Spring allergies bring to mind thoughts of stuffy noses and watery eyes. But allergies actually affect many different and interconnected systems within a person’s body, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Spring allergens such as pollen, mold spores and other airborne particles not only trigger nasal allergies, but also can… read on > read on >
People threatened by accidental exposure to foods they’re allergic to may have a new weapon of defense: On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the use of the asthma drug Xolair to help prevent anaphylactic reactions. Xolair (omalizumab) is an injected drug and is not meant as a substitute for EpiPens or other… read on > read on >
A study of mental health care in Maryland finds an increasing number of children and teens covered by Medicaid are taking multiple psychiatric meds. This trend towards “polypharmacy” might be happening elsewhere, prior research suggests. In the new study, Maryland kids ages 17 or younger experienced “a 4% increased odds of psychotropic polypharmacy per year… read on > read on >
Medication abortion can be delivered safely and effectively using telemedicine, a large, new study concludes. Women who received abortion pills through the mail following a video visit with a doctor fared just as well as women who visited a clinic, researchers report Feb. 15 in the journal Nature Medicine. There were virtually no serious adverse… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Feb. 16, 2024 When grandparents can lend a hand with little ones, moms are less likely to battle depression. And, in turn, they are less likely to take antidepressants, Finnish researchers report in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Population Studies. Based on a study that tracked 488,000 mothers of young children in… read on > read on >
A standard blood test can reveal whether a person is at high risk of having a heart attack within six months, a new study shows. Researchers identified dozens of biomarkers in blood linked to the risk of a first heart attack, according to a report published Feb. 12 in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research. “The… read on > read on >
Women with HIV experience accelerated DNA aging, potentially leading to poorer physical function sooner in life than expected, a new study says. Markers of aging measured in blood revealed that women with HIV age faster than their chronological age, according to results published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind accelerated… read on > read on >
Doctors are bailing on the profession for a reason that may surprise their patients. It’s not frustration with government rules or cumbersome insurance requirements, but problems securing suitable childcare for long and ever-changing working hours, a new survey published Feb. 15 in the BMJ finds. Erin Dean, who wrote a summary of the survey results,… read on > read on >
Nearly half of health care workers nationwide say they’ve seen discrimination against patients while on the job, a new report reveals. While 47% of health workers said they’ve witnessed discrimination against patients in their facilities, 52% said racism against patients is a major problem, according to the report from the Commonwealth Fund and the African… read on > read on >
The harms of smoking are many, but new research delivers evidence of another troubling type of damage: Lighting up alters your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to disease and infections even years after quitting. “Stop smoking as soon as possible,” study co-author Dr. Violaine Saint-André, a specialist in computational biology at Institut Pasteur in Paris, told… read on > read on >
