People who are prescribed opioid painkillers after receiving a heart pacemaker or defibrillator may be at risk for opioid abuse — and the higher the initial dose, the greater the risk, according to a new study. “The significance of this study is to make other electrophysiologists aware that even a low-risk procedure like a pacemaker… read on > read on >
Americans who are vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 should have enough antibody protection to prevent severe illness if they become infected with the new Omicron variant, White House COVID response officials said Tuesday. Omicron has caused concern among medical experts due to a “large number of mutations, around 50, much larger than previous variants,” including… read on > read on >
The first wave of girls to receive the HPV vaccine are much less likely to contract or die from cervical cancer than women just a few years older, a new study reports. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), for which a vaccine has been available since 2006. Cervical cancer… read on > read on >
Several Old Spice and Secret aerosol spray antiperspirants and hygiene products have been voluntarily recalled in the United States due to the presence of the cancer-causing chemical benzene, Proctor & Gamble says. Benzene exposure can occur by inhalation, orally and through the skin. It can lead to cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the… read on >
Pfizer Inc. is expected to seek approval this week for emergency use of its booster shots among American teens ages 16-17. Sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could give the green light in about a week, which would make the Pfizer booster shot the… read on > read on >
Besides its terrible impact on mental health, postpartum depression can also bring long-term financial struggles to affected women, new research shows. “These findings highlight the importance of screening and expanding access to mental health support services for low-income pregnant and postpartum women,” said study author Slawa Rokicki, an instructor at Rutgers School of Public Health… read on > read on >
Vaccines and masks will be the United States’ first line of defense against the new Omicron variant, not lockdowns or border closures, President Joe Biden told the nation Monday. “If people are vaccinated and wear their mask, there’s no need for lockdowns,” Biden said, noting that vaccinated people who’ve gotten a booster shot are expected… read on > read on >
Hopes for an easing of the pandemic were dealt a major setback over the Thanksgiving weekend, with news that a variant first spotted in southern Africa carries a multiplicity of mutations that might make it resistant to approved vaccines. At an emergency meeting convened Friday by the World Health Organization, the agency dubbed the variant,… read on > read on >
As concerns about the new Omicron variant grow, vaccine makers say they’re already working on ways to protect people against the potential new threat. Pfizer said it and its partner BioNTech could develop and produce a “tailor-made vaccine” in about 100 days if a “vaccine-escape” variant emerges, NBC News reported. Meanwhile, Moderna said it was… read on > read on >
Worried about climate change? You can do something about it every time you lift your fork, a new study suggests. Folks can reduce their personal carbon footprint by eating less red meat, nibbling fewer sweets and cutting back on tea, coffee and booze, according to the findings. “We all want to do our bit to… read on > read on >
