As a weekend heat wave that put more than 15 million Americans in the Northern and Central Plains on alert slowly moves east, the nation’s emergency doctors have advice to keep you safe. “Overexposure to the sun or heat can turn into an emergency faster than most people expect,” said Dr. Gillian Schmitz, president of… read on > read on >
Americans may have a collective drinking problem, made worse by the obesity epidemic, new research suggests. The new study found that deaths from alcoholic cirrhosis have more than tripled in 20 years. In 1999, alcoholic cirrhosis — an advanced form of alcohol-related liver disease — killed just over 6,000 Americans (a rate of 3 per… read on > read on >
It may seem tempting to remove a mole or skin tag you don’t like with a product that promises to make them disappear quickly. Don’t do it, experts say. Dermatologists and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration both warn about the dangers of using unregulated products for do-it-yourself removal of moles, skin tags and another… read on > read on >
The Omicron variant is less likely to give you long COVID than a previous strain of the virus, British researchers say. What was described as the first peer-reviewed report to investigate Omicron and patients’ risk of persistent symptoms found 4.4% of Omicron cases resulted in long COVID. That’s well below the nearly 11% associated with… read on > read on >
In a cancel culture where there’s zero tolerance for prejudice, at least one form of discrimination appears to be alive and well. Ageism involves prejudice based on people’s advancing age. It can be as overt as not hiring someone because they are older, or as subtle as giving a loved one a meant-to-be funny “you’re… read on > read on >
Annual wellness visits covered by Medicare reduce diabetes patients’ risk of amputation by more than one-third, a new study finds. “Our results confirmed our hypothesis that Annual Wellness Visits are associated with a reduced risk of major lower-extremity amputations, highlighting the importance of connecting patients to preventive care services,” study author Jennifer Lobo said in… read on > read on >
Many COVID-19 long-haulers still have neurological symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems six months later, new research shows. The findings are the first from an ongoing study of long-haulers by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Long-haulers are people who continue to have symptoms long after their initial… read on > read on >
What goes through your dog’s mind when you tell him to find his favorite toy? Hungarian researchers say Fido relies on a mental image based on sensory features. Dogs call to mind the way that toy looks, feels and smells. The finding — from the Family Dog Project at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest —… read on > read on >
Patients who have spinal anesthesia while doctors repair a broken hip have more pain and need more prescription painkillers afterward than those given general anesthesia, a new study finds. Spinal anesthesia is increasingly used as a way to reduce pain and painkiller use, but these findings suggest it is having the opposite impact on hip… read on > read on >
The record-breaking heat that’s scorching much of the United States this week poses significant heart dangers, and you need to take steps to protect yourself, the American Heart Association (AHA) says. That’s especially true for older adults and people with high blood pressure, obesity or a history of heart disease or stroke. Heat and dehydration… read on > read on >
