Heart attack victims over age 65 are less likely than younger patients to receive timely intervention to open their blocked heart arteries, researchers say. That finding came as a result of preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quailty of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2019. The event is a global exchange of… Continue reading Heart-Attack Patients Over 65 Are Treated Differently
Author: Jane Farrell
A Deadly Ingredient in Well Water
Drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic may lead to thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber in young adults, according to new research. This is a structural change that increases the risk for future heart problems. The study appeared in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association (AHA) journal. “People drinking water from private… Continue reading A Deadly Ingredient in Well Water
Can Gout Treatment Reduce Complications of Obesity-Related Type 2 Diabetes?
Researchers who performed a small study have found that the drug colchicine, used to treat the arthritic condition gout, could potentially reduce complications accompanying metabolic syndrome, a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The discovery was made by investigators… Continue reading Can Gout Treatment Reduce Complications of Obesity-Related Type 2 Diabetes?
Emergency Readiness for People with Alzheimer’s
People with Alzheimer’s disease can be especially vulnerable during disasters like severe weather, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other emergency situations. It is important for caregivers to have a disaster plan that includes the special needs of people with Alzheimer’s, whose impairments in memory and reasoning severely limit their ability to act appropriately in crises. The… Continue reading Emergency Readiness for People with Alzheimer’s
FDA Testing Frozen Berries for Viruses
Although frozen berries should be cooked before using, some people still skip that step, increasing their risk of exposure to harmful viruses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported three hepatitis A virus outbreaks and one norovirus outbreak linked to frozen berries in the United States from 1997 to 2016. As a result, the… Continue reading FDA Testing Frozen Berries for Viruses
What You Need to Know about The Best Diet of 2019
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about what we should eat to stay healthy. With so much contradiction, it’s hard to know which foods are best. But recently, U.S. News & World Report set the record straight when it named the Mediterranean-style eating pattern the Best Diet Overall alongside the DASH diet (an… Continue reading What You Need to Know about The Best Diet of 2019
Could Another Drug Fight Opioid Misuse?
Researchers are testing an experimental drug aimed at treating cravings associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). The trial has begun at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research, conducted on healthy adults, will analyze the safety of the experimental compound, ANS-6637, and how it is processed in the body when… Continue reading Could Another Drug Fight Opioid Misuse?
How Many Calories? Keep An Eye on The Menu
Food and beverages consumed away from home make up one third of our daily intake, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Furthermore, the FDA says, research shows that people often underestimate the number of calories they’re taking in when they eat out. Since May of 2018, the FDA has required certain types… Continue reading How Many Calories? Keep An Eye on The Menu
Is Telemedicine The Best Choice for KIds?
Doctors who have “telemedicine” visits with pediatric patients prescribe antibiotics more often than do urgent-care clinics or regular office visits, according to new research. Many health insurance companies offer coverage for “direct-to-consumer” telemedicine visits, in which people use their personal devices to connect with doctors. These types of visits are becoming more common for both… Continue reading Is Telemedicine The Best Choice for KIds?
When a Person with Alzheimer’s Starts Rummaging
It is not unusual for someone with Alzheimer’s disease to start rummaging or searching through cabinets, drawers, closets, the refrigerator, and other places where things are stored. He or she also may hide items around the house. This can be annoying or even dangerous for the caregiver or family members. If you get angry, try… Continue reading When a Person with Alzheimer’s Starts Rummaging
Kids and High Blood Pressure
New guidelines that classified more children as having elevated blood pressure are better at predicting which kids are likely to develop heart disease when they reach adulthood, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. The guidelines were issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2017 and endorsed by the… Continue reading Kids and High Blood Pressure
Want to Learn A New Skill? Try Taking Some Short Breaks
People may solidify the memory of skills they have just learned if they take a short rest immediately afterward, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The researchers said that the results of the study, published in the journal Current Biology, highlighted the critical role that rest may play in learning. “Everyone thinks you… Continue reading Want to Learn A New Skill? Try Taking Some Short Breaks
Fact or Fiction: What to Know about Smoking Cessation and Medication
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, resulting in more than 480,000 deaths annually. Almost 70 percent of current smokers report wanting to quit smoking, but quitting can be hard and often takes multiple attempts. A variety of medications approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are… Continue reading Fact or Fiction: What to Know about Smoking Cessation and Medication
Study: Many Heart Attack Patients May Be Needlessly Treated in ICU
Many patients who suffer a type of heart attack known as an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), despite a relatively low risk of developing a complication requiring ICU care, according to a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. A STEMI is caused by a blocked blood supply… Continue reading Study: Many Heart Attack Patients May Be Needlessly Treated in ICU
How to Battle Rosacea Flare-Ups
Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness to form across the nose and cheeks. According to dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), a number of factors — including sunlight, stress, and many foods and beverages — can play a role in worsening rosacea symptoms. In addition to seeing a dermatologist for… Continue reading How to Battle Rosacea Flare-Ups
New Treatment for MS Approved
A new treatment has been approved to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. The oral treatment, Mavenclad, is approved for treating relapsing-remitting forms of the illness as well as active secondary progressive disease. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which approved Mavenclad, said that it is not recommended for MS patients… Continue reading New Treatment for MS Approved
Affordable Health Care Coverage and Heart Disease
Counties in states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had fewer deaths annually from heart disease compared to areas that did not expand Medicaid, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2019. Medicaid expansion under the ACA, which began in… Continue reading Affordable Health Care Coverage and Heart Disease
The Search for a Universal Flu Vaccine
Researchers will begin testing on human subjects a universal influenza vaccine that would, with one shot, combat various flu strains, including those that could cause a pandemic. The experimental vaccine, known as H1ssF_3928, was developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).… Continue reading The Search for a Universal Flu Vaccine