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Researchers believe that stress and cardiovascular health are linked in some way, but the association is not yet fully clear. A large-scale new study has recently delved into the effects of a unique kind of stress. Share on PinterestBalancing work and family life puts a strain on women’s heart health. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), stress may affect factors that increase the risk of heart disease, including blood pressure and cholesterol level. One major source of stress is the workplace. In fact, a 2015 review of 27 studies that appeared in the journal Current Cardiology Reports found an association between work stress and a “moderately elevated risk of incident coronary heart disease and stroke.” However, one type of stress that researchers often leave out of studies is that felt by a person who needs to simultaneously balance the demands of work and family life. Examining this in more depth may eventually help health professionals better identify and treat cardiovascular issues. This is according to the authors of the new study, which now appears in the Journal of the American Heart Association. What is work-family conflict? Cardiovascular diseases are currently the leading cause of death worldwide, say the World […]
We already have vaccines that prevent influenza, but there is a catch. Specialists have to keep creating vaccines that target specific flu strains if they want this preventive strategy to be effective. Can scientists create one flu vaccine to rule them all? Is a universal flu vaccine on the way? Influenza — which people commonly refer to as “the flu” — is one of the most widespread illnesses worldwide. Two virus strains — influenza virus strain A and strain B — are responsible for the flu. This disease has led to between 9.3 million and 49 million estimated cases of illness each year since 2010 in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As there are different viral strains, and each strain has many different subtypes, doctors must administer the correct vaccine each time. They need to use one that targets the specific strains and subtypes that are circulating in the population for this preventive approach to be successful. So far, there has been no “universal vaccine” that can target all influenza viruses effectively. But are researchers getting closer to developing one? A team of investigators from the Icahn School of Medicine at […]
Essential oils are concentrated extracts of various plants. Practitioners use them in natural and alternative health practices, such as aromatherapy and naturopathy. Many plants contain some potentially helpful compounds. However, in many cases, there is not enough evidence to suggest their use as a treatment or cure for ailments. In this article, learn more about the uses, benefits, and potential side effects of essential oils. Share on PinterestCold pressing and water distillation are two ways that manufacturers extract essential oils. Essential oils are liquid extracts of various potentially beneficial plants. Manufacturing processes can extract the useful compounds from these plants. Essential oils often have a much stronger smell than the plants they come from and contain higher levels of active ingredients. This has to do with the amount of plant matter required to make essential oil. There are different ways that manufacturers extract the essential oils, including: Steam or water distillation. This process passes water or hot steam through the plants, pulling the essential compounds away from the plant matter. Cold pressing. This process works by mechanically pressing or squeezing plant matter to cause it to release essential juices or oils. A simple example of this would be smelling the […]
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You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
A new study suggests that drinking small amounts of alcohol frequently rather than having infrequent bouts of binge drinking is more likely to increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. Share on PinterestNew research suggests that drinking daily may harm the heart’s regular rhythm more than binge drinking. “Recommendations about alcohol consumption have focused on reducing the absolute amount rather than the frequency,” says study author Dr. Jong-Il Choi, a professor in the department of internal medicine at the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul. “Our study suggests that drinking less often may also be important to protect against atrial fibrillation,” he adds. Prof. Choi, who also works at the Korea University Anam Hospital in Seoul, and his colleagues report their findings in a recent EP Europace study paper. A-fib is the most common form of heart arrhythmia, a condition in which the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or in an irregular way. Prof. Choi observes that “atrial fibrillation is a disease with multiple dreadful complications and significantly impaired quality of life.” The common symptoms of A-fib include an irregular or fast pulse, palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, […]
