“Financial toxicity” caused by high cancer drug prices is harming people’s ability to fight the dreaded disease, a new report from the President’s Cancer Panel warns. The report, released Tuesday, argues that urgent action is needed to stem the growing price tags associated with new cancer drugs, particularly if the price doesn’t match the amount… read on >
Believe it or not, new research suggests that people hospitalized for a heart attack are more likely to survive when certain heart specialists are out of town. The study of more than 34,000 U.S. heart attack patients found survival rates were higher when interventional cardiologists were attending their annual conference. Those cardiologists are specialists in… read on >
A wearable heart defibrillator reduces the overall risk of early death for heart attack survivors, but not the risk of sudden cardiac death, a new study finds. The defibrillator — housed in a lightweight vest worn directly against the skin — continuously monitors the wearer’s heart. It sounds an alarm and/or verbally announces the need… read on >
Nearly half of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who should have genetic testing don’t receive it, a new study finds. Genetic testing can play an important part in deciding the best course of treatment, the University of Michigan researchers noted. The study included just over 1,700 women with early stage breast cancer who could benefit… read on >
A trip to the barbershop could hold the key to not only looking good, but also feeling good. A new study finds that having pharmacists deliver blood pressure care in neighborhood barbershops resulted in lower blood pressure readings for many black men. The study included 319 black men with high blood pressure who frequented 52… read on >
Poorer Americans with anal cancer — a highly treatable disease — are more likely to die than wealthier patients, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed 2004-2013 data from 9,550 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Each year, 8,200 cases are diagnosed in the United States, and more than 1,000 people die of the… read on >
Most people seem comfortable with their health care providers asking about their sexual orientation and gender identity, a new study finds. The finding comes on the heels of earlier research that indicated many health care providers believed that such questions would offend patients. The new study involved nearly 500 patients being seen for the first… read on >
Wild animals typically avoid human contact, but they may attack if they feel threatened, are sick or are protecting their young. Attacks by pets are more common, but are rarely life-threatening, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says. The agency suggests how to help prevent animal bites: Never pet, handle or feed unknown animals. Leave… read on >
Students who feel a like they belong at school have a greater chance of doing well and staying there, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Research confirms that children who feel “connected” to school are more likely to get better grades, stay in school longer, have higher test scores and are less… read on >
Come Sunday morning, the clocks will jump ahead one hour, but experts say there are ways to take the sting out of that lost hour of sleep. “Setting the clock ahead in the spring is harder than sleeping an extra hour in the fall,” said Dr. Steven Feinsilver, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine… read on >
