(HealthDay News) – The first U.S. case of bird flu in a human has been confirmed in Colorado, federal and state health officials reported Thursday. Still, the risk to the general public is low, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed. The patient, a 40-year-old man who was working on a farm with… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Behavior Differences Led to High COVID Death Rate in U.S. South: Study
Thousands of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. South could have been avoided if more people masked, social distanced, kept kids from school and made other behavioral changes to reduce the spread of the virus, researchers say. In other words, if they had acted more like folks up North. The study authors suggested that if the… read on > read on >
Dangerous Germs Floating on Microplastics in Ocean Wind Up in Food, Water
Land parasites that pose a risk to human and wildlife health can hitch rides on the millions of pounds of microplastics that float between oceans, a new study shows. “It’s easy for people to dismiss plastic problems as something that doesn’t matter for them, like, ‘I’m not a turtle in the ocean; I won’t choke… read on > read on >
Patients Hospitalized With COVID Face Similar Risks, Regardless of Variant
If you’re unlucky enough to need hospitalization for COVID-19, it won’t really matter which variant you’re infected with: The same level of care is required for patients with either Delta or Omicron, a new study reveals. This is true even though people infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are much less likely to be… read on > read on >
Thinking of Donating a Kidney? New Data Shows It’s Safe
If you’re thinking about donating a kidney, new research could alleviate your concerns. “The results of this study are extremely reassuring for individuals who are considering being living kidney donors. We found that this lifesaving surgery, when performed at experienced transplant centers, is extremely safe,” said study co-author Dr. Timucin Taner, chair of transplant surgery… read on > read on >
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Coverage for Eligible, Necessary Care: Report
Coverage for eligible, necessary care is denied each year to tens of thousands of seniors with private Medicare Advantage plans, U.S. federal investigators say. In a report released Thursday, the team from the inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Medicare needs to improve oversight of these plans and… read on > read on >
FDA Proposes Ban on Menthol Cigarettes, Flavored Cigars
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released proposed rules — first announced a year ago — to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. “The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an… read on > read on >
Doctors Devise Safer Alternative to Opioids During, After Surgeries
It’s been slightly more than a year since Jonathan Akindle, 23, underwent weight-loss surgery, and so far, so good. He is now down 130 pounds, and he was able to get through gastric sleeve surgery and recovery without taking any opioids for pain. “The pain right after surgery was more like a stomach ache. It… read on > read on >
AHA News: Uncontrolled Blood Pressure, Diabetes May Be Common Among People With Heart Failure
THURSDAY, April 28, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Many people with heart failure also have diabetes or high blood pressure. But new research suggests those conditions, even when treated, aren’t well controlled, placing people at risk for worsening heart problems. “We know that controlling hypertension and diabetes is critical for people with heart failure,”… read on > read on >
Climate Change Will Make Pandemics Like COVID More Likely: Report
Planet Earth is growing hotter, forcing different animal species to migrate to new areas and interact with other unfamiliar creatures at an increasing rate. That phenomenon could have dire consequences to human health, a new study says, raising the odds for new viral illnesses such HIV (which originated in primates), as well as pandemics such… read on > read on >