Allopurinol, a frequently used gout medication, does not appear to drive up the risk for dying among gout patients who also struggle with chronic kidney disease, new research shows. The finding is based on an analysis of two decades worth of British health records. And it may put to rest recent concerns regarding a well-known… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Fat Injections Might Ease Pain of Plantar Fasciitis
Belly fat is usually unwelcome, but new research suggests it may actually be good for something: relief from foot pain. A small pilot study suggests that an injection of a patient’s own fat cells can help ease the often-excruciating heel pain brought on by a condition known as plantar fasciitis. “We take a small amount… read on > read on >
AHA News: Statistics Report Offers Snapshot of the Nation’s Brain Health – And a Guide to Protecting It
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, are closely connected to heart health. They are affected by everyday actions and rank among the nation’s leading causes of death. That’s the portrait of brain health that emerges from the American Heart Association’s “Heart Disease… read on > read on >
Omicron Batters Already Strained U.S. Hospitals
U.S. hospitals continue to reel from the pressure posed by the ongoing pandemic, facing critical workforce shortages and rising labor costs that amount to a “national emergency,” hospital executives say. Nearly 1,400 hospitals — 31% of the nation’s total — are on the verge of critical staffing shortages, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).… read on > read on >
Survivors of Severe COVID Face Higher Odds for Another Hospitalization Soon After
People hospitalized for COVID-19 are not necessarily out of the woods once they’re discharged: Many land in the hospital again in the months afterward, a large U.K. study finds. The researchers found that in the 10 months after leaving the hospital, COVID-19 patients were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized or die, compared… read on > read on >
More Than 1 Million U.S. Kids Diagnosed With COVID in Single Week
More than 1.1 million American kids were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week ending Jan. 20, new data show. That’s 17% higher than the 981,000 cases diagnosed the week before and double the number from two weeks before that. “As we approach the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, cases of COVID-19 among children and adolescents… read on > read on >
Many People With Asthma Have Mixed Feelings About Masks: Poll
Although they report difficulty breathing and discomfort while wearing a face mask, most people with asthma still use them in public places during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds. University of Illinois Chicago researchers conducted an online survey of more than 500 adults with asthma. They found that 84% reported discomfort and 75% reported… read on > read on >
COVID Infection Unlikely From Hospital Surfaces: Study
Remember when everyone was disinfecting their groceries at the start of the pandemic, fearful that the new coronavirus could be spread simply by touching a surface on which the virus had landed? New research confirms that much of that cleaning was unnecessary because people are unlikely to get COVID-19 from contaminated surfaces. “Early on in… read on > read on >
Saline IV Drip Just as Good as Pricier Options in Hospital ICUs: Study
Saline intravenous (IV) fluids are as effective as more costly solutions in treating intensive care patients and keeping them alive, Australian researchers report. “Just about every patient admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) will receive intravenous fluids for resuscitation or as part of standard treatment,” noted the study’s lead author Dr. Simon Finfer. He’s… read on > read on >
Keeping Weight Stable Could Help Save Your Brain
TUESDAY, Jan. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Older adults who maintain a steady weight as they age are less likely to experience rapid cognitive decline, regardless of how much they weigh to start, new research suggests. “There’s something about maintaining weight and BMI that seems to reflect some health resilience,” said study author Michal Schnaider… read on > read on >