Medical care costs in the United States can be so overwhelming that Americans fear the cost of treatment more than the illness itself, a new poll shows. “It’s shocking and unacceptable that medical bills strike more fear in the hearts of Americans than serious illness,” said Shelley Lyford. She is president and CEO of West… read on >
Ear pain while flying is most often caused by changes in air pressure that cause the ear’s Eustachian tubes to compensate by opening wider or narrowing. The American Academy of Otolaryngology suggests how to deal with ear pain caused by changes in altitude: Consult with your doctor on how soon after ear surgery it is… read on >
Besides staying alert, coffee lovers who drink more than three cups of java a day may lower their risk for clogged arteries, a new Brazilian study suggests. Scientists surveyed more than 4,400 residents of Sao Paulo about their coffee-drinking habits, and correlated them with coronary artery calcium (CAC) readings. CAC scans look for signs of… read on >
Advances in medical technology sometimes come with drawbacks, and in the case of electronic health records, a new study suggests these systems occasionally put patients at risk. “There’s no question that electronic health records have clear benefits for clinicians and patients, and can improve the care process,” said senior author Raj Ratwani. He is director… read on >
Stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease may discourage Americans from learning about their risk and from joining clinical trials for potential new treatments, a small survey reveals. “We found that concerns about discrimination and overly harsh judgments about the severity of symptoms were most prevalent,” lead researcher Shana Stites said in an Alzheimer’s Association news release. “By… read on >
New research suggests that a special MRI technique can spot abnormal connections in the brains of preschoolers with autism. The discovery “may be a clue for future diagnosis and even for therapeutic intervention in preschool children with [autism],” study co-author Dr. Lin Ma, a radiologist at Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, explained in a… read on >
There’s another study that finds that taking the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may take an intellectual toll on offspring. Children whose mothers took the anti-seizure medication during pregnancy appear to get lower scores on school tests, the new study finds. The U.K. researchers pointed to prior studies with similar results, and they recommend that… read on >
The hormone testosterone is responsible for male characteristics such as facial and body hair, muscle development, regulating sex drive, sperm production and bone health. Low testosterone can result in loss of hair and muscle, mood changes, less energy and smaller testes, the Endocrine Society says. If your doctor detects low testosterone, he or she may… read on >
Less than 40 percent of American adults with extremely high cholesterol levels get the medications they should, a new study finds. Researchers examined federal government data to assess rates of awareness, screening and the use of cholesterol-lowering statins among adults aged 20 and older with extremely high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. The investigators also… read on >
Teen boys in the United States are less likely than girls to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) because many doctors don’t recommend the shots to boys’ parents, researchers say. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers. The HPV vaccine is recommended as a… read on >
