Food left in the stomach or stool left in the bowel can impede a doctor’s ability to successfully perform an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Now, research finds this scenario is more likely if the patient is taking popular new weight-loss meds such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound. For these patients, “inadequate bowel preparation was more… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Helene’s Aftermath: How to Safely Enter, Clean Flood-Damaged Homes
Following the historic destruction of Hurricane Helene, many Americans must now return to their mangled homes and begin the heartbreaking task of clean-up. After making landfall in Florida near Tallahassee as a ferocious Cat 4 storm on Thursday, Helene caused record-breaking storm surges in Tampa, flash flooding in Atlanta and power outages, massive flooding and… read on > read on >
Bogus ‘Conversion Therapy’ Leads to Higher Risk of Mental Illness for LGBT People
Besides being useless in altering a person’s sexuality or gender identity, so-called “conversion therapy” or “conversion practice” can greatly raise the odds that an LGBT person experiences mental health issues, new research finds. Questionnaires completed by over 4,400 LGBTQ+ Americans found that having undergone these bogus interventions was linked to higher rates of depression, post-traumatic… read on > read on >
Drug Industry Taking Bigger Role in Clinical Cancer Trials
Clinical trials sponsored by Big Pharma enrolled eight times as many patients as U.S.-government trials did between 2018 and 2022, new research shows. The study — conducted by researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle — underscores the lack of investment in federally funded studies and a growing reliance on industry research. The magnitude… read on > read on >
Falling Linked to Raised Risk of Dementia in Older People
More than 14 million seniors a year take a tumble, and those falls can be life-changing. “The relationship between falls and dementia appears to be a two-way street,” said Molly Jarman, senior author of a new study showing that cognitive decline may increase an older person’s risk for a fall and the trauma that follows… read on > read on >
Shorter Course of Breast Cancer Radiation Won’t Affect Breast Reconstruction
A shorter course of post-mastectomy radiation doesn’t jeopardize a patient’s chances of successful breast reconstruction, a new study finds. About 40 percent of people with breast cancer have mastectomies, followed by five to six weeks of radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that may remain in the chest wall or lymph nodes. Most opt… read on > read on >
Good Sex and Self Esteem Often Go Together, Study Finds
There’s a strong link between self-esteem and good times between the sheets, a new study suggests. Folks ranking high in self-esteem also tended to rate their sex lives as satisfying, reported a team from the Universities of Zurich and Utrecht, in Switzerland and The Netherlands. The effect could work in both directions, researchers believe. “People… read on > read on >
What Do Families Fight About Most? New Study Finds Out
In a world where families may be more apt to interact with technology than with one another, some things never change. Many still struggle to get along. But just what do 21st century families fight about? A new survey of 593 parents with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 17 offers… read on > read on >
Synthetic THC May Calm Agitation in Alzheimer’s Patients
A synthetic form of the active ingredient in cannabis helps reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer’s, new research shows. Synthetic THC (dronabinol) also gave patients’ caregivers a boost, according to findings presented Thursday at a meeting of the International Psychogeriatrics Association in Buenos Aires. The findings may provide encouragement for the families of the 7… read on > read on >
Despite Progress, America’s Fight Against Toxic Lead Far From Over
Toxic lead continues to pose a danger to U.S. consumers despite years of progress to reduce exposure, claims a study spanning four states. “Consumer products were consistently identified as one of the main sources of lead exposure — and the only identified source in 15 percent to 38 percent of cases — in investigations of… read on > read on >