Dutch researchers have developed a new stool test that appears to detect colon polyps better than the current test does. “The current test performs well, but leaves room for improvement,” said Dr. Gerrit Meijer, principle investigator at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. “We want to be able to detect the tumors before they have… read on > read on >
Being active may help ease ongoing cancer pain. That’s the key takeaway from a study of more 10,600 people with a history of cancer and over 51,000 without the disease. A team led by Erika Rees-Punia of the American Cancer Society and Christopher Swain of the University of Melbourne in Australia asked participants about their… read on > read on >
Sleep apnea appears to be linked to an increased risk of heart failure among cancer patients, a new study says. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when relaxed muscles cause a blockage of the windpipe, interrupting breathing and causing a person to temporarily wake. The new study involved 296 general heart patients and 218 cancer patients with… read on > read on >
The doctor tapped at his computer, ordering a routine prostate exam for an 80-year-old man, when a dramatic yellow alert popped up on the patient’s electronic health record. “You are ordering a test that no guideline recommends,” it warned. “Screening with PSA can lead to harms from diagnostic and treatment procedures. If you proceed without… read on > read on >
While marriage can be hard work, a new survey suggests it can also be a powerful elixir for happiness. Adults who are married report being more satisfied with their lives than those in any other type of relationship, the Gallup poll showed. “Any way you analyze those data, we see a fairly large and notable advantage to… read on > read on >
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is cracking down on air pollution. Specifically, the agency introduced a tougher air quality standard that takes aim at fine particulate matter — the tiny bits of pollution that can penetrate the lungs — by lowering the allowable annual concentration of the deadly pollutant that each… read on > read on >
Dementia care can eat through the savings of cash-strapped seniors, a new study warns. The average senior with dementia in non-nursing residential care facilities spent 97% of their monthly income on long-term care, researchers found. Meanwhile, those living in nursing homes spend nearly 83% of their monthly income on their care, results show. “Because dementia… read on > read on >
U.S. research into gun violence has started to expand following the ending of a two-decade drought of federal funding for such studies, a new report finds. Firearms violence studies had been stymied by severe restrictions on federal funding adopted by Congress in 1996, the researchers said. But those restrictions began to loosen in the mid-2010s,… read on > read on >
America’s most popular cold medications contain a nasal decongestant that doesn’t work, creating a knotty dilemma for regulators, a new study reports. Cold remedies containing phenylephrine remain consumers’ most popular choice, despite decades of concern that the decongestant simply isn’t effective, researchers say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to pull phenylephrine… read on > read on >
Filling the day with simple activities could be the key to improving mood and well-being after a person has suffered the loss of a loved one, a new study finds. These “uplifts” — activities that can improve a person’s mood — helped ease grief on a day-to-day basis, researchers reported recently in the journal Applied… read on > read on >
