Developing diabetes during pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk for heart disease later in life, according to a new study. It included about 1,100 women without type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Those who developed diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) were twice as likely by mid-life (average age: 48) to have calcium in their arteries,… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Kids Who Got Flu Shot Had Milder COVID Symptoms: Study
Here’s a new reason to make sure your kids get their seasonal flu shot. A new study showed that it reduces kids’ risk for symptoms and severe illness if they get COVID-19. That conclusion is drawn from medical records of more than 900 children diagnosed with COVID-19 between February and August of last year. Those… read on > read on >
Patients With Diabetes Need More Counseling on Low Blood Sugar
Doctors need to do a better job of discussing low blood sugar with patients who take high-risk diabetes medications such as insulin, researchers say. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is the most common serious side effect of diabetes treatment. Severe cases can lead to falls, emergency department visits, and may increase the risk of stroke and… read on > read on >
Feeling SAD? Here Are Ways to Ease Winter Blues
SATURDAY, Feb.6, 2021The COVID-19 pandemic can make mental health struggles even worse for some people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression triggered by the shorter daylight hours and gray skies of winter. It causes symptoms such as overeating, social withdrawal and decreased energy. Pandemic-related effects such as stress, anxiety and… read on > read on >
Connecticut Man’s Illness Suggests Recurrent Case of COVID-19 Is Possible
An unfortunate Connecticut man apparently suffered through two separate bouts of COVID-19 four months apart, adding to evidence that reinfection can occur after natural immunity wanes, doctors say. The 43-year-old Hispanic man had a life-threatening first infection with COVID in April, suffering from respiratory failure so bad he wound up on a ventilator, said Dr.… read on > read on >
Study Shows Social Distancing Does Cut Your Odds for COVID-19
Keeping a safe distance because it is safer for everyone during a pandemic also carries a personal payoff. A new study finds that social distancing reduces your individual risk of contracting COVID-19. “The evidence from our work indicates there is value in socially distancing — not only to reduce the spread of a virus within… read on > read on >
One Dose to Many, Or Two Doses to Fewer? Experts Explain U.S. Vaccine Rollout
COVID-19 vaccine shortages are leading some to question whether the United States would be better off simply trying to give a single dose to as many people as possible. This view has been bolstered by early data from Israel indicating that a single dose of vaccine is extremely effective and can drive down infection rates.… read on > read on >
Driving Hazards Differ for Teens With Autism
Getting a driver’s license is an important milestone for many teens and young adults, including those with autism. But all beginner drivers face hazards on the road. New research analyzing motor vehicle crashes shows that teens with autism are half as likely to crash due to speeding as their peers, but three times more likely… read on > read on >
When Heart Attack Strikes, Cancer Patients Often Miss Out on Lifesaving Treatment
Too few cancer patients who have a heart attack are receiving emergency angioplasties that could save their lives, a new study finds. “This is an important study, which underscores the broader issue in cardio-oncology of cancer patients too often being passed over for potentially beneficial procedures,” said Dr. Robert Copeland-Halperin, a cardiologist unconnected to the… read on > read on >
Climate Change May Have Helped Emergence of New Coronavirus
It’s a link few might have considered, but a new study indicates that climate change may have prompted the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising temperatures caused by greenhouse emissions have boosted the growth of bat-friendly forest habitat in China’s southern province of Yunnan and neighboring areas, making the region a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, the researchers explained.… read on > read on >