New research casts fresh light on the chronic pain mechanisms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), promising new and more effective treatments for the condition. New research brings hope for new chronic pain treatments in IBS. Between 25 and 45 million people in the United States are living with IBS, and up to 15% of the world’s population may have the condition. The most common IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel movements. Although other symptoms can accompany the illness, chronic pain is a key marker of the condition. So what causes chronic pain in IBS? This is the question that researchers from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, set out to investigate in the hope that a better understanding of pain will lead to better treatments. As it stands, there is no cure for IBS, and the most common pain relievers are opioids. This is despite the lack of evidence that opioids can help in the long run and their addiction risks. Professor Stuart Brierley, who is also a Matthew Flinders Research Fellow in Gastrointestinal Neuroscience, is the senior author of the new study, which appears in the journal JCI Insight. Itch receptors in skin also explain gut […]
New research in mice suggests that ketogenic diets with a very high fat content could actually worsen skin inflammation. The team now urges people with psoriasis to avoid such diets. Do certain ketogenic diets worsen skin inflammation? Ketogenic, or keto, diets are high in fats and low in carbohydrates. People often use such diets for weight loss, as they stimulate the body to enter ketosis. This is a state in which the body starts burning fat for energy rather than carbohydrates, as it naturally would. Some studies suggest that keto diets may help manage the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and protect against cognitive decline, and doctors sometimes advise people with epilepsy to follow a keto diet to reduce the frequency of seizures. However, keto diets also come with some risks and side effects, such as flu-like symptoms and skin rashes. Now, a study in mouse models with psoriasis-like skin inflammation suggests that some keto diets — those that are highest in fats — could actually exacerbate such skin problems. The study authors — from Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, Austria — report their findings in a paper that appears in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. “This study leads to […]
Latest Diet & Weight Management News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adults who pack on pounds between their mid-20s and middle age have an increased risk of premature death — and the same is true of those who lose weight from middle to late adulthood, according to a new study. The findings suggest that maintaining normal weight throughout adulthood reduces the risk of early death, the China-based researchers said. They analyzed data from more than 36,000 adults, 40 and older, who were part of a U.S. health survey in 1988-1994 and 1999-2014. Participants’ weight and height were checked at the start of the survey, and weight was reported at age 25 and in middle age (average age: 47). Over an average 12 years, there were 10,500 deaths from any cause. After taking other factors into account, researchers concluded that people who were obese throughout adulthood had the highest risk of early death. Those who were overweight throughout adulthood had a slightly higher risk or none. Those who gained weight as adults had a higher risk of premature death than those who maintained a normal weight. Weight loss in young to middle adulthood was not significantly related with death […]
What is Zoloft (sertraline)? What is its mechanism of action? Sertraline belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Other drugs in this class are: Is Zoloft available in generic form? Yes. What doses are available for Zoloft? Fluoxetine is available as capsules: 10, 20 and 40 mg. Capsules (delayed release): 90 mg. Tablets: 10, 20 and 60 mg. Oral suspension: 20 mg/5ml How should Zoloft be stored? Fluoxetine should be stored at room temperature 15 C to 30 C (59 F to 86 F). What are the side effects of Zoloft? ZOLOFT SIDE EFFECTS WARNING: As demonstrated in short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children and adolescents with depression and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of Zoloft or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need for the antidepressant. Patients who are started on therapy should be closely observed for clinical worsening, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior. Zoloft side effects: The most common side effects of Zoloft are: Possible serious side effects of Zoloft include: Important side effects are irregular heartbeats, allergic reactions and activation of […]
Septic arthritis (infectious arthritis) facts Septic arthritis is infection of one or more joints by microorganisms. Septic arthritis can be caused by fungal, viral, and bacterial infections. Risks for the development of septic arthritis include a patient taking immune-suppression medicines, intravenous drug abuse, past joint disease, injury or surgery, and underlying medical illnesses, including diabetes, alcoholism, sickle cell disease, rheumatic diseases, and immune deficiency disorders. With septic arthritis, patients may experience symptoms and signs that include By identifying infected joint fluid, doctors may make a diagnosis of this type of arthritis. Septic arthritis treatment requires a patient to take antibiotics and a health care professional to drain the infected joint fluid from the joint. What is septic arthritis? Septic, or infectious, arthritis is infection of one or more joints by microorganisms. Normally, the joint is lubricated with a small amount of fluid that is referred to as synovial fluid or joint fluid. The normal joint fluid is sterile and, if removed and cultured in the laboratory, no microbes will be detected. With this form of arthritis, microbes are identifiable in an affected joint’s fluid. Most commonly, infectious arthritis affects a single joint, but occasionally more joints are involved. The joints […]
