Latest Health News
- More Pregnant People Are Overdosing, and Stigma Plays a RoleThe introduction of fentanyl into the drug supply has been driving an increase in overdose deaths among the entire population, and pregnant people show these same patterns of addiction.
- HIV Infections Could Spike After Ruling on Affordable Care Act: ExpertsEnding coverage of the medication known as PrEP, which was mandated for health insurers under the Affordable Care Act, will result in at least 2,000 new HIV infections within a year, experts said.
- Patients Who Stop Weight Loss Drug Regain Weight in 5 YearsWithin 5 years of stopping the weight loss drug Wegovy, most people will regain all the weight they lost, and some people may add even more pounds, a senior official from drugmaker Novo Nordisk said at a conference Wednesday.
- 2 Types of Severe Headaches Connected to Body’s Internal ClockResearchers say they have found links between two types of headaches, migraines and cluster headaches, and the body’s internal clock, which could lead to better treatments.
- Dogs, Cats Could Lower Children's Allergy RiskA study finds that exposure to indoor cats and dogs in utero or early infancy leads to fewer allergy cases in children. Over 65,000 children were tested, and 22% who were exposed to pets had fewer food allergies than those who were not tested.
- Vaccine Trial Shows Promise Against Candida Fungal InfectionAlthough relatively rare, C. auris infections can lead to death for between 30% to 70% of those at higher risk.
- Single Bivalent COVID Booster Is Enough for Now: CDCThe CDC has updated its COVID-19 booster shot guidelines to clarify that only a single dose of the latest bivalent booster is recommended at this time.
- FDA Approves Overdose-Reversing Narcan for Over-the-Counter UseThe opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan has been approved for over-the-counter use by the FDA, the agency announced Wednesday morning.
- Study Suggests the Least Exercise People Can Do for HealthA new study found that people who take 8,000 steps a day once or twice per week get almost all the cardiovascular health benefits as people who do it almost every day.
- Negative Expectations of COVID Shots May Amplify Side EffectsPeople who had low hopes from a COVID-19 vaccine reported more negative side effects from the shots in a study released this week.
- FDA Wants to Allow More Foods to Use Salt SubstitutesThe FDA wants to start allowing salt substitutes to be used in staple foods like cheese, milk, and bread.
- Bias, Lack of Access Make Long COVID Worse for Patients of ColorAn emerging body of evidence suggests that Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to get long COVID – and more likely to have a broader range of symptoms and serious complications when they do.
- Weight Loss Benefits Persist Even After Regaining Some PoundsA new analysis gives a promising answer to the weight loss question: Is it better to have lost and gained, than never to have lost at all?
- Study Confirms Heart Disease Can Begin Without SymptomsNew research suggests many adults might have latent heart disease before any symptoms show up.
- Who Is Most Likely to Get Long COVID? Patient Data May TellA review finds that certain groups are more likely to get long COVID, but patients who had at least two COVID vaccine doses had a lower risk of it down the line.
- Air Pollution May Be Causing Your EczemaNew research shows that chemicals from car exhaust, wildfires, and cigarette smoke impair our skin’s ability to make healthy oil, making it susceptible to eczema.
- Most Retailers Give Receipts Containing Chemicals Like BPAMost major chain stores still give receipts that have potentially toxic chemicals on them that can easily transfer to people’s skin, a new study shows. Studies have shown possible effects on the brains of fetuses, infants, and children, plus potential links to blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and childhood behavior.
- U.S. Autism Diagnoses Trending Upward: CDC The upward trend of autism diagnoses in children continues, with 1 in 36 U.S. 8-year-olds identified as having the disorder in 2020, according to newly released CDC data.
- Anxiety, Depression Climbing Among People with IBDAt the same time, many health care providers believe that patients’ mental health needs are being met.
- New Study Links Eating Meat to Urinary Tract InfectionsAt least half a million urinary tract infections are caused by eating meat contaminated with E.coli bacteria, a new study reports.
- Restless Legs Syndrome May Boost Dementia RiskRestless legs syndrome may be a risk factor for dementia or a very early warning sign of dementia in older adults, new research hints.
- Living Near Heavy Traffic Noise Raises Blood PressureTraffic noise from horns, engines, and sirens can raise the blood pressure of people who live near it, according to a study from Great Britain published in the journal JACC: Advances.
- 'We're Struggling': Long COVID Mystery Has Doctors in the DarkThe lack of knowledge regarding long COVID makes it difficult for doctors to counsel patients on how long symptoms will last, why they are experiencing it, or what its actual cause is.
- Cases of Invasive Group Strep A Rising in Parts of CountryThe CDC says cases of invasive group A strep infections, which rose in December after a pandemic lull, have remained high so far this year, ABC News reports.
- DNA From Beethoven’s Hair Offer Clues on Composer’s AilmentsNearly 200 years after his death, researchers continue to try to grant a dying wish of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven to study his health problems. Progressive hearing loss beginning in his early 20s left him deaf at his time of death, and he complained of chronic stomach problems.
Recommended