Even though it’s the end of February, it’s still not too late to get a flu shot, doctors say. This flu season is one of the worst seen in the United States in years. Flu-linked hospitalizations were still rising earlier this month, and 84 children have died from flu complications so far, according to government… read on >
Children who’ve had surgery to repair defective hearts are more likely to die or require longer hospitalizations if they live in poorer neighborhoods, a new study suggests. The disparities between affluent and poor children persisted even though all were treated at the same major hospitals, the researchers said. And those disparities were only partially explained… read on >
Women don’t need to have blocked arteries to experience a heart attack, a new study points out. Blocked arteries are a main cause of heart attack in men, according to researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. They found, though, that about 8 percent of women who have chest pain but no blocked arteries… read on >
The number of uninsured American adults held steady at about 13 percent in 2017, but many more insured Americans are being presented with high deductibles, new research shows. A high-deductible health plan was defined by the study as one in which a single person would have an annual deductible of $1,300 or more, and a… read on >
Many of us make choices about whether to eat healthy or not-so-healthy foods based on whether we’re in a good or not-so-good mood. When a bad mood strikes, we often tend to reach for junk food. And that can be a recipe for disaster when you’re trying to lose weight. Here’s how to keep your… read on >
Cramps are a better-known symptom of a woman’s period, but about 20 percent of women are also prone to migraine headaches during menstruation. The Office on Women’s Health suggests seeing a doctor if you have any of these symptoms during menstruation: Your headaches change. Treatments that once worked no longer help. You have side effects… read on >
Researchers say they are one step closer to testing a heroin vaccine in humans — in what they hope will become an additional weapon in fighting America’s opioid epidemic. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, in California, have developed an experimental vaccine that appears safe and effective in animals. It also has a long enough… read on >
There’s some good news for expecting moms who are trying to weather a brutal flu season — a new study shows that getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy causes no harm to newborns. Researchers reviewed records on more than 400,000 infants born between 2004 and 2014, and found no increased risk of infant hospitalization or… read on >
Smokers who think cigars or pipes are somehow safer than cigarettes may want to think again, new research indicates. The study tracked the health and habits of more than 357,000 Americans from 1985 to 2011. It found that, compared to people who had never smoked, people who regularly smoked only cigarettes had double the risk… read on >
An electronic health record, or EHR, is the digital version of the paper records documenting your health care. These online records are an advance in health management in many ways. These records mean fewer and shorter forms to fill out at appointments. Your information gets to all of your providers so they can coordinate your… read on >
