Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapies for several metastatic cancers also made the list of essential drugs read on >

Chagas disease — a potentially serious illness spread by an insect called the “kissing bug” — may be establishing itself in the United States, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. The disease is common in 21 countries in the Americas, but growing evidence suggests it may also be… read on > read on >

A common rheumatoid arthritis drug appears to also lower blood pressure, potentially reducing patients’ risk of heart disease, a new study says. Methotrexate significantly lowered blood pressure compared to another arthritis drug called sulfasalazine, researchers reported recently in the Annals of Medicine. “We found that methotrexate lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 7.4… read on > read on >

Folks figuring out how to take their blood pressure at home might be tempted to use online stock photos to see how it’s done — but they really shouldn’t, a new study warns. Only about 1 in 7 stock photos found online correctly depict the right way to measure blood pressure, researchers reported in the… read on > read on >

The recombinant treatment is now approved for prophylactic use in adults and for treating bleeding episodes and perioperative use in children read on >

A novel pill that blocks the hormone aldosterone shows promise for lowering blood pressure and potentially delaying the progression of kidney disease in people with both conditions. The preliminary findings were presented Saturday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The… read on > read on >

A heart health journey may start much earlier than once thought, as new research shows that kids with higher blood pressure at age 7 had a sharply increased risk of dying of heart disease by their mid-50s. The preliminary findings were presented Sunday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published… read on > read on >

Older adults managing high blood pressure might just have one more tool in the toolbox. A new study suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice agents can help older adults manage their high blood pressure, potentially transforming how remote patient care is delivered. These preliminary findings were presented Sunday during an American Heart Association meeting in… read on > read on >

Extreme morning sickness during pregnancy, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), can have a devastating emotional and physical impact on pregnant women. A survey of close to 300 Australian women with HG reveals that more than half thought about terminating their pregnancies due to their distressing symptoms. The findings — published Sept. 3 in… read on > read on >

Just like their human counterparts, cats may act cranky or confused and have trouble sleeping as they age. They may even yowl more than usual at night. These, researchers say, are dementia-like behaviors that may owe to an accumulation of plaques in their brain, just like those in people with Alzheimer’s disease. And this similarity… read on > read on >