COVID-19 infection may significantly boost an older person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new, large-scale study suggests. People 65 and older who contracted COVID were nearly 70% more likely overall to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s within a year of their infection, researchers report. The elderly fared even worse, with the risk of Alzheimer’s doubling… read on > read on >
U.S. health officials are advising doctors not to overuse the only antiviral for monkeypox because there is a risk of the virus mutating and rendering the drug useless. TPOXX (tecovirimat) works by targeting just one protein found on monkeypox, as well as smallpox and similar viruses. Its use for monkeypox is still considered experimental, according… read on > read on >
Older adults who rise and shine early every day may have sharper minds and fewer depression symptoms, a new study suggests. The researchers found that U.S. adults aged 65 and older who typically got up early — before 7 a.m. — then stayed active throughout the day performed better on tests of memory and thinking… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Sept. 16, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Fewer than 30% of older adults who need more intensive treatment for high blood pressure actually get it, new research shows. And the problem may be worsening. Nearly half of U.S. adults – about 116 million people – have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.… read on > read on >
Bariatric surgery aims to help severely obese patients shed significant weight, and now new research shows that many can also look forward to lasting pain relief and mobility. Though many patients regain some weight in the first couple of years after bariatric surgery, pain and movement benefits seem to stand the test of time. Seven… read on > read on >
Nitazenes: You’ve probably never heard of these highly toxic drugs, and neither have many Americans who abuse opioid street drugs. That lack of awareness could prove deadly, experts warn, because nitazenes are increasingly being added into heroin and street versions of opioid pills — and triggering fatal overdoses. “Laboratory test results indicate that the potency… read on > read on >
In updated guidance issued Thursday, the World Health Organization now recommends against using the antibody drugs sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab for patients with COVID-19. This recommendation replaces previous conditional recommendation for these antibody drugs. The change in guidance was based on emerging evidence that the medications — which work by binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein,… read on > read on >
A torn aorta can often be deadly, but a new study has found that survival has improved significantly over the past several decades. But it can still be five times more deadly if not repaired surgically, the researchers added. Aortic dissection happens when blood rushes through a tear in the heart’s ascending aorta. This happens… read on > read on >
For women with breast cancer, their race may help predict the success of hormone therapy given before surgery. In a new study, researchers found that Black women treated with hormone therapy before cancer surgery (so-called “neoadjuvant endocrine therapy”) may be more likely to benefit from that treatment than white women are if they’re treated at… read on > read on >
While adults typically need steroid medication to treat Bell’s palsy, most children can recover without treatment, a new study finds. Bell’s palsy temporarily causes weakness and paralysis in facial muscles, making half of the face droop. The study — a randomized controlled trial held in 11 emergency departments in Australia and New Zealand — included… read on > read on >
