Ever been caught in small-talk you secretly wanted to end? So has nearly everyone else, according to new research that finds that both partners in a conversation often want it to end sooner than it does. The flip side is often true, as well. Study author Adam Mastroianni said that his team was “surprised to… read on > read on >
Wider use of prescription generic drugs could save Medicare nearly $2 billion a year, researchers say. The new analysis of Medicare Part D prescription drug claims for 2017 used a random 20% of beneficiaries, 224 drugs with one or more generic substitutes and at least 1,000 claims. Medicare Part D accounts for roughly one-third of… read on > read on >
Two new studies suggest that the jury is still out on whether the arthritis drug tocilizumab helps those with severe COVID-19. Both reports were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The first, from scientists at the University of California, San Diego, found tocilizumab didn’t improve outcomes or reduce the risk of death… read on > read on >
Could endless hours spent scrolling through social media and watching TV trigger binge eating in preteens? Apparently so, new research suggests. “Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television,” said study author Dr. Jason Nagata. He is an assistant… read on > read on >
When temperatures rise, people with multiple sclerosis need to keep cool. Heat sensitivity is a hallmark of the central nervous system disorder. So, what happens when warm weather spikes become more frequent because of climate change? More MS patients end up in the emergency room. A new study found that during periods of unusually warm… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine, adding a third weapon to the arsenal the United States is building to battle the pandemic. The overall effectiveness of the J&J vaccine in protecting recipients against any case of COVID-19 (66%) is not as high as… read on > read on >
Don’t skip your breast cancer screening mammogram. This is the overarching message of an extended study of more than a half-million Swedish women. Those who missed even one recommended screening mammogram were more likely to die from breast cancer, the study found. The new findings — which appear March 2 in the journal Radiology —… read on > read on >
For Morgan Compton, 7, who has attended school remotely for nearly a year, the stress of the pandemic manifests itself in meltdowns. On one particular day, Morgan “threw a fit and decided to go upstairs,” said her mother, Tracy Compton. Hearing the sound of his daughter’s tears, Compton’s husband, John, who also works from home,… read on > read on >
(Healthday News) — The United States will stick with its plan to give millions of Americans two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday. The nation’s top infectious diseases expert told the Washington Post that shifting to a single-dose strategy for those two vaccines could leave people less protected,… read on > read on >
Young drivers who cruise down the highway with a cellphone in hand probably exhibit other risky behind-the-wheel behaviors, a new study suggests. Talking or texting on a smartphone while driving correlates with a whole range of dangerous driving practices for many young, novice drivers — from intoxicated driving to speeding, unsafely passing other vehicles or… read on > read on >
