Anyone who has suffered through a large, painful kidney stone wants to avoid a repeat episode. Now a new trial confirms one preventive strategy: removing small “silent” stones before they cause trouble. When people develop a kidney stone that is painful enough to require removal, imaging tests often reveal that they harbor smaller, asymptomatic stones,…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Aug. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Spinal surgery is painful, but fewer addictive opioid painkillers are needed now to help kids and teens manage it, a new study finds. A research team from Michigan Medicine found that scoliosis patients undergoing spinal fusion can be prescribed fewer opioids and still get adequate pain control after…  read on >  read on >

Swapping salt out for the salt substitute potassium chloride lowers blood pressure, and thereby the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease, a new analysis finds. “It’s in processed and prepared foods where most people in developed countries get their salt,” explained senior researcher Dr. Bruce Neal, executive director of the George Institute for…  read on >  read on >

Cigarettes are still responsible for far too many cancer deaths every year in the United States, a new study finds. In 2019, nearly 123,000 U.S. cancer deaths were from cigarette smoking (30% of all U.S. cancer deaths), leading to nearly $21 billion in annual lost earnings. These losses were much higher in states with weaker…  read on >  read on >