Could a grocery cart save lives by preventing possible strokes? It just might. The notion stems from a new British study in which grocery cart handles were embedded with electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors. The goal: to screen shoppers for undiagnosed cases of atrial fibrillation (a-fib), the most common heart rhythm disorder. “Atrial fibrillation is a leading… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Meningitis Cases Rising Among Gay Men With HIV
Meningococcal disease — which includes meningitis — appears to be on the rise among Americans infected with HIV, new research reveals. Researchers stress that the risk to any one person remains exceedingly rare, regardless of their HIV status. Each year between 2017 and 2021 HIV-positive patients accounted for five to 15 cases of the bacterial… read on > read on >
A Little Drinking Won’t Help Prevent Obesity, Diabetes
Having a couple of drinks a day won’t protect you from obesity or diabetes, a new study suggests. Everybody knows that heavy drinking isn’t good for your health, but whether moderate alcohol consumption is protective or harmful is still open for debate, researchers say. “Some research has indicated that moderate drinkers may be less likely… read on > read on >
Is Coffee’s Morning Jolt Mostly Placebo?
Coffee kickstarts many a sleepyhead’s day, but a new study argues that it’s not the caffeine alone that provides the morning wake-up. People who took a basic caffeine pill did not experience the same sort of brain boost they did from sipping a cup of coffee, according to brain scans. Caffeine alone does activate some… read on > read on >
Growing Up Poor May Rewire a Child’s Brain: Study
Growing up in poverty may harm the structural wiring of a child’s brain, a new study claims. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a link between both neighborhood and household poverty and the brain’s white matter tracts. These let the brain communicate between its regions and are important for processing… read on > read on >
Reversing a Trend, Sicker Americans Are Staying With Medicare Managed Care Plans
A new study shows that older Americans with health issues are now staying with their Medicare Advantage managed plans, rather than swapping them for traditional plans through a health insurer. Although Medicare Advantage has been criticized in the past for “cherry-picking” healthy patients, that’s no longer the case, according to the research. “This is not… read on > read on >
Infectious Disease Experts Update Rules on ‘Superbug’ Spread in Hospitals
“Superbug” infections are increasing in U.S. hospitals, and a coalition of medical groups has now issued a set of updated recommendations to protect patients. These guidelines are meant to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, the authors of the recommendations argue. MRSA causes about 10% of hospital-associated infections in the… read on > read on >
Singer Lewis Capaldi Sidelined From Touring by Tourette Syndrome
After appearing to lose his voice at a Saturday appearance, singer Lewis Capaldi is canceling his tour. Capaldi, who has Tourette syndrome, cited the need to adjust to the impact of the condition, the Associated Press reported. “First of all, thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and… read on > read on >
New Competitor to Wegovy Shows Promise in Clinical Trials
An experimental drug appears to outperform the trendy medications Wegovy and Ozempic for both weight loss and diabetes control, a pair of early clinical trials shows. Retatrutide helped people with obesity drop about one-quarter of their starting weight, on average, during 48 weeks taking the drug, according to phase 2 trial results published online June… read on > read on >
AHA News: Teen With Gene Mutation Gets Rare Heart Operation
TUESDAY, June 27, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — At school dismissal one sunny October day in Pineville, Louisiana, then-9-year-old Anniston Fairbanks was headed toward her ride home when she realized she’d left her hoodie in her classroom. She ran back inside to retrieve it. When Anniston returned to the carpool line, she slid into… read on > read on >