The drug Xywav has been approved for expanded use in adults with a rare sleep disorder called idiopathic hypersomnia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The drug has a checkered history: In the 1960s, it was given to women during childbirth to dampen their consciousness, The New York Times reported, while an illicit… read on > read on >
As legal use of marijuana expands, experts say U.S. cancer patients are still far less likely to use it than the general population. That’s the key finding from a new study based on data on smoking habits — both tobacco and pot — collected from nearly 20,000 people between 2013 and 2018. Several U.S. states… read on > read on >
Here’s an unexpected benefit from wearing a mask during the pandemic: It may also reduce fall allergy symptoms, one expert says. “Masks that people use for protection from COVID-19, particularly those that filter out more particles like the N95 or KN95 masks, also tend to filter out pollen,” said Dr. Luz Fonacier, president of the… read on > read on >
Uncontrolled asthma increases the risk of severe COVID-19, researchers warn. “This study … focused on how COVID-19 outcomes might change for asthma patients depending on their level of asthma control,” said study author Anny Xiang, a senior research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “We also saw that even in patients with active asthma, if… read on > read on >
Black American liver transplant recipients have a lower survival rate than Hispanic or white patients, and a new study suggests that alcohol-related liver disease and insurance coverage are key reasons. “Our findings are a huge wake-up call that physicians and other health care professionals need to do better in delivering equitable care,” said study leader… read on > read on >
Widowers have a higher risk for advanced prostate cancer than men who are part of a couple, Canadian researchers say. The new findings are from an analysis of 12 studies comparing 14,000 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and 12,000 healthy men. The study — recently published in the European Journal of Epidemiology — suggests… read on > read on >
Older adults who take certain diabetes drugs may see a slower decline in their memory and thinking skills, a new study suggests. Researchers in South Korea found that among older people who’d been having memory issues, those using diabetes drugs called DDP-4 inhibitors typically showed a slower progression in those symptoms over the next few… read on > read on >
People fully vaccinated with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appear to have a lower risk of a “breakthrough” infection caused by the Delta variant than those who received the Pfizer vaccine, a new, preliminary report suggests. The researchers emphasized that both vaccines still “strongly protect” against severe illness, but the difference appears to be in the… read on > read on >
When the antiretroviral regimen known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, was launched nearly a decade ago, patients were suddenly able to achieve near-complete protection against contracting HIV by taking just one pill a day. But there’s a big hitch: Not everyone is equally diligent about sticking to that once-a-day daily pill regimen, and when doses… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans on Thursday to authorize a third “booster” shot of coronavirus vaccine for people with weakened immune systems, as the highly contagious Delta variant surges across the country. Expanding the emergency use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should help protect those patients who are considered most vulnerable to… read on > read on >
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