Michigan Health C.S.… read on > read on >
The #MeToo movement has done little to blunt sexual harassment among health care professionals, a pair of new studies report. More than half of all new doctors are subjected to sexual harassment during their first year on the job, researchers say. That includes nearly three-quarters of female doctors and a third of male doctors just… read on > read on >
Australian researchers say they have identified a gene mutation that causes the skin disease psoriasis. A chronic inflammatory condition, psoriasis causes red, scaly, itchy patches on the skin. Some patients also develop psoriatic arthritis, a condition marked by joint pain, swelling and stiffness. But researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) who have identified the… read on > read on >
Medicare will now cover the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy if patients using it also have heart disease, U.S. officials announced Thursday. The move comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s application to add cardiovascular benefits to the medicine’s label earlier this month. As a result, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid… read on > read on >
A surgical treatment used to treat conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and back sciatica might also help relieve the pain of patients with diabetic neuropathy, a new study finds. Surgical nerve decompression significantly eased pain among a small group of people with diabetic neuropathy for up to five years, researchers report. In the surgery, researchers… read on > read on >
