It helps to speak English if you’re a home care patient in the United States. A new study of home health care found that patients who speak a language other than English have higher rates of hospital readmission. Readmission rates among New York City patients whose first language wasn’t English were highest among Spanish and… read on > read on >
Modern Americans get much less physical activity than their forebearers did 200 years ago, and increasing reliance on technology is a major reason why. That’s the finding from researchers who used data on falling body temperature and changing metabolic rates in the United States to measure declining levels of physical activity since the Industrial Revolution.… read on > read on >
A cheap and widely available antidepressant drug called fluvoxamine may reduce COVID-19 patients’ risk of serious illness requiring hospitalization, according to a new study. The trial included almost 1,500 unvaccinated outpatients in Brazil. All of the patients tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2 and were deemed to be at high risk for a severe case… read on > read on >
Women’s symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may vary with their menstrual cycle, which could have implications for diagnosis and treatment, researchers say. Their study included 40 women between 18 and 33 years of age who had PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as sexual violence or a serious injury. “For women… read on > read on >
A boxed warning and a checklist of risks that must be shared with patients is among the new breast implant safety measures announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. As the FDA “continues to evaluate the overall effects of breast implants in patients, today’s actions help ensure that all patients receive the… read on > read on >
New research in mice may provide clues to age-related hair loss in men and women. Scientists found that as hair stem cells in mice age, they lose the stickiness that keeps them secured inside the hair follicle. This allows the stem cells to drift away from the follicle. “The result is fewer and fewer stem… read on > read on >
Why do some people refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19? The biggest driver of that decision is a belief that the virus poses no threat to them, a new international study suggests. The researchers said their findings could help guide efforts to fight future pandemics. The investigators examined… read on > read on >
A deal for Merck’s COVID-19 pill to be made and sold cheaply in poor nations has been reached with Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed nonprofit organization. The royalty-free license means that companies in 105 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, can sublicense the formulation for the antiviral pill molnupiravir and start making it, the… read on > read on >
Anti-vaxxers felt their suspicions confirmed when former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell died from COVID-19 complications in mid-October despite being fully vaccinated. But Powell, 84, was being treated for blood cancer at the time of his death, and a new study reports that the COVID vaccines are producing little to no protection for some… read on > read on >
Severely immunocompromised people may require a fourth mRNA coronavirus shot, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The agency didn’t provide an official recommendation about a fourth shot in its updated guidelines, but did say that people should talk to their doctors to determine if one is necessary, CNN reported. In August, the… read on > read on >
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