Folks seeking relief from low back pain in an ER aren’t likely to leave with a prescription for opioids. The rate of ER opioid prescriptions for back pain fell by more than half between 2016 and 2022, researchers reported July 12 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Back in 2016, nearly a third of these… read on > read on >
Doctors are regularly overlooking a common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure, a new paper warns. As many as 30% of high blood pressure patients seen by heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Despite this,… read on > read on >
Worried about maintaining your regularity as you grow older? Changing your diet can reduce the risk of chronic constipation in middle-aged folks and seniors, a new study says. The Mediterranean diet and plant-based diets were found to best ward off constipation, researchers reported recently in the journal Gastroenterology. “Chronic constipation affects millions of people and… read on > read on >
Household mold can be a significant trigger for a rare but potentially debilitating lung disease that can cause permanent breathing problems, a new study says. Mold appears to be the primary cause for nearly a quarter (23%) of 231 cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) treated at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas,… read on > read on >
A young woman became a June bride months after surviving complex surgery to remove a 40-pound tumor from her body, Cedars-Sinai doctors report. Adriana Pulido, 24, died on the operating table six times during an early attempt to remove the huge tumor. Located near her liver, the tumor had grown so large that it had… read on > read on >
Good news for women of a certain age: Hormone replacement therapy for menopause appears to boost the effectiveness of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, a new study says. Women using tirzepatide (Zepbound) lost more weight if they also were taking hormone therapy — 17% of body weight lost versus 14% after a… read on > read on >
A day at the beach or pool is a great way to beat the summer heat — but it can also be risky if you’re not careful. Dr. Eric Costanzo of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has some valuable advice to help families stay safe this summer, whether at the shore or at… read on > read on >
A new government estimate shows that nearly 1 in 3 U.S. teens have prediabetes, putting them at risk for Type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. In a new analysis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about 8.4 million 12- to 17-year-olds were prediabetic in 2023. That’s far more than… read on > read on >
People typically don’t suffer severe withdrawal symptoms or fall into depression immediately after they stop taking antidepressants, a new evidence review says. There had been concerns that people who quit antidepressants would suddenly fall prey to depression or develop what’s known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. But those fears aren’t warranted, researchers write in JAMA Psychiatry.… read on > read on >
A drug used to treat seizures, nerve pain and restless leg syndrome might be linked with increased risk of dementia, a new study says. Regular gabapentin use appeared to increase risk of dementia by 29% and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 85%, researchers reported July 10 in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. What’s… read on > read on >
