The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of opioid painkiller addiction. But now, research shows that in nearly a third of cases there’s no medical reason documented for opioids prescribed in an outpatient setting. The findings show the need for stricter rules on recording patients’ needs for the highly addictive drugs, the… read on >
Survivors of serious bloodstream infections called sepsis are at increased risk for stroke and heart attack for four weeks after leaving the hospital, a new study finds. The study included roughly 42,300 sepsis patients in Taiwan. Of those, 22 percent died within 30 days of hospital admission. Among the survivors, 1,012 had a cardiovascular event,… read on >
Home blood pressure monitoring can improve control of high blood pressure and reduce health care costs. That’s the conclusion of a preliminary study that included 2,550 adults with uncontrolled high blood pressure. They each received free home blood pressure monitors, online and print resources for tracking their blood pressure readings, and reminders to check their… read on >
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. About one in four women is predicted to die from heart disease, the agency laments. As women age, their risk rises. But the Food and Drug Administration says there are things women can… read on >
Starting college can be daunting, but there are a number of things new students can do to ease into this experience, a psychologist suggests. “As freshman — and their parents — begin the first semester of college, it’s important to realize that not all learning takes place in the classroom,” said Luis Manzo, executive director… read on >
Sleep apnea is common — but rarely diagnosed — among black Americans, researchers say. The new study included 852 black men and women, average age 63, in Jackson, Miss., who were participants in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study. The investigators found that 24 percent of the study participants had moderate or severe sleep apnea, but… read on >
New to weight loss or tired of yo-yo dieting? Learning “stability skills” first may lead to greater long-term weight loss success. Many dieters regain up to 50 percent of the weight they lose within a year because they abandon the healthy lifestyle changes they made to lose the weight. According to research done at Stanford… read on >
The threat of rattlesnake bites in California decreases during droughts and increases after rainy weather, a new study finds. Rainy spells result in more shrub growth and, with that, more rodents, the snakes’ primary food source, said study author Dr. Grant Lipman, an emergency medicine physician at Stanford Medicine, and colleagues. “More food, more snakes,… read on >
Though psoriasis is not contagious, many Americans shun people with the skin condition, new research indicates. The study included a cross-section of about 400 Americans who viewed images of people with visible psoriasis. Large numbers wrongly thought psoriasis was contagious or only affects the skin, and about one-third said they wouldn’t want to invite people… read on >
There is no evidence to support the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to prevent heart disease and stroke in old and very old people, Spanish researchers say. For the new study, the investigators analyzed data from nearly 47,000 people aged 75 and older with no history of heart disease. Statins were not associated with… read on >