Latest Arthritis News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Ever hear your joints clicking, creaking or crunching? Now, researchers say a new technique that listens closely to knees may help doctors diagnose and monitor osteoarthritis. In the new study, researchers attached small microphones to participants’ knees, which allowed them to listen for high-frequency sounds as the person repeatedly stood up and sat down again. Computer analysis of the sounds then provided information about the health of the knee, the study authors explained. This study is the first to assess this technique in a large number of people with knee osteoarthritis. It was found to distinguish between healthy knees and those afflicted by this “wear-and-tear” form of arthritis. The findings move the technique a step closer to use by doctors and in research, according to the report published Oct. 16 in the journal PLOS ONE. “This work is very exciting because it involves scientists and clinicians working together as a team to develop an entirely new approach,” said project leader John Goodacre. He’s an emeritus professor at Lancaster University, in the United Kingdom. “Potentially, this could transform ways in which knee osteoarthritis is managed. It will enable better diagnosis, and […]
(HealthDay News) — Many doctors encourage seniors to use brain fitness games as a means to help deal with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases, says SeniorLiving.org. Latest Alzheimer’s News While research remains inconclusive, there appears to be a correlation between brain games and brain health. The website says brain games that may help seniors include: Memory games, such as Match and Simon. Word games, such as word searches and Scrabble. Electronic games, such as Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud. Board games, such as Chess and Checkers. Interactive Wii and X-Box games. Trivia games, such as Trivial Pursuit. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. QUESTION One of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is __________________. See Answer
By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Could your personality as a teen forecast your risk for dementia a half-century later? Very possibly, say researchers, who found that dementia risk is lower among seniors who were calm, mature and energetic high schoolers. “Being calm and mature as teen were each associated with roughly a 10% reduction in adult dementia risk,” said study co-author Kelly Peters, principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C. “And vigor was associated with a 7% reduction.” The finding has its origins in the 1960s, when more than 82,000 students in roughly 1,200 U.S. high schools took a personality test. More than 50 years later, their personality traits were compared to dementia diagnoses. While Peters said there’s plenty of evidence that personality changes near the time of a dementia diagnosis, the lingering question has been whether personality or some aspects of it actually causes dementia. “That’s the big question,” she said. “Is it only that personality can be affected by dementia? Is it just an expression of the disease?” By focusing on teens who didn’t later develop dementia, Peters said, “this study really starts to tease […]
New research shows that an innovative strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease has proven successful in neurons that derive from people living with the condition. Parkinson’s disease affects dopamine producing neurons, illustrated here. Dr. Dimitri Krainc, chair of neurology and director of the Center for Neurogenetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, is the last and corresponding author of the study, which appears in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition affecting more than 1 million people in the United States and 4 million adults or more across the world. Although most Parkinson’s cases occur in people without a family history of the disease, understanding the genetic risk factors is critical. This fact is true because, even in such “sporadic” cases, the inheritance pattern may still exist — although it may be unknown. Furthermore, when genetic mutations do raise the risk of Parkinson’s, “the inheritance pattern is usually unknown,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Alterations in the GBA1 gene, in particular, are “important risk factors” for the development of Parkinson’s disease. The GBA1 gene encodes the so-called lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), an enzyme that is key for normal neuronal function. […]
(HealthDay News) — Not all vacations are created equally. Studies show that the happiness gleaned from a vacation is dependent on how stressful it is, says Harvard Business Review. Latest Travel Health News It found that 94 percent of people have as much or more energy after a positive trip. To create a positive vacation, HBR recommends: Ask for help when figuring out details, such as transportation. Plan more than one month in advance. Travel far from home. “Staycations” tend to be less meaningful. Meet someone knowledgeable at the destination. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW 17 Everyday Ways to Ease Depression See Slideshow
