Insomniacs have a much higher risk for depression if they have chronic inflammation, a new sleep lab experiment says. Seniors with insomnia were three times as likely to report symptoms of depression if they’d been dosed with a substance that promotes inflammation, according to results published July 16 in JAMA Psychiatry. “Insomnia not only robs… read on > read on >
Some newer antiseizure medications appear to be safer for pregnant women to take without risk of birth defects, a new study says. Second-generation antiseizure drugs like levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin and zonisamide did not show an increased risk for birth defects, researchers reported July 16 in the journal Neurology. On the other hand, the study confirmed… read on > read on >
Middle-aged women with more belly fat have a higher risk for stress urinary incontinence, a recent study says. Fat around the waist and visceral organs increases by 33% a woman’s risk of leaking when she sneezes, coughs or exerts herself, researchers reported in the journal Menopause. “Abdominal obesity may cause pelvic tissues to encounter chronic… read on > read on >
Kids coping with chronic health problems like asthma also are struggling with the emotional burden of stress, fear and sadness, a new study says. Almost 94% of comments posted online by chronically ill kids and their caregivers expressed negative feelings like disgust, sadness and fear, according to results published recently in the Journal of Affective… read on > read on >
A federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia can limit access to mifepristone, a medication used to end early pregnancies. The decision is the first of its kind and could affect how other states handle access to drugs that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Mifepristone is part of a… read on > read on >
Adult children aren’t likely to fill the void left by the loss of a spouse, a new study says. Becoming widowed might cause a stronger bond between the remaining parent and their children, but these bonds don’t appear to ease the loneliness left by loss, researchers reported July 14 in Aging & Mental Health. These… read on > read on >
Folks seeking relief from low back pain in an ER aren’t likely to leave with a prescription for opioids. The rate of ER opioid prescriptions for back pain fell by more than half between 2016 and 2022, researchers reported July 12 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Back in 2016, nearly a third of these… read on > read on >
Doctors are regularly overlooking a common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure, a new paper warns. As many as 30% of high blood pressure patients seen by heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Despite this,… read on > read on >
Worried about maintaining your regularity as you grow older? Changing your diet can reduce the risk of chronic constipation in middle-aged folks and seniors, a new study says. The Mediterranean diet and plant-based diets were found to best ward off constipation, researchers reported recently in the journal Gastroenterology. “Chronic constipation affects millions of people and… read on > read on >
Household mold can be a significant trigger for a rare but potentially debilitating lung disease that can cause permanent breathing problems, a new study says. Mold appears to be the primary cause for nearly a quarter (23%) of 231 cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) treated at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas,… read on > read on >
