Blaming your ailing knees for feeling down? Unfortunately, even after physical pain eases, healing or fixing an injured joint often does not improve mental health, research shows. A new study found that anxiety symptoms only improved when a patient had major improvements in physical function. Depression, meanwhile, did not meaningfully improve even when the improvements… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
CDC Gives Full Approval to RSV Shots for People Over 60; Vaccines Available This Fall
Americans ages 60 and up can get their vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. On Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the outgoing CDC director, gave her signature to a recommendation made last week by an advisory panel of outside experts for a single dose… read on > read on >
PrEP Implant That Protects Against HIV Could Be Near
Animal research is pointing toward a new way to prevent HIV infection: a refillable implant that continuously delivers antiretroviral medications for up to 20 months at a time. Antiretrovirals are the cornerstone of PrEP, an infection prevention protocol that has been around since 2012. But the new approach — though so far only tested in… read on > read on >
Discovery of MS ‘Severity Gene’ Could Lead to Better Treatments
For the first time, scientists have identified a genetic variant that may make some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) vulnerable to faster progression. In a study of more than 22,000 people with MS, researchers found that those who carried a particular genetic variant faced a faster decline: They needed to use a walking aid about… read on > read on >
AHA News: Ohio Mother Goes Into Heart Failure After Fourth Pregnancy
THURSDAY, June 29, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — Marian Dancy is a mother of four and a payroll specialist with a local law enforcement agency in Columbus, Ohio. Her fourth pregnancy was the easiest, giving her a third daughter to round out her family. When the baby was about 6 months old, Dancy started… read on > read on >
Biden Using CPAP Machine at Night to Help Ease Sleep Apnea
President Joe Biden Has started using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine at night in recent weeks to help ease sleep apnea, the White House announced Wednesday. As reported by the Associated Press, Biden first mentioned his history of sleep apnea in 2008, but the announcement came as indents were noted on his face… read on > read on >
Mixed Results on Vitamin D’s Benefit for Aging Hearts
Vitamin D supplements might lower the risk of heart attack and other cardiac ills for people over 60 — especially if they’re already taking heart meds, a new study suggests. “Our results suggest that further exploration of the possible benefit of vitamin D on cardiovascular events, particularly in those at higher risk of having an… read on > read on >
California Cases Show Home-Grown Leprosy Is Still a Threat
Leprosy is an ancient infectious disease, but it has not been banished to the past, or from the United States. That’s the key takeaway from a new report describing six cases of leprosy among California residents. All were diagnosed between 2017 and 2022, and all were U.S.-born — that is, not hailing from a country… read on > read on >
Exercise + Weight Loss Perfect Combo to Fight Diabetes
Pairing exercise with a 10% weight loss can make a major health improvement in people living with obesity and prediabetes, a new study says. Building in regular exercise more than doubled sensitivity to insulin compared to just weight loss alone. This has the potential to prevent or delay prediabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes… read on > read on >
‘Like She Was Not Even There’: Children With Disabilities Face Discrimination in Health Care
Children with disabilities are discriminated against in health care settings — to the detriment of their health, according to their parents. Thirty in-depth interviews with parents of children with disabilities revealed a disturbingly common thread. “They mistreated her and treated her like a robot. Every single time a nurse walked in the room, they treated… read on > read on >