As clinics closed for non-essential care and patients’ COVID-19 fears kept them from check-ups, the United States saw a steep drop in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first peak of the pandemic, a new report finds. Researchers analyzed data on how many patients underwent cancer screening tests — procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, Pap…  read on >  read on >

Moderate drinking is often touted as heart-healthy, but a large new study finds that even one drink a day might raise the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, is a common heart arrhythmia where the upper chambers of the heart quiver chaotically, causing a fast and irregular heartbeat.…  read on >  read on >

Patients with chronic kidney disease who stop using a class of common blood pressure medications may lower their risk for dialysis, but they also raise their odds of cardiovascular disease, a new study finds. The blood pressure medicines in question are called renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RAS inhibitors), which include both ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II…  read on >  read on >

There’s yet another reason to quit smoking: It increases the risk of deadly bleeding strokes, a new study warns. Researchers focused on a type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain ruptures and bleeds into the space between the brain and the skull. This…  read on >  read on >