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Skin News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Stocking up on the latest beauty products can be costly. Is it possible to save money and still put your best face forward? You may luck out and find things on sale at reputable retailers. But beware of prices that seem too good to be true on the internet or from sellers that may not be around tomorrow, like a flea market vendor. Buy these products and you may end up with more trouble than you bargained for. That’s what happened earlier this year to a 47-year-old California woman. She was semi-comatose for weeks after using a Pond’s-labeled skin cream purchased in Mexico. Turns out the product had been adulterated with mercury. The levels of mercury in her blood were 500 times the normal amount, according to published reports. Pond’s noted in a statement that it does not use mercury in its products. The company is working with authorities investigating this product-tampering. “Illegitimate sales, product tampering and reselling are beauty industry issues that deserve close attention and consumer awareness,” the statement said. Fortunately, most incidents of cosmetic counterfeiting or product tampering aren’t as serious. But if […]
What is the treatment for athlete’s foot? Since there is no single cause for athlete’s foot there is no single treatment. Nevertheless, all causes of this condition benefit by promoting a dry, clean, and friction-free environment for the feet. Occlusive shoe materials, such as vinyl, which cause the feet to remain moist, provide an excellent area for the fungus to proliferate. Likewise, absorbent socks like cotton that wick water away from your feet may help. Some individuals who sweat excessively benefit from the application of antiperspirants like 20% aluminum chloride (Drysol). Powders can help keep your feet dry. Although counterintuitive, if your feet can be soaked in a solution of aluminum acetate (Burow’s solution or Domeboro solution) and then air dried with a fan, this can be very helpful if performed three or four times within 30 minutes. A home remedy of dilute white vinegar soaks, using one part vinegar and roughly four parts water, once or twice a day (as 10-minute foot soaks) may aid in treatment followed by evaporation can be helpful. For fungus infection, there are plenty of options. Many medications are available, including miconazole (Micatin, Zeasorb powder), econazole (Spectazole), clotrimazole (Lotrimin), terbinafine (Lamisil), naftifine (Naftin), butenafine […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest Mental Health News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The anger and fear seething throughout the United States could be having a fatal impact on some of the nation’s youngest citizens. More teens and young adults are coming to a violent end in recent years, either at their own hand or another’s, new federal data show. Both suicide and homicide death rates are rising among 10- to 24-year-olds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). “Recently, in the last few years, they’re both trending upward. Suicide began to turn upward earlier, in 2007, and now in 2014, homicide turned around as well,” said Sally Curtin, an NCHS statistician. “These are leading causes of death, and they both are increasing now.” The suicide rate for young people aged 10 to 24 rose 56% between 2007 and 2017, with the pace increasing of late, the researchers said. Suicide deaths increased 7% annually from 2013 to 2017, compared with 3% annually between 2007 and 2013, the investigators found. Meanwhile, homicide deaths among 10- to 24-year-olds rose 18% between 2014 and 2017, after nearly a decade in decline, the […]
Tylenol (acetaminophen) side effects list for healthcare professionals The following serious adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Hepatic Injury Serious Skin Reactions Allergy and Hypersensitivity Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed cannot be directly compared to rates in other clinical trials and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adult Population A total of 1,020 adult patients have received acetaminophen in clinical trials, including 37.3% (n=380) who received 5 or more doses, and 17% (n=173) who received more than 10 doses. Most patients were treated with acetaminophen 1,000 mg every 6 hours. A total of 13.1% (n=134) received acetaminophen 650 mg every 4 hours. All adverse reactions that occurred in adult patients treated with either acetaminophen or placebo in repeated dose, placebo-controlled clinical trials at an incidence = 3% and at a greater frequency than placebo are listed in Table 3. The most common adverse events in adult patients treated with acetaminophen (incidence = 5% and greater than placebo) were nausea, vomiting, headache, and insomnia. Table 3. Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Occurring = 3% in Acetaminophentreated Patients and at a greater frequency than Placebo in Placebo-Controlled, Repeated Dose […]
THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many baby foods contain toxic heavy metals that can harm brain development, according to test results released Thursday by a group called Healthy Babies Bright Futures. Latest Healthy Kids News Analyses of 168 baby foods from major U.S. manufacturers showed that 95% contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury, while one-fourth contained all four heavy metals, CNN reported. One in five had over 10 times the 1-ppb limit of lead endorsed by public health advocates, but no level of lead is considered safe. Baby foods that posed the greatest risk to brain development were rice-based products, sweet potatoes and fruit juices, CNN reported. “Even in the trace amounts found in food, these contaminants can alter the developing brain and erode a child’s IQ. The impacts add up with each meal or snack a baby eats,” according to the group of scientists, nonprofits and donors trying to reduce neurotoxic chemical exposure early in life. A previous U.S. Food and Drug Administration study detected one or more of the same metals in 33 of 39 types of baby food tested, CNN reported. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW […]
