Nearly 60 million Americans live in “dental deserts,” while many more can’t afford basic dental care even if it is available. Enter dental therapists. New research suggests these newly minted health care professionals could help more people get the oral health care they need in low-income areas. They are fast becoming members of a typical…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) — The new Omicron subvariant, BA.2, is spreading across the United States and will soon take over as the major COVID variant, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday. “Ultimately it will be the predominant variant in this country,” Fauci told HealthDay. “It’s occupying about 85% of the variants in…  read on >  read on >

Millions of people taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol may get an unanticipated benefit: They may be less likely to develop movement and balance problems like those seen in Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. The study looked at the relationship between statin use and parkinsonism. People with parkinsonism have some of the symptoms…  read on >  read on >

Severe COVID can inflict heavy physical damage on patients, but many recovering from their infection also take a financial hit, a new study finds. Up to 10% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are billed $2,000 or more six months after leaving the hospital, even when insurance providers waive their charges, researchers report. “Bills for post-discharge…  read on >  read on >