TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Public radio fans knew NPR books editor Petra Mayer as an exuberant lover of science fiction, romance novels, comic books and cats. “If it’s fun and nerdy, I’m all about it,” she declared. Friends and family now are mourning the loss of the witty, bubbly 46-year-old.… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Since before Americans officially celebrated Thanksgiving, turkey has had a place at the holiday table. Lately, it also has developed a reputation as a relatively healthy part of the big meal. Does it deserve that reputation? “Yes, it does,” said Catherine M. Champagne, a professor of… read on > read on >
Federal health officials are imploring Americans to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations start to climb just ahead of the holidays. There’s been an 18% increase in the United States’ seven-day average of reported coronavirus infections, and a 6% increase in the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… read on > read on >
Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday that the Biden administration will spend $1.5 billion to tackle a health care worker shortage in underserved communities. The money from the COVID-19 recovery program, called the American Rescue Plan, and other sources will go to three federal programs that provide scholarships and loan repayments for health care students… read on > read on >
Folks who’ve had a clogged artery reopened probably can stop taking blood thinners sooner than previously thought, a new study argues. Patients are regularly prescribed blood thinners for a year or more after angioplasty. This is to make sure that blood doesn’t clot inside the metal stent that now holds their artery open. That could… read on > read on >
Addictive opioid painkillers aren’t the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say. As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings may come as good news. After ACL surgery, Advil and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and… read on > read on >
Becoming a couch potato as you get older goes against evolution and puts your health at risk, a new study suggests. Humans have evolved to be active in their later years, and staying active can protect against heart disease and a number of other serious health problems, according to researchers at Harvard. “It’s a widespread… read on > read on >
A widely available drug used to treat alcoholism has potential as a COVID-19 treatment, researchers say. The investigators found that people taking disulfiram (Antabuse) for alcoholism had a lower risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and were less likely to die from COVID-19 if infected than those not taking the drug. The study was observational, so… read on > read on >
Teens and young adults with autism show marked differences in their brains’ white matter compared to those without the disorder, a new study finds. “If you think of gray matter as the computer, white matter is like the cables,” said study co-author Clara Weber, a postgraduate research fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. The… read on > read on >
An experimental Lyme disease vaccine shows promise in animal studies and could also help protect against other tick-borne diseases, researchers say. The vaccine — which relies on the same mRNA technology used by some COVID-19 vaccines — protected guinea pigs against infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The vaccine doesn’t trigger… read on > read on >
