As an epidemic of drug abuse cuts it way through America, none are left unharmed, even the very young. New data finds that the rate of infants dying from drug-related reasons more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. In 2018, 10.8% of all deaths to babies under 1 year of age were linked to drugs.… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Too Many Teens Are Driving Drowsy
Teens on the verge of falling asleep behind the wheel is a common threat to public safety on U.S. roadways, a new study reports. About 1 in 6 teenage drivers say they’ve driven while drowsy, according to a National Sleep Foundation study presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in… read on > read on >
Few Heart Attack Survivors Get Expert Advice on Diet
Less than one-quarter of people who survive serious heart conditions receive the dietary counseling needed to protect their future health, a new study finds. Only about 23% of people treated for major illnesses like heart attack and heart failure receive counseling on their diet within three months of hospitalization, researchers reported recently in the Journal… read on > read on >
A Malaria Drug May Combat Tick-Borne Babesiosis
A malaria drug could help immune-compromised people who can’t shake off babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic infection, a new study says. The drug tafenoquine helped cure four New England patients whose babesiosis infections weren’t knocked out by the usual standard of care, researchers reported recently in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. “Tafenoquine is going to make… read on > read on >
Black, Hispanic Americans More Likely to Be Dropped From Medicaid
Following the end of temporary pandemic-era rules expanding access to Medicaid, about 10 million Americans have lost that coverage. But a new report finds that most folks who’ve lost coverage have done so because of paperwork issues, and they’re far more likely to be people of color. “A lot of people got kicked off Medicaid… read on > read on >
U.S. Maternal Death Rate Remains Much Higher Than Other Affluent Nations
Maternal mortality rates in the United States continue to exceed those in other wealthy nations, with most women dying during pregnancy and childbirth in ways that were preventable, a new report shows. In 2022, U.S. women had a death rate from complications of pregnancy and childbirth of 22 deaths per 100,000 live births, researchers found.… read on > read on >
Too Much Sitting Could Be Harming Kids’ Livers
Kids who spend more than six hours a day on their duffs have a greater risk of severe fatty liver disease and liver cirrhosis by the time they’re young adults, a new study claims. Children have 15% higher odds of fatty liver disease by age 25 for each additional half-hour of sedentary behavior above 6… read on > read on >
Better Sleep Might Bring Less Loneliness
People who feel lonely and socially isolated might benefit from more sleep, especially if they’re a young adult, a new study suggests. Better sleep is associated with significantly less emotional and social loneliness, researchers report. Younger adults in particularbenefit from better sleep, but people of all ages report less loneliness after they’ve slept well, results… read on > read on >
GLP-1 Weight Loss Meds Might Keep Your Pancreas Healthy
Ozempic and Wegovy might help lower the risk of pancreatitis in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, a new study says. Up to now, doctors have been cautious about prescribing semaglutide to patients with a history of pancreatitis, because they feared the drug could worsen the condition, said lead researcher Dr. Mahmoud Nassar, a… read on > read on >
Nerve Surgery May Help Some Battling Severe Migraine
Nerve surgery can reduce the number of headache days for people who suffer frequent migraines, a new review finds. The procedure also can decrease the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks, according to results published in the June issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “Our study adds new evidence that headache surgery improves… read on > read on >