Stroke rates continue to rise among adults and children living with sickle cell disease, despite new standards of care meant to lower their risk, a new study finds. People with sickle cell are vulnerable to strokes caused by a blood vessel to the brain either bursting or becoming clogged, researchers said. Following a landmark 1998… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
FDA Says Drug Makers Will Stop Producing Fentanyl ‘Lollipops’
Controversial fentanyl lollipops and similar products will no longer be made by drug makers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced. Known as TIRF medications, these products contain fentanyl and are used to manage breakthrough pain in cancer patients who have become tolerant to around-the-clock opioid therapy, the FDA said in a statement released… read on > read on >
Caring for Horses Could Help Veterans Battling PTSD
A cavalry of sorts can come to the rescue of combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study says. Combat veterans who regularly care for horses experience an easing of their PTSD symptoms, as well as an overall improved mental outlook, researchers found. Focusing on a horse’s welfare can help a veteran… read on > read on >
Parents, Know the Nursery Products Most Linked to Infant Deaths
Each year, an average of 174 U.S. kids under the age of 5 lose their lives over causes linked to nursery products. Many of these tragedies could be prevented, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday issued a list of products deemed most hazardous. Leading the list by far: Any soft bedding added… read on > read on >
Are Antidepressants Being Overused to Treat Seniors’ Pain?
Doctors sometimes turn to antidepressants as a means of easing older people’s physical pain, but a new expert review finds there’s little evidence to support the practice. Antidepressants may even come with hazards for seniors who don’t need them, said researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia. “Harms of antidepressant use in older people… read on > read on >
Arthritis Can Flare Up in Colder Weather: Tips to Easing the Pan
An arthritis sufferer’s joints start to get ornery when the weather turns colder, getting stiff and achy as the mercury drops. Cold weather doesn’t cause arthritis, but it can make it worse, experts say. “Our joints operate best in temperate weather,” said Dr. Mariko Ishimori, interim director at the Cedars-Sinai Division of Rheumatology in Los… read on > read on >
Dad’s Epilepsy Med Use Won’t Harm His Kids: Study
Would-be dads don’t have to worry that taking the epilepsy drug valproate will result in children with birth defects, a new review concludes. Valproate, an anti-seizure drug, is known to cause birth defects and developmental disorders when taken by pregnant women. But the drug does not appear to have the same impact on the fetus… read on > read on >
New Data Supports Animal Market Origins for COVID Pandemic
The Hunan Seafood Wholesale wet market in Wuhan, China, has long been considered the most likely source of the coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. That theory is now supported by a new study analyzing more than 800 samples collected in and around the market in January 2020 as the pandemic began. Those samples show… read on > read on >
Do You Know the MIND Diet? It Might Keep You Sharp With Age
It’s called the MIND diet and its primary aim is to help guard against thinking and memory declines as you age. But does it work? Yes, claims new research that found following the MIND diet for 10 years produced a small but significant decrease in the risk of developing thinking, memory and concentration problems. “With… read on > read on >
Stroke Kills 7 Million Worldwide Each Year, and Deaths Are Rising
Climate change and worsening diets are sending global rates of stroke and stroke deaths skyward, a new study warns. Almost 12 million people worldwide had a stroke in 2021, up 70% since 1990, according to a team led by Valery Feigin, of the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. It’s now the third leading… read on > read on >