TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — A year of exercise training helped to preserve or increase the youthful elasticity of the heart muscle among people showing early signs of heart failure, a small study shows. The new research, published Sept. 20 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, bolsters the idea that…  read on >  read on >

That feeling that many people are collectively experiencing right now? It’s grief. Some may be living through the loss of family, friends or colleagues who have died from the COVID-19 virus. Others have had losses that would be considered major life events, such as a job layoff. Many have lost recreation, social support and relationships.…  read on >  read on >

Living within a few blocks of a shooting increases the risk that a child will end up visiting the emergency department for mental health-related problems, researchers say. The new study found significant increases in mental health-related ER visits in the two weeks after a neighborhood shooting, especially among kids who lived closest to it and…  read on >  read on >

Liver cancer is on the rise in rural America, but on a downswing in cities, new research shows. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It’s rising at an annual rate of nearly 6% in rural areas, approaching rates seen…  read on >  read on >

Potentially dangerous symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are not always immediately recognized by primary care providers, new research suggests. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas fails to make enough insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar used for energy by cells. Between 5% and 10% of cases of diabetes are type 1,…  read on >  read on >

After more than a year at home, children are heading back to classrooms across the country. But they’re also toting heavy bags on their backs again. A backpack that fits properly — and is not overloaded with binders and books — will help prevent injury. “With a focus on getting back in the classroom and…  read on >  read on >

New research offers good news for women with an aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer. A targeted therapy, trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), sold as Enhertu, triples the length of time that the cancer remains in check when compared with the current gold standard, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). Both of these drugs are second-line treatment options for HER2-positive breast cancer…  read on >  read on >

Millions of U.S. sleep apnea patients are scrambling to find ways to protect their nightly slumber, following a voluntary recall from one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of CPAP breathing machines. Philips Respironics agreed to a voluntary recall of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines in late June, over concerns that noise-dampening foam inside the…  read on >  read on >

After routine surgery, a “virtual” follow-up visit might be just as good as a traditional office appointment, a new study suggests. Researchers found that surgery patients who had video follow-up appointments were just as satisfied with their care as those who made a trip to the office. And they appreciated the convenience of skipping the…  read on >  read on >