Pandemic lockdowns may have led fewer Americans to seek pain treatment last year, but folks who did seek help had higher-than-usual odds of receiving dangerous opioid painkillers, a new study says. And that could lead to a worsening of the opioid epidemic, researchers suggest. “It is likely that more patients may have become addicted to… read on > read on >
Stress about the COVID-19 pandemic may be eclipsing holiday joy for many older Americans, a new poll reveals. About half (47%) of 50- to 80-year-olds polled reported a mixed experience of joy and stress. One in five said they feel a lot of stress, while 38% said they have little to none. Those between 50… read on > read on >
“It’s not rocket science,” “It’s not brain surgery” — but just how smart are rocket scientists and brain surgeons, anyway? There’s a good chance you’re just as intelligent, a new study finds. This was an observational study that does not represent the worldwide range of aerospace engineers and neurosurgeons, the British researchers said. But the… read on > read on >
People with HIV have an added risk of heart failure, so they and their health care providers need to be alert for early signs such as shortness of breath, fatigue, leg swelling, coughing and chest pain, according to a new study. “Cardiovascular disease has been an important concern for people with HIV for many, many… read on > read on >
For certain leukemia patients, some welcome findings: New research confirms long remissions after treatment with the drug ibrutinib and chemotherapy. The study involved 85 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). All were 65 or younger, and 46 had more aggressive, unmutated IGHV subtype of the disease. “Patients with lower-risk CLL, which is marked by mutated… read on > read on >
Poor neighborhoods of color bore the brunt of a surge in violent crime in U.S. cities early in the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows. “This study adds to the mounting body of research showing that equal opportunities — including the opportunity to live, work, learn, play and worship free from violence — are not afforded… read on > read on >
A gene therapy that could provide a permanent cure for sickle cell disease continues to show success through a third wave of patients, researchers report. The therapy, LentiGlobin, restored normal blood function in 35 sickle cell patients who had the one-time procedure, according to clinical trial findings published Dec. 12 in the New England Journal… read on > read on >
A new study confirms yet another consequence of the pandemic for children and teenagers: Eating disorders, and hospitalizations for them, rose sharply in 2020. The study of six hospitals across Canada found new diagnoses of anorexia nearly doubled during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the rate of hospitalization among those patients was… read on > read on >
The COVID-19 death toll in the United States reached 800,000 on Monday, and one expert believes it will likely hit 1 million at some point in 2022. The 800,156 confirmed deaths in the nearly two years since the first known U.S. victims of the coronavirus were confirmed in February 2020 is more than any other… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Dec. 13, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — After four years in a Washington state prison for first-degree burglary, Chelsey Johnson learned she was eligible for a work-release program that would shave the final year off her sentence. She was excited by the prospect, but also scared. Then 31, she had spent half her… read on > read on >