Macrobid (nitrofurantoin) side effects list for healthcare professionals In clinical trials of Macrobid, the most frequent clinical adverse events that were reported as possibly or probably drug-related were nausea (8%), headache (6%): and flatulence (1.5%). Additional clinical adverse events reported as possibly or probably drug-related occurred in less than 1% of patients studied and are listed below within each body system in order of decreasing frequency: Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, constipation, emesis Neurologic: Dizziness, drowsiness, amblyopia Respiratory: Acute pulmonary hypersensitivity reaction Allergic: Pruritus, urticaria Dermatologic: Alopecia Miscellaneous: Fever, chills, malaise The following additional clinical adverse events have been reported with the use of nitrofurantoin: Gastrointestinal: Sialadenitis, pancreatitis. There have been sporadic reports of pseudomembranous colitis with the use of nitrofurantoin. The onset of pseudomembranous colitis symptoms may occur during or after antimicrobial treatment. Neurologic: Peripheral neuropathy, which may become severe or irreversible, has occurred. Fatalities have been reported. Conditions such as renal impairment (creatinine clearance under 60 mL per minute or clinically significant elevated serum creatinine), anemia, diabetes mellitus, electrolyte imbalance, vitamin B deficiency, and debilitating diseases may increase the possibility of peripheral neuropathy. Asthenia, vertigo, and nystagmus also have been reported with the use of nitrofurantoin. Benign intracranial […]
By Karina Lichtenstein on 10/18/2019 2:44 PM Latest Infectious Disease News Source: MedicineNet Health News Runny noses, stuffy sinuses, and a cough that keeps you up at night — mucus can be annoying. But a new study from MIT shows the yucky stuff works hard to help keep you well. Compounds in mucus called glycans disarm microorganisms and inhibit infections, according to the study published this month in the journal Nature Microbiology. Glycans are sugar molecules that perform a wide variety of biological functions. How do glycans fight pathogens? According to the study, glycans inhibit bacterial communication and bust up biofilms, which are communities of bacteria involved in numerous diseases. Bacteria growing in biofilms are highly resistant to antibiotics, according to MedicineNet Chief Editor William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FAC. The MIT team led by biochemist Katharina Ribbeck studied the effect of glycans on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of opportunistic bacteria that grows in biofilms and may cause infections in those who have cystic fibrosis and other conditions. The bacteria may affect those who are immunocompromised and it is a major cause of hospital acquired infections, Dr. Shiel said. The bacteria may affect those who suffer from burns, have […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest High Blood Pressure News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A common type of blood pressure medication might be associated with an increased risk of suicide, a new study suggests. People taking angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) appear to be more likely to die by suicide, compared to those who take another type of blood pressure drug called ACE inhibitors, researchers found. Patients using ARBs had a 63% increased risk of death by suicide over people on ACE inhibitors, the findings showed. But the study could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. “There is reason for some concern,” said lead researcher Muhammad Mamdani, director of the Applied Health Research Center of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, in Toronto. “Now would I be going en masse and change everybody’s prescriptions? No, not just yet. We should have more work done in this area.” “But certainly if I had a choice as a patient, I would be choosing the ACE inhibitor over the ARB,” Mamdani concluded. ARBs and ACE inhibitors both work by interfering with the action of angiotensin II, a hormone in the body that causes blood vessels to constrict. ARBs work […]
Latest Heart News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — Joe Farrell went to retrieve an errant golf ball when he came upon another player on the ground not breathing. The man’s golfing partner was attempting CPR but not performing it properly. Joe, a physical therapist, took over. He made sure 911 was called before starting chest compressions. Paramedics arrived and revived the man after several shocks from an automated external defibrillator. “It was absolutely a big moment in my life and a very humbling event,” Joe said. He thought at the time that if he ever went into cardiac arrest, he hoped to be lucky enough to have someone nearby who could perform CPR on him. He knew CPR, especially if administered quickly, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. A year later, Joe was that lucky. Then 56, Joe was talking with fellow physical therapists during a luncheon when he lost consciousness and stopped breathing. One of the men called 911 and started chest compressions while Joe’s wife, Edie, also a physical therapist, looked on terrified. Paramedics quickly arrived with an AED. It took seven shocks to restore Joe’s heart rhythm. As they were […]
