Blood Tests for Long COVID Could Lead to Better Treatments

People who develop long COVID have distinct abnormalities in their immune and hormonal function that can be picked up with blood tests, researchers have found.

In a new study of 268 patients with and without long COVID, those with the condition showed a number of biological "markers" in their blood samples.

People with long ...

Teen Boys With High Blood Pressure Face Danger Decades Later

Teenage boys who have high blood pressure may find themselves on the road to serious heart problems in adulthood.

Swedish researchers found that boys who had high blood pressure at 18 were at risk for heart failure, heart attacks, strokes and death as adults. And the risk began when blood pressure crossed 120/80 mm Hg, a normal re...

Nurses, Health Care Staff Face Higher Suicide Risks

Nurses, health technicians and health care support workers face a higher risk of suicide than the general U.S. population does, an alarming new study shows.

Researchers pointed out these workers have to perform stressful tasks while caring for ill patients and managing heavy workloads, with little control over patient outcomes.

Not ...

Humans Outperform AI in Interpreting Chest X-Rays

AI tools may help boost radiologists’ confidence in their diagnoses, but they can't be relied on to identify common lung diseases on chest X-rays, a new study says.

Researchers pitted 72 radiologists against four commercially AI tools in an analysis of more than 2,000 X-rays. The human experts won, according to results published Sep...

About 1 in 14 U.S. Adults Have Had Long COVID

One in every 14 American adults has suffered from long COVID, a new federal survey has found.

About 7% of adults have ever had long COVID and more than 3% still have it, according to the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.

The survey, published Tuesday as an NCHS Data Brief, also found that certain groups are more likely ...

Strike a Pose: Yoga Helps Heart Failure Patients

Heart failure can make everyday activities and exercise tough to carry out, but yoga might be a beneficial add-on to standard care.

A new study from India finds this ancient practice improves quality of life and cardio functioning.

“Our patients observed improvement in systolic blood pressure and heart rate compared to patient...

Stigma, Even Harm Common When Transgender People Meet With Doctors

Transgender people have a tough time receiving adequate medical care due to issues like voyeurism, being treated as abnormal and even being denied care due to their gender identity, a new study finds.

“I would say what I read was not surprising at all, based on things I have heard from trans members,” said Tari Hanneman, director of ...

Buying Marijuana Online Easy for Minors, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The lax enforcement of age limits by many online marijuana dispensaries makes it easier for minors to buy weed, claims new research that looked at online weed sales in 32 states.

“It is imperative to require strict age-verification procedures prior to cannabis purchases online and to establish...

Pfizer Restarts Production Plant in North Carolina Following Tornado Damage in July

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) – A Pfizer plant that makes vital drugs, anesthesia and hospital supplies has restarted production after a 10-week shutdown.

The plant, located in Rocky Mount, N.C., sustained severe tornado damage on July 19, when roofs were ripped off and medications tossed around.

"This expedited restart...

Keeping Baby Safe: Follow These Tips to Lower Sleep Risks

It’s always a good time to check your baby’s sleep space.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released its annual report on the topic, showing that risks associated with nursery products continue to be high. More than 160 babies die each year related to nursery products, including in unsafe sleep environments.

...

Common Plastics Chemical Tied to Higher Odds for Postpartum Depression

Moms with higher prenatal levels of plastics chemicals known as phthalates may face a slightly increased risk of postpartum depression, according to a new study.

Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of new mothers, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. That makes it the most common post-delivery pregnancy complication.

Climate Change's Hotter Days Could Bring More Alcohol, Drug Crises

Sweltering temperatures appear to fuel drug-related hospital visits, a problem that could be worsening with climate change, a new study suggests.

“We saw that during periods of higher temperatures, there was a corresponding increase in hospital visits related to alcohol and substance use, which also brings attention to some less obvious ...

Experiment Shows Many Seniors Falling Prey to 'Impostor Scams'

Many older adults are savvy about telephone scams, but a sizable minority remain vulnerable, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when they simulated a "government impersonation" scam -- contacting seniors and pretending to be federal employees -- over two-thirds knew how to handle the situation: They ignored it.

The rest, ho...

Breast Cancer Drug Could Trigger Dangerous High Blood Sugar

For certain patients with advanced breast cancer, a drug called Piqray (alpelisib) may extend survival. But new research confirms the medication often causes seriously high blood sugar levels.

“This is a very effective drug that we should be using to treat breast cancer, but the problem is that it causes high blood sugar, which also can ...

Heat-Related Deaths Could Break Records This Year in Phoenix, America's Hottest City

Phoenix, already the hottest major city in the nation, experienced its most scorching summer on record this year, new data shows. And that will likely prompt the highest number of heat-associated deaths ever reported in the city in one year.

At this point, Maricopa County public health officials have confirmed 289 heat-associated deaths, t...

Playtime With Dad Brings Kids Better Grades at School

Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun.

A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them through reading, playing, telling stories, drawing or singing.

Resea...

Water Beads Can Expand Inside Body, Causing Kids Serious Harm. Should They Be Banned?

Ashley Haugen’s 13-month-old daughter, Kipley, woke up projectile vomiting in their Texas home one morning in July 2017.

The Haugens took her to the doctor after it became apparent she wasn’t keeping anything down. After not responding to medication, Kipley was whisked to a nearby children’s hospital for emergency surgery.

“I...

Psychotherapy May Help Ease Fibromyalgia Pain

"Talk therapy" may help people with fibromyalgia manage their chronic pain -- and alter the brain's pain-processing circuitry along the way, a new study shows.

Researchers found that after eight sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), patients with fibromyalgia felt less burdened by their pain and other symptoms in daily life. And ...

President Biden Gets COVID, Flu Shots

MONDAY, Sept. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) – President Joe Biden has been freshly vaccinated for three major respiratory viruses that could spread widely this fall and winter.

Biden got both the updated COVID booster and his annual flu shot on Friday, White House physician Kevin O’Connor wrote in a White House memo. The president received...

Surgeons Perform Transplant of Gene-Tweaked Pig Heart Into Second Patient

A second human patient has received a genetically altered pig heart as he battles the ravages of end-stage heart disease.

The 58-year-old man, Lawrence Faucette, received the pig organ at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

The medical team was the same one that performed the first pig transplant with another pati...