MONDAY, Nov. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) – U.S. health officials are tracking a new COVID variant that’s a combination of two earlier Omicron subvariants. Known as XBB, this latest subvariant now represents 3.1% of new COVID cases throughout the U.S. and 5% of cases in the Northeast. Based on preliminary estimates from the U.S. Centers… read on > read on >
Steroid users, especially teen boys and young men, seem indifferent to the serious side effects and dependency associated with use of the drugs, a new study finds. “We’re seeing more young adults and adolescent boys engaging in risk behaviors, such as the use of steroids, to achieve what many see as the ideal male body,”… read on > read on >
When pregnant women contract COVID-19, one in 10 will have moderate, severe or even critical symptoms, a new study finds. So it’s important they get their COVID vaccines, experts say. “Given that patients in all trimesters of pregnancy are susceptible to infection and severe respiratory illness from COVID-19, these findings add urgency to the need… read on > read on >
Transgender youth are more likely than others to experience sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea, and researchers now recommend these young people be screened for sleep problems. “Transgender and gender-nonconforming identity may precede mental health disorders, and both influence insomnia diagnosis,” said study co-author Galit Levi Dunietz, an epidemiologist in the University of… read on > read on >
Millions of Americans will enjoy a hot, nutritious Thanksgiving meal thanks to their local food pantry, often staffed by volunteers. Now, new research spotlights just how important these charities are. Families who rely on pantries for food assistance come away with $600 to $1,000 in free meals and produce every year, after taking into account… read on > read on >
The kids aren’t alright. Up to 1 in 5 children in the United States has a mental health condition, but only about half of those who need mental health care are now receiving it. What’s more, suicide is the second leading cause of death among U.S. kids and teens, and youth suicide rates have been… read on > read on >
It’s not too late to get the latest COVID-19 booster shot. Whether it’s the bivalent vaccine from drug maker Pfizer or from Moderna, the shots offer more protection against symptomatic infection, public health officials reiterated at a White House briefing on Tuesday. However, since the vaccines debuted in September, only 13% of American adults have… read on > read on >
Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you can still benefit from a vaccine that can help prevent another infection, a new study shows. Danish patients gained between 60% and 94% protection against reinfection, depending on the COVID variant wave, the researchers found. The findings were published Nov. 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. “In… read on > read on >
Annual lung cancer screening for heavy smokers can provide a big boost in lung cancer survival over the long term, a new study shows. When low-dose CT screening identifies early-stage lung cancer, patients have an 80% chance of surviving 20 years, researchers found. And for some, the odds are as high as 100%. But only… read on > read on >
Research in wild bats is reinforcing a notion crucial to stopping future pandemics: When wildlife populations stay healthy, the odds of “crossover” viruses infecting humans subsides. In Australia, deforestation has caused a deadly respiratory virus to pass from fruit bats to humans, by forcing the two species into closer contact, a new study reports. Robbed… read on > read on >
