MONDAY, May 2, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Federal guidelines geared toward curbing the overprescription of opioids have modestly reduced their use after medical procedures to implant pacemakers and other heart devices, new research shows. But researchers say more needs to be done in the face of the nation’s continuing opioid crisis. “While we… read on > read on >
Occupational therapy or low-impact exercise might be the key to relieving long-haul COVID symptoms like extreme fatigue, breathlessness and brain fog, a pair of new studies from Ireland suggest. The studies reflect two different — in some ways, opposite — approaches to dealing with symptoms that tend to plague long COVID patients. One study taught… read on > read on >
Use of a high-tech radiation cancer treatment called proton beam therapy (PBT) has increased overall in the United States, but Black patients are getting it less often than white patients, two new studies show. Traditional radiation treatment is photon-based, but PBT uses protons to deliver high-energy beams more precisely to tumors and reduce damage to… read on > read on >
There could be far fewer U.S. doctors trained to provide an abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court in a decision that is expected by the end of June, researchers report. That’s because nearly 45% of 286 obstetrics and gynecology residency programs across the United States are in the 26 states… read on > read on >
British researchers are warning of one more rising health danger: a drug-resistant mold found in the environment that infects certain people’s lungs. Aspergillus fumigatus can cause a fungal lung infection called aspergillosis in people with lung conditions or weakened immune systems. Aspergillosis, which affects 10 to 20 million people worldwide, is usually treated with antifungal… read on > read on >
As youth spring sports kick into high gear, it’s important to know about injury prevention and treatment, an expert says. Injury risks and preventive measures can vary by sport, according to Dr. Marcus Knox, a physical therapist in the department of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Young baseball pitchers are at… read on > read on >
The origins of a continuing outbreak of acute, potentially lethal hepatitis striking children in countries around the world has experts mystified. But a cluster of recent cases in Alabama all show ties to common viruses, according to a new report from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The official World Health… read on > read on >
Mom’s voice may be music to a young child’s brain, but the teen brain prefers to change the station, a new study finds. Past research using brain imaging has revealed how important a mother’s voice is to younger children: The sound stimulates not only hearing-related parts of the brain, but also circuits involved in emotions… read on > read on >
Rates of high blood pressure among pregnant women in the United States are on the rise and now occur in at least one in seven hospital deliveries, a new government report warns. The overall rate of what are called hypertensive disorders in pregnancy increased from about 13% of hospital deliveries in 2017 to 16% in… read on > read on >
A new Omicron subvariant called BA.4 appears to be driving a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in South Africa, health experts say. The number of daily cases reported by the country has shot up from just a few hundred a few weeks ago to just over 6,000, and the rate of positive tests has jumped… read on > read on >
