Using cellphones to track patients’ painkiller use, a new study found more than 60% of opioid painkillers prescribed to surgical patients after their procedures went unused. That has implications for the ongoing epidemic of opioid misuse in the United States, where unused medications can be diverted to others. Giving surgical patients only the amount of… read on > read on >
The brain may play a role in so-called broken heart syndrome, a new study suggests. Formally known as Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), it’s a temporary — but potentially deadly — heart condition brought on by stressful situations and emotions. In this study, published March 25 in the European Heart Journal, researchers wanted to find out if… read on > read on >
Here’s a silver lining to having to strap a mask across your face when you go out in public: That mask may also help guard against severe spring allergies, an expert says. Many patients with spring allergies are doing well this season because they’re spending more time indoors and wearing a mask when they go… read on > read on >
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is more common among new mothers than previously thought, and it’s often driven by worries about things that may happen to their newborns, a new study finds. Many new moms may keep the issue hidden, the Canadian researchers said. “When mothers have these kinds of thoughts they might think, ‘There’s something wrong… read on > read on >
Makers of inhalers that contain the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine should make design changes to prevent misuse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. Propylhexedrine is a nasal decongestant in over-the-counter inhalers, and right now is “only marketed under the brand name Benzedrex,” the FDA said. The agency said that propylhexedrine is effective and safe when… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, March 25, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — About 2 million cases of heart attack, stroke and heart failure might be prevented each year if U.S. adults had high cardiovascular health as defined by a set of seven metrics, according to a new study. Even modest improvements in the population’s overall heart health could… read on > read on >
A drug with a 30-year track record as an effective tool for fighting cancer may significantly improve memory and thinking in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease, new research suggests. Sargramostim (brand name: Leukine) has long been used after cancer treatment to coax a patient’s bone marrow to make more disease-fighting white blood cells. It uses… read on > read on >
Whether it’s takeout or dining in, lives filled with lots of restaurant fare could turn out to be shorter, new research shows. The study found that dining out frequently — two or more meals prepared away from home each day — is tied to an increased risk of death from any cause. One nutritionist who… read on > read on >
Medicine may have advanced by leaps and bounds over the last century, but Generation X and millennials are in worse health than their parents and grandparents were at their age. That’s the conclusion of a new study that looked at markers of physical and mental health across the generations. And overall, there has been a… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, March 25, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — On nearly every corner, and along the roads in between, the familiar signs comfort and tempt us: burgers and fried chicken, ice cream and doughnuts, sweets and treats galore. Welcome to the food swamp, where Americans get bogged down in a morass of cheap, convenient, alluring… read on > read on >
