Smoking during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for premature births, but drinking coffee is not, new research suggests. Women who smoked during pregnancy were 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely compared to nonsmokers, a risk that was double that of previous estimates, the University of Cambridge scientists found. “We’ve known for a… read on > read on >
Adding 3,000 extra steps a day can help older adults with hypertension significantly lower their blood pressure. About 80% of older adults in the United States have high blood pressure. Keeping it down can help protect against heart failure, heart attacks and strokes. “We’ll all get high blood pressure if we live long enough, at… read on > read on >
New research shows that an antibiotic effective for bacterial pneumonia also appears to fight treatment-resistant staph infections. The drug is ceftobiprole. It appeared successful in fighting methicillin-resistant staph infections, sometimes called MRSA. It showed similar benefit when tested against the antibiotic daptomycin to treat complicated Staphylococcus aureus infections. This means it could offer another option… read on > read on >
Being exposed to more estrogen throughout life — or a longer reproductive life span — may be good for the brain, according to new research that found a lower risk of cerebral small vessel disease in women who had more cumulative exposure. Cerebral small vessel disease happens from damage to small blood vessels in the… read on > read on >
Up to 2 million people in the U.S. experience rapid-fire heartbeats from time to time, and many end up in the hospital for treatment. But an investigational nasal spray may help folks with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) safely and quickly slow their heart rate on their own. “Currently, PSVT is treated with intravenous medication administered… read on > read on >
Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes drug that has increasingly been used to help with weight loss, will now be labeled as having the potential to block intestines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently made the label update for the drug made by Novo Nordisk, without directly citing Ozempic as the cause for this condition.… read on > read on >
A new study is strengthening the evidence that stem cell transplants can be highly effective for some people with multiple sclerosis — sending the disease into remission for years, and sometimes reversing disability. Researchers found that of 174 MS patients who underwent stem cell transplants — with cells from their own blood — two-thirds had… read on > read on >
A newer understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests that psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression may emerge long before classic MS symptoms. “For a long time, it was thought that MS only really began clinically when a person experienced their first demyelinating event, such as in the form of vision problems,” said senior author Helen… read on > read on >
Hot flashes and night sweats top the list of bothersome symptoms for women going through menopause. Now, a new study suggests that hot flashes, especially during sleep, may be more than a nuisance: They may foreshadow Alzheimer’s disease. And the more hot flashes a woman experiences during sleep, the greater her risk for developing Alzheimer’s… read on > read on >
Everyone’s seen a movie or TV show featuring someone sleepwalking — eyes half-lidded, bumbling around, tripping over furniture. But sleepwalkers are actually capable of much more complex behaviors during their restless slumber, a new paper says. During sleep some people can engage in sex (‘sexsomnia’), pig out on junk food, try to cook, have a… read on > read on >
