Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

Personalized support can help more people at risk of colon cancer attend a potentially life-saving colonoscopy appointment, a new study says. About 55% of people assigned a patient navigator got a follow-up colonoscopy after their stool test revealed a risk of colon cancer, compared with nearly 43% of patients who were simply notified of the… read on > read on >

COVID-19 and influenza burned through the U.S. during this year’s cold and flu season, and deadly measles outbreaks have sickened people in 19 states. So what does it take to get people vaccinated against these preventable diseases? Essentially, an outbreak within a person’s own community appears to be one of the most potent influences on… read on > read on >

Wearing a smartwatch might do more than track steps (or your texts) — it could be a powerful tool for helping people with type 2 diabetes stay active, a new study says. Participants were more likely to start and maintain an exercise regimen if they had a smartwatch providing them feedback and encouragement, researchers reported… read on > read on >

Use of cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound has increased dramatically among people with type 1 diabetes, raising safety concerns among experts, a new study says. Both adults and children with type 1 diabetes are taking the drugs more often to manage obesity, researchers reported in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. The problem… read on > read on >

Breast-conserving therapy for breast cancer might not conserve as much as previously thought, a new study suggests. Women’s breasts can shrink considerably after they’ve undergone radiation therapy and lumpectomy for their early-stage breast cancer, researchers reported March 27 in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “Our findings suggest that women undergoing (breast conserving therapy with… read on > read on >

A new formula made with natural citrus oil could help cancer patients find relief from dry mouth, a common and painful side effect of radiation treatments. The formula was created by researchers at the University of South Australia and Stanford University. It mixes limonene — a citrus oil found in lemons, limes and oranges —… read on > read on >

Experts say move could negatively impact oral health, especially among children and low-income communities read on >

As a measles outbreak spreads across the United States, doctors are now seeing a new and unexpected danger: Children getting sick from taking too much vitamin A. At Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, several unvaccinated children showed signs of liver problems after taking large amounts of vitamin A, according to Dr. Lara Johnson, the… read on > read on >

A pioneering technique can help nearly twice as many men preserve erectile function following prostate cancer surgery, researchers say. The new surgical method, called NeuroSAFE, preserves the nerves that run through the prostate’s outer layers, which are thought to be responsible for producing erections, according to a report published March 24 in The Lancet Oncology.… read on > read on >

Is there a person in your life who just can’t stop scrolling social media, almost as if they’ve formed an emotional dependence on sites like Instagram and TikTok? Such an attachment might be associated with worse mental health symptoms among young people being treated for depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, a new study says. About… read on > read on >