Wireless pacemakers could be a safe and effective short-term option for children with slow heartbeats, a new study suggests. Children with a heartbeat that’s too slow — a condition called bradycardia — need a pacemaker to keep their hearts beating normally. Researchers successfully implanted wireless pacemakers into 62 kids to see if the cutting-edge devices… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Pushing Homeless Out of Encampments Can Bring Deadly Toll: Study
Forcibly moving homeless people away from their encampments is a widespread practice in the United States. And it may be killing them. A new study found significant spikes in deaths, overdoses and hospitalizations with involuntary displacement of the homeless. These forced movements contribute to 15% to 25% of deaths in this population over 10 years,… read on > read on >
In Early Days of Outbreak, Access to Mpox Vaccine Varied by Race
In the early days of the mpox virus outbreak in the United States, vaccines got to the states that needed them but distribution was unequal across racial groups, new research reveals. Black and Hispanic patients had to travel significantly farther for doses than white people, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine, in New… read on > read on >
Fasting Diet Could Help Keep Type 2 Diabetes at Bay
Intermittent fasting is all the rage due to its laundry list of potential health benefits — from weight loss to longevity. Now, new research suggests that it may beat low-calorie diets when it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes in high-risk people. Folks who only ate between 8 a.m. and noon for three days a… read on > read on >
Induced Deliveries Could Help Prevent a Major Complication of Pregnancy
A potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy might be prevented by carefully screening women late in pregnancy and planning a timed delivery for those at high risk, a new study reports. More than half of all preeclampsia cases that occur late in pregnancy could be warded off through induced labor or cesarean section provided to high-risk… read on > read on >
Can ChatGPT Give Women Accurate Advice on Breast Cancer?
ChatGPT, the AI chatbot everyone is talking about, can often give reliable answers to questions about breast cancer, a new study finds. But it’s not yet ready to replace your physician. The big caveat, researchers said, is that the information is not always trustworthy, or offers only a small part of the story. So at… read on > read on >
For ‘Near Poor’ Seniors, Medicaid ‘Cliff’ Could Keep Health Care Out of Reach
The so-called “Medicaid cliff” is a perennial threat for millions of American seniors whose incomes put them just above the poverty line. While impoverished seniors often have Medicaid to help cover their health care expenses, seniors who make just a little bit more have to pay the higher out-of-pocket costs of Medicare themselves. The upshot:… read on > read on >
Judge’s Challenge to Abortion Pill Access Brings Swift Reaction
A Texas federal judge has issued a preliminary ruling that invalidates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2000 of mifepristone, the first of two drugs most commonly taken during a medical abortion. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk added a seven-day stay to his order, issued Friday, to give the FDA time to mount an appeal.… read on > read on >
FDA Says Repaired Sleep Apnea Machines Still Carry Health Risks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued another warning about certain sleep apnea machines made by Philips Respironics. Already the subject of a 2021 recall, some of the company’s repaired continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines may still be dangerous to use, the agency said in an alert issued Friday. “The FDA has identified… read on > read on >
Black, Hispanic Patients With Severe Allergies Less Likely to Get Allergy Shots
Seasonal allergies are more common among Black and Hispanic people, but these patients are less likely to get the shots that could ease their symptoms, researchers say. “We already know that these underrepresented populations are more likely to suffer from allergic rhinitis [hay fever],” said researcher Dr. Sunjay Modi, a fellow in pulmonary, allergy and… read on > read on >