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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 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 >

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 >