Latest Heart News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nearly a third of U.S. heart patients die at home, which is more than the number who die in the hospital, according to a new study. Researchers examined data on more than 12 million heart disease patients who died between 2003 and 2017. They looked at whether the deaths occurred in a hospital, home, nursing or long-term care facility, inpatient hospice, or elsewhere (outpatient medical facility, emergency department, or dead-on-arrival at the hospital). The number of heart disease deaths in the hospital fell from nearly 331,000 in 2003 to nearly 235,000 in 2017. Home deaths, meanwhile, rose from almost 193,000 to over 265,000, accounting for about 31% of heart disease deaths in 2017. “When I talk to my patients about what’s most important to them as they begin to reach the end of life, so many of them tell me they want to spend their last moments surrounded by the familiarity of home,” said study author Dr. Haider Warraich, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Patients in underserved racial and ethnic groups were more likely to die in the hospital and less likely to die at home, […]
You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a condition that sometimes develops due to the long term use of marijuana. The syndrome causes repeated and severe vomiting and nausea. As CHS is a newly described condition, many doctors may find it challenging to diagnose and treat. Researchers have tried to explain what causes CHS, but further study is necessary. In this article, we describe CHS and discuss the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition. Share on PinterestA person with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome may experience morning nausea. Doctors first described CHS in 2004. The first reports came from doctors treating regular users of marijuana for nausea and vomiting in South Australia. People with CHS usually have a long history of marijuana use. They also experience episodes of vomiting that return every few weeks or months. When people with CHS stop using marijuana, their symptoms of nausea and vomiting usually disappear. Nausea and vomiting tend to return if they start using marijuana again. Doctors also noticed that individuals with CHS would take frequent hot showers and baths. People with the syndrome tended to feel better when bathing. Many people with CHS go to their doctor or an emergency room (ER) for treatment. […]
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You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
A new fungus discovered in the estuarine waters of Tasmania could be the unexpected answer to the world’s opioid crisis, a current study suggests. A fungus present in Tasmanian estuarine water may yield an effective and safe opioid alternative. Opioids — many of which are prescription painkillers, such as codeine — have created a worldwide health crisis. Many opioids are highly addictive substances that some people overuse or misuse. According to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 130 people die each day in the United States because of an opioid overdose. The Health Resources and Services Administration call this “an unprecedented opioid epidemic.” The situation has led to the World Health Organization (WHO) encouraging countries to monitor the use of opioid drugs closely. But while monitoring the use of opioids is helpful, scientists are on the lookout for opioid alternatives. They are searching for drugs that will treat chronic pain in the same way as opioids but are less likely to harm health or lead to misuse. A novel discovery by researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia — in collaboration with colleagues from other academic institutions — may, in the future, lead to the development […]
Raw meat based foods are becoming more popular among dog owners, based on the belief that a raw food diet may be more natural and healthful for some dog breeds. However, could raw dog food actually be harmful for both dogs and their owners? Some raw dog food products harbor harmful bacteria, a new study finds. A number of dog owners believe that feeding their pets raw food is naturally more healthful. Some people refer to this diet by the acronym “BARF,” which stands for “biologically appropriate raw food” or “bones and raw food.” Veterinary surgeon Ian Billinghurst initially promoted this diet. He argued that dogs, and some other animals, are naturally meant to eat an exclusively raw selection of food. A recent study in the BMJ journal Vet Record, however, warns that commercially available raw meat based food is potentially dangerous for both dogs and their owners. The researchers who conducted this study — from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the National Veterinary Institute, both in Uppsala, Sweden — explain that raw meat products do not receive any heat treatment prior to freezing. This, they fear, could mean that these foods end up harboring different species of […]
New research suggests that taking estrogen as part of hormone replacement therapy may help women fight off cognitive decline. Share on PinterestDoes estrogen therapy have any cognitive benefits for postmenopausal women? The study paper — titled “Lifetime estrogen exposure and cognition in late life: The Cache County Study” and appearing in the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) journal Menopause — details the new findings. Researchers and the medical community alike have long known that Alzheimer’s disease tends to affect women far more often than it does men. According to Alzheimer’s Society, in the United States, almost two-thirds of all people with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Specifically, of the 5.6 million U.S. adults aged 65 and above living with Alzheimer’s, 3.5 million are women. As for why this is the case, an established body of research has suggested that estrogen exposure is the answer. After menopause, women experience a drop in estrogen levels, and this could make them more susceptible to Alzheimer’s, these studies have suggested. More recently, some researchers have argued that pregnancy and reproductive history may also impact a person’s risk, while others have called for a reassessment of the role of hormone replacement therapy in cognitive health. Namely, […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Women’s Health News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Women whose menstrual cycles persistently vary from the 28-day norm may have an increased risk of earlier death, new research suggests. The study found that women who had irregular periods or extra-long menstrual cycles had as much as a one-third higher risk of death during the two-decade study compared to women who usually had a normal menstrual cycle. However, “these results are not a cause for alarm in the irregular cycle population,” said Dr. Mitchell Kramer, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital, in Huntington, N.Y. “The relationship between them and an increased risk of death is a soft one at best, and possibly suggestive of other underlying medical conditions,” added Kramer, who wasn’t involved in the study. A typical menstrual cycle repeats every 28 days, according to the U.S. Office on Women’s Health. A change in that pattern sometimes isn’t uncommon. Teen girls and women just before menopause often have more irregular periods. But this study found a difference when women consistently had irregular periods or cycles that lasted longer than 32 days. There are a number of medical conditions linked […]
(HealthDay News) — Injuries at home and at play are preventable, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC mentions these ways to reduce your chances of injury: Wear the proper helmet for your activity. Wear a life jacket when boating. Have your eyes checked. Remove tripping hazards around your home. Learn how to swim. Store medicine out of the reach of children. Take medication only as directed. Place children in a proper booster or car seat. Wear your seatbelt. Walk on a sidewalk. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. CONTINUE SCROLLING FOR NEXT NEWS ARTICLE QUESTION Emotional trauma is best described as a psychological response to a deeply distressing or life-threatening experience. See Answer
Latest Pregnancy News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physical and mental stress during pregnancy may influence the baby’s sex, and physical stress may increase the risk of preterm birth, a new study suggests. Researchers assessed 187 healthy pregnant women between 18 and 45 years of age. About 17% were mentally stressed, with high levels of depression, anxiety and perceived stress. Sixteen percent were physically stressed, with higher daily blood pressure and calorie intake than other women in the study. Women with either physical or psychological stress were more likely to have a girl, the study found. Typically, about 105 males are born for every 100 females. But the male-to-female ratios in this study were 4:9 among women with physical stress and 2:3 among those with mental stress during pregnancy. “Other researchers have seen this pattern after social upheavals, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, after which the relative number of male births decreased,” said study leader Catherine Monk, director of Women’s Mental Health at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. “This stress in women is likely of long-standing nature; studies have shown that males are more vulnerable to adverse prenatal […]
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Latest Neurology News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Concussion damage may linger a full year after an athlete returns to play, Canadian researchers report. “Brain recovery after concussion may be a more complex and longer-lasting process than we originally thought,” said lead investigator Nathan Churchill, a research associate in the Neuroscience Research Program at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. After a concussion, he said doctors usually clear athletes for play when symptoms disappear. But this new study, which relied on a series of MRI scans, suggests subtle brain damage may persist even when symptoms like headaches and concentration problems improve. “These findings raise questions about when, if ever, the brain returns to normal, and if these brain changes translate into a worse outcome if athletes have another concussion before recovery is complete,” Churchill said. For the study, he and his colleagues collected data on 24 college athletes who had suffered concussions and 122 who hadn’t. Males and females were equally represented, and their sports included volleyball, hockey, soccer, football, rugby, basketball, lacrosse and water polo. Participants with concussions had brain MRIs right after their injury and again when they returned to play. They also […]
Latest Neurology News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Giant dinosaurs, such as long-necked sauropods, evolved special cooling systems to prevent overheating and brain damage, according to a new study. “Small dinosaurs could have just run into the shade to cool off, but for those giant dinosaurs, the potential for overheating was literally inescapable,” said study co-author Lawrence Witmer, a professor of anatomy at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. “They must have had special mechanisms to control brain temperature, but what were they?” The answer was found in everyday experience: Air-conditioners use evaporation, and it’s the evaporative cooling of sweat that keeps people comