U.S. Prisoners Face Higher Odds of Dying From Cancer

MONDAY, Sept. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Here's another reason to stay out of jail: New research shows the risk of dying from cancer is sharply higher among those who are behind bars or have been recently released.

In Connecticut prisons, where the data for this study were gathered, the average age for a cancer diagnos...

Pfizer, Moderna Seek Approval of New COVID Boosters for Kids

Both Pfizer and Moderna have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve their updated coronavirus boosters for children.

The "bivalent" shots, like those that adults were able to start receiving this month, target both the original coronavirus and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Pfizer has asked the FDA for approv...

Freezing Eggs Doesn't Make Future Pregnancy a Done Deal

While an increasing number of women are freezing their eggs with the hope of having a baby later, a new study shows there are no guarantees.

Being younger when having the egg retrieval procedure and freezing more eggs tends to lead to more success, according to the research done at New York University Langone Fertility Center, in New York...

Use of Frozen Embryos Tied to Higher Odds for Dangerous Complication of Pregnancy

Frozen embryos appear to be linked with a significantly higher risk of dangerously high blood pressure for the woman in pregnancies achieved through in vitro fertilization, a major new study reports.

Expectant moms were 74% more likely to develop high blood pressure if her pregnancy resulted from a frozen embryo, as opposed to a fresh embr...

AHA News: Genetics May Explain Rare Heart Inflammation in Some Young People

Gene abnormalities may make some people more susceptible to myocarditis, a rare type of heart inflammation that can affect young people and athletes, a large new study shows.

The findings, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, could partially answer why otherwise healthy young people sometimes develop a co...

Biking While High on Meth, Opioids Is Sending Thousands to ER

MONDAY, Sept. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Biking while stoned leads to thousands of serious crashes each year, a new study suggests.

Between 2019 and 2020 alone, more than 11,000 people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for injuries that happened as they rode a bicycle while high on methamphetamine, marijuana or opio...

Thousands of U.S. Kids Have Died Riding ATVs, Many More Sent to ERs

MONDAY, Sept. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric surgeon Dr. Rony Marwan has seen way too many kids who have been seriously injured in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents.

"My kids are not allowed to ride in ATVs because of the horrific things I have seen," said Marwan, who works at University of Missouri Health Care...

CDC Says Universal Masking Can Be Dropped in Some Nursing Homes, Hospitals

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its universal masking recommendation for nursing homes and hospitals, unless those health care institutions are in areas seeing high levels of COVID-19 transmission.

The change is part of updated guidelines published by the CDC on Friday.

Still, due to high COVID rates on...

Big Drop Seen in Drug Treatment Admissions During Pandemic

MONDAY, Sept. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Admissions to drug treatment programs declined sharply during the pandemic's first year, likely explaining a later surge in fatal overdoses.

Among people of color, admissions dropped nearly 25%, a RAND Corp. study found.

This is one possible reason for the recent surge in drug overdose deat...

Scent of a Human: What Draws Mosquitoes to People's Skin

Just as a person might be drawn to a particular scent, so, too, are mosquitoes.

The pesky insects may be attracted to a chemical cocktail of odors emanating from the skin, according to a new study.

The draw is a combination of carbon dioxide plus two chemicals, 2-ketoglutaric and lactic acid, researchers said. The chemical cocktail...

Study Points to Jobs With Highest Risk for ALS

People who work in manufacturing, welding and chemical operations and are exposed to hazardous chemicals may face a higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study found.

"This study shows that certain occupational settings and exposures increase one’s chances of developing ALS," said first author Dr. Stephen G...

Gut Microbiome Could Play Role in MS

Scientists have been looking to the microbiome, and its numerous gut bacteria, as an area of research with plenty of potential for finding connections to various diseases.

Now, scientists have found evidence of significant differences between the gut bacteria of individuals who have multiple sclerosis (MS) and those of healthy patients in ...

Reusing Contact Lenses Raises Odds for Rare Eye Infection

Although wearing reusable contact lenses is generally safe, it can be associated with a greater risk of a rare eye infection, new British research shows.

In the study, people who wore reusable contact lenses were nearly four times more likely to develop the infection called keratitis (AK) than those who wore daily disposable lenses. Risks...

Talking to a Loved One About a Move to Assisted Living

It can be hard to talk to your loved ones about moving into assisted living, so don't push them too hard and make sure they feel safe and comfortable with the idea, one expert advises.

"Start the conversation as early as possible, and focus on what matters,” said Dr. Angela Catic. She's a geriatrician and associate professor in the Roy M...

Japan to Drop COVID Restrictions, Ease Entry for Tourists

FRIDAY, Sept. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Japan announced plans Thursday to relax tight COVID travel restrictions, making it easier for tourists to return to the country.

Independent tourists can begin traveling to Japan on Oct. 11. Some tour groups had already been allowed. The country will also end a cap on tourist numbers, as well as ...

Type 1 Diabetes Is Tougher on Girls Than Boys: Study

FRIDAY, Sept. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Girls with type 1 diabetes may fare worse than boys when it comes to blood sugar control and other critical aspects of their health, a new research review finds.

The review of 90 published studies by researchers in the Netherlands found some consistent patterns in h...

Knee Trouble? Losing Weight May Help Slow Arthritis

FRIDAY, Sept. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Losing excess weight may not only help prevent knee arthritis, but also slow its progression in people who already have the condition, a recent study suggests.

Researchers found that among over 9,000 middle-aged and older adults, those who managed to shed some extra weight benef...

4.4 Million Americans Have Gotten Updated COVID Boosters

At least 4.4 million Americans have received the updated COVID-19 booster shot.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday as public health experts decried President Joe Biden's televised claim that "the pandemic is over."

The White House estimates that more than 5 million people have actually recei...

Not Just Obesity: Everyone May Have a 'Fat Threshold' for Type 2 Diabetes

FRIDAY, Sept. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- If you are one of the millions of people with type 2 diabetes, losing weight can help reverse the blood sugar disease even if you aren’t overweight or obese, new research reveals.

Here's the proof: 70% of people with type 2 diabetes who were a normal weight during the study we...

America's ER Docs Alarmed by Rising Violence From Patients

The stories grabbed headlines during the pandemic: Violent episodes in U.S. emergency rooms where patients attacked doctors.

Now, a new poll shows just how widespread the problem has become: Two-thirds of emergency physicians reported being assaulted in the past year alone, while more than one-third of respondents said they have been assau...