After decades of battling the opioid epidemic, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday that overdose deaths have now declined for the second year in a row. By how much did these deaths of despair drop? There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to new provisional data from the U.S.… read on > read on >
More than a third of surgical patients develop complications as a result of their procedure, a new study shows. About 38% of adult patients suffer an adverse event during or following their surgery, researchers reported Nov. 13 in the BMJ. Nearly half of these complications result in serious, life-threatening or fatal harm, results showed. What’s… read on > read on >
Fourteen percent of the world’s people — more than 800 million — now have diabetes, a doubling of the global rate for the blood sugar disease since 1990, new statistics show. Type 2 diabetes, which makes up 95% of cases, is surging in poorer countries. However, across these resource-poor nations, only half of people get… read on > read on >
A trio of risk factors not only increase your risk of stroke, but they also raise the odds that such a stroke will be debilitating, a new study warns. What are these three big dangers? Smoking, having high blood pressure and suffering from atrial fibrillation all significantly raise the risk of suffering a severe stroke,… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Nov. 14, 2024 (HealthDay news) — Don’t think your doctor is always taking your health concerns seriously? You might be right. New research reveals that primary care physicians frequently won’t write down health issues raised by patients into their medical record for future reference. When a person initiates a discussion about a health issue… read on > read on >
Dementia strikes all races, but new research suggests thinking declines in poor seniors are often overlooked. Among a group of more than 200 low-income patients who were treated at community health centers, 3 of 4 had undiagnosed cognitive issues, researchers reported recently in the journal JAMA Network Open. Of those, 62% had mild cognitive impairment,… read on > read on >
Periodontal (gum) disease and diabetes are locked in a grim partnership aimed at undermining your health, experts warn. “Recent research has shown that diabetes is not only a major risk factor for periodontitis but that the relationship between the two conditions is bidirectional, meaning they both influence and exacerbate one another,” said Dr. Anton Sculean, chair… read on > read on >
The blockbuster GLP-1 drug semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) could curb drinking for people battling alcohol use disorder, helping them to avoid crises that require hospitalization, new research shows. Numerous studies had already hinted that semaglutide might act on appetite centers in the brain to suppress the urge to drink, just as it does the urge to… read on > read on >
People are at higher risk of schizophrenia if they indulge in psychedelic drugs, a new study warns. Patients who land in the ER following hallucinogen use have a 21-fold higher risk of developing schizophrenia compared to the general population, Canadian researchers report. Even after controlling for a person’s existing substance use and mental health disorders,… read on > read on >
In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, retailers report that online sales of emergency contraceptives have soared. The spike in purchases of what is also known as the morning-after pill or Plan B suggests women worry the incoming administration might soon limit their access to emergency contraception, Monica Cepak, CEO of… read on > read on >
