A federal website intended to help people choose a nursing home not only contains inaccurate information, but those inaccuracies appear to be at least partially driven by race, a new study reports. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Nursing Home Care Compare website in the 1990s to publicly report patient… read on > read on >
Smallpox vaccines, which were routinely given into the 1970s, seem to provide protection from mpox, a new study says. The mpox virus, responsible for a worldwide outbreak last year, could surge again this summer, public health experts have warned. It was previously called monkeypox. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden wondered whether the smallpox… read on > read on >
Older Americans are increasingly likely to log into “patient portals” to access their health care information — but confidence levels vary. About 78% of people aged 50 to 80 now use at least one patient portal, according to the new University of Michigan (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging. Five years ago, just 51% in… read on > read on >
When it comes to diagnosing sleep apnea, current screening methods may put Black patients at a disadvantage, new research suggests. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep. An initial screening tool might be an overnight pulse oximeter test — a small device clipped on to a fingertip… read on > read on >
Social media presents a “profound risk” to young brains, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned on Tuesday. In a report, Murthy warned about the risks of social media use for young people and called on policymakers, tech companies, researchers and parents to “urgently take action.” “There are ample indicators that social media can also… read on > read on >
It was a no-brainer for New York City mom Jen L. when a pediatrician suggested that she vaccinate her two sons against human papillomavirus (HPV). “Before my kids were eligible for the vaccine, I had read up on it to learn about the vaccine and its positives in general, and also to learn if there… read on > read on >
About 7 in 10 American parents are concerned that social media trends related to appearance and editing apps and filters are harming their children’s body image, a new survey shows. Among those polled, about 69% of parents expressed worry about these editing apps and filters, which can completely change the look of someone’s face and… read on > read on >
A new study finds that while hydrocortisone on its own may not prevent death from sepsis, it can improve survival when combined with other steroids while eliminating the need for vasopressor drugs. Vasopressor medications help raise blood pressure when it’s so low that you can’t get enough blood to your organs. Doctor often deliver these… read on > read on >
Many seniors skip or stretch prescription medications due to costs despite being insured by Medicare, a new U.S. study finds. Roughly 20% of older adults reported taking less medication than prescribed or not taking medication because of cost, the researchers found. “We also found that most respondents wanted to talk with their doctors about medication… read on > read on >
Millions of women practice douching for what they think are its health benefits, but exactly what is douching and is it really safe? Here, experts warn that it may do more harm than good, and advise you about what you can do instead of douching. What is douching? Vaginal douching comes from the French word… read on > read on >
