One of the most common diabetes drugs, metformin, might deliver an added bonus: Lowering users’ odds for Long COVID. Long COVID can present with symptoms including chronic fatigue, brain fog and chest pain and it may last weeks or months after an initial COVID infection. It’s thought that millions of Americans suffer with the illness. As… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
‘Exercise Is Medicine’ for People With Parkinson’s
Exercise, whether moderate- or high-intensity, can help ease Parkinson’s symptoms, including fatigue, new research shows. As study lead author Dr. Philip Millar explained, Parkinson’s patients are too often overwhelmed by shame or depression, so they stop going to the gym or exercising. That’s too bad, Millar said, because “if you stop physical activity, your body… read on > read on >
Some Chocolate Products Labeled ‘Dairy-Free’ Contain Milk, FDA Finds
Consumers should be aware that some chocolate labeled as “dairy-free” actually contains milk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. This inaccurate labeling could put people with milk allergies in danger, the FDA noted. About 13 of 210 chocolate samples sold in Pennsylvania and Michigan in 2022 and 2023 tested positive for milk, the FDA… read on > read on >
Some Diabetes Meds Could Lower Odds for Dementia, Parkinson’s
A specific class of diabetes drug appears to lower people’s risk for dementia and Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, also known as gliflozins, lower blood sugar by prompting the kidneys to filter sugar out of the bloodstream and excrete it in urine, researchers said. But these drugs might also protect… read on > read on >
Did Your ACL Surgery Work? Try Hopping Backwards
Hopping backward is a good test to see if someone’s ACL surgery has gone well, a new study says. That backward hop is an effective way of measuring the strength of a patient’s knee function, as well as the strength of their quadriceps, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. And… read on > read on >
Long-Term Outcomes Good for Face Transplant Recipients, Study Finds
There have been 50 face transplants performed in 11 countries since the surgery was pioneered back in 2005, and long-term outcomes have been favorable, a new review finds. In total, 85% of people receiving these complex surgeries survived five years and 74% were still alive a decade after transplant completion, researchers report. When the numbers… read on > read on >
Black Women Face Higher Death Risk From All Types of Breast Cancer
Black women have a higher risk of dying from any type of breast cancer than white women, a new review finds. Overall, the increased survival risk for Black women ranges from 17% to 50%, depending on the type of breast cancer, researchers found. For example, breast cancers fueled by hormones like estrogen are 34% to… read on > read on >
Therapy Dogs Can Ease Nurses’, Doctors’ Stress, Too
Therapy dogs can help boost the spirits of health care workers in the same way they brighten the moods of hospital patients, a new study shows. The furry, four-legged friends reduced emotional exhaustion and job stress among a small group of workers at two surgical and two intensive care units in the Midwest, researchers report.… read on > read on >
Feeling Content Helps Shield You From Heart Attack, Stroke
Folks who are content with what they’ve got could be less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, a new study suggests. “Our findings support a holistic approach to health care, where enhancing a person’s mental and emotional well-being is considered an integral part of preventing heart disease and stroke,” said senior study author… read on > read on >
Some People With MS May Need Earlier, Higher-Dose Meds
Early, aggressive treatment of brain lesions caused by multiple sclerosis could help ward off faster decline in patients, a new study finds. Such treatment could prevent or potentially cure paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL), areas of chronic brain inflammation that are linked to more rapid deterioration in MS patients, researchers report. “Checking PRL levels is not… read on > read on >