Deaths among Americans dropped by a significant 6.1% between 2022 and 2023, a new government tally finds. Much of this was due to COVID-19’s ebbing effect on deaths. During the pandemic, over a million Americans lost their lives, and in 2021 it was the third leading cause of death. However, new data shows that as… read on > read on >
Plenty of women know that having an IUD inserted in their uterus can be an excruciating experience, but new government guidance issued Thursday may soon make the experience less painful for many. For the first time, updated recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise doctors to counsel women about pain control… read on > read on >
There’s more evidence to suggest that the common artificial sweetener erythritol might pose dangers to consumers’ hearts. The new study, involving 20 healthy adult volunteers, found that at doses commonly found in an erythritol-sweetened soda or muffin, the sweetener was linked to heightened activity of blood platelets, which could make clots more likely. No such… read on > read on >
Newly developed battery-powered electric bandages could help wounds heal more quickly, a new study reports. In animal testing, wounds treated with electric bandages healed 30% faster than wounds treated with conventional bandages, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the journal Science Advances. The bandages could be a game-changer in treating slow-healing wounds caused by diabetes and… read on > read on >
People with a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol can lower their levels by taking fish oil supplements, a new study shows. The results indicate that lifestyle can be a powerful influence on artery-clogging cholesterol, even if a person’s genetics tends to make those levels higher, researchers said. “Recent advances in genetic studies have allowed us… read on > read on >
Nearly 1 in every 10 chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioids winds up addicted to the painkillers at some point, a new review finds. Further, nearly 1 in 3 will show symptoms of opioid addiction, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the journal Addiction. That evidence runs counter to claims made by companies like Oxycontin… read on > read on >
Many people with Parkinson’s disease may fear dementia as a common consequence of the disease. But new research suggests dementia is not inevitable with Parkinson’s, and in fact is less common than presumed. If dementia does occur, it typically does so much later in life than was previously assumed, the study also found. “These results… read on > read on >
More than 1 in 4 Americans 50 or older are now caregivers, looking after at least one family member or friend who has a health problem or disability, a new poll has found. In all, 30% of all people in their 50s and early 60s provide care to at least one person, the University of… read on > read on >
This summer’s blistering temperatures have helped prompt an emergency blood shortage, the American Red Cross has warned. Heat waves affected almost 100 blood drives last month, either by hurting turnout or forcing the events to be canceled. Since July 1, the national blood supply has fallen by more than 25%, the organization said in a news… read on > read on >
Whites are three times more likely to survive a cardiac arrest after receiving bystander CPR than Black adults are, a new study has found. Likewise, men are twice as likely to survive after bystander CPR than women, researchers found. “CPR saves lives — that, we know,” said researcher Dr. Paula Einhorn, a program officer at… read on > read on >
