Doctors might be overprescribing sedatives to stroke survivors, a new study warns. About 5% of people are prescribed a benzodiazepine following a stroke, to help calm anxiety and improve sleep, researchers found. Benzodiazepine meds include Valium, Ativan and Xanax. But these prescriptions often are for pills that last longer than a week, which could hamper… read on > read on >
Alzheimer’s disease might damage the brain in two distinct phases, a new study suggests. An early phase that occurs slowly and silently appears to lay the groundwork for a second, more widely destructive phase of Alzheimer’s, according to sophisticated brain scans. “The results fundamentally alter scientists’ understanding of how Alzheimer’s harms the brain and will… read on > read on >
An off-label clot-busting drug appears to work slightly better in treating stroke patients than an approved medication, a new review finds. The clot-buster tenecteplase is associated with a slightly higher likelihood of excellent recovery and reduced disability three months following a stroke, compared to the drug alteplase, researchers report. However, the likelihood of good recovery… read on > read on >
A young Israeli researcher who lost a sibling in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians said the tragedy has spurred her to study the unique aspects of grief at the sudden loss of a brother or sister. The research by Master of Arts student Masada Buchris, of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, hasn’t… read on > read on >
Folks who want solid protection during the cold and flu season should get the influenza vaccine now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. The ideal time to get the flu vaccine is by the end of October, the FDA said in a news release. “Flu viruses typically spread in fall and winter, with activity… read on > read on >
People living with HIV who need a kidney can rest assured that outcomes are similar whether their kidney donor was also HIV-positive or not, a new study finds. One- and three-year survival was the same, regardless of the donor’s HIV status, as were the rate of serious side effects, such as infection, fever and organ… read on > read on >
Women and men experience similar rates of dangerous complications after a major heart surgery. So why are women dying at higher rates than men when these complications strike? That’s the main question raised by a new study that involved more than 850,000 cases of Medicare beneficiaries who underwent high-risk heart surgeries. These operations included heart… read on > read on >
Following hurricane damage that shuttered a North Carolina plant that makes 60% of the country’s IV fluids, U.S. health officials have invoked the Defense Production Act to hasten rebuilding of the factory. A nationwide shortage of IV fluids has only worsened since Hurricane Helene wrecked the plant run by Baxter International Inc. late last month,… read on > read on >
The number of U.S. children who suffer seizures after swallowing prescription medications or illicit drugs has doubled in recent years, a new study finds. Drug poisonings among kids resulting in seizures increased from 1,418 in 2009 to 2,749 in 2023, steadily rising about 5% each year, results showed. These cases doubled among children ages 6… read on > read on >
Folks with peanut allergies don’t have to worry that someone might be munching on the nuts during an airline flight, researchers report. It turns out there’s no evidence to the commonly held belief that nut allergens can be spread through aircraft ventilation systems, a new review concluded. “In fact, food-induced allergic reactions are around 10–100… read on > read on >
