People with epilepsy suffer quicker declines in thinking than people without the brain disorder, particularly if they also have risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes, a new study finds. The difference was significant: Over the course of the 14-year study, those with epilepsy experienced a 65% to 70% faster decline in memory and… read on > read on >
Black, Hispanic and low-income kids are less likely to receive surgery that can treat their drug-resistant epilepsy, a new study finds. Researchers discovered that children on anti-seizure drugs who received vagus nerve stimulation were 35% more likely to be alive after 10 years, and those who also had cranial surgery were 83% more likely to… read on > read on >
Unhealthy air from wildfires is causing hundreds of additional deaths in the western United States every year, a new study claims. Wildfires have undercut progress made in cleaning America’s air, and between 2000 and 2020 caused an increase of 670 premature deaths each year in the West, researchers report Dec. 4 in The Lancet Planetary… read on > read on >
Teenagers with epilepsy are more likely to have an eating disorder than those not suffering from the brain disease, a new study shows. About 8.4% of children ages 10 to 19 treated at a Boston epilepsy clinic had eating disorders, three times the national average of 2.7% of teens with an eating disorder, researchers found.… read on > read on >
Gina Arata had a bright future, wrapping up college and preparing for law school, when a 2001 car wreck left her with lasting brain damage. After her recovery, Arata wound up taking a job sorting mail, but struggled even in that. “I couldn’t remember anything,” said Arata, who lives in Modesto with her parents. “My… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Dec. 4, 2023 (Healthday News) — While flu and COVID cases are now on the rise, RSV infections may soon peak and level off, U.S. health officials report. COVID-19 continues to fuel the most hospitalizations and deaths among all respiratory illnesses — about 15,000 hospitalizations and about 1,000 deaths every week, Dr. Mandy Cohen,… read on > read on >
As syphilis cases surge across America, a group representing the nation’s STD specialists says members are reporting shortages of a drug essential to fighting the disease. In a survey from the National Coalition of STD Directors conducted in early November, 46% of sexual health clinics said they’d tried to order Bicillin L-A — only to… read on > read on >
Surgery coming up? Mimicking the high-altitude breathing of mountaineers might make your procedure safer, a tiny study suggests. It’s a form of what surgeons call “prehabilitation:” Making a patient’s body a bit fitter beforehand to withstand the risks and rigors of surgery. Investigators found that exposing patients to reduced oxygen levels (“hypoxia”) for a week… read on > read on >
SATURDAY, Dec. 2, 2023 (Healthday News) — The holidays are typically a happy whirlwind of gift-buying, house decorating, party planning and family gatherings, but all that work can also stress people out. Luckily, experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center say there are things you can do to keep your stress levels under control and help… read on > read on >
Got a naturally sunny disposition? It might protect you from dementia as the years advance, new research shows. A team at Northwestern University in Chicago report that certain personality traits — being conscientious, outgoing and positive — appear to lower a person’s odds for a dementia diagnosis. On the other hand, being neurotic and more… read on > read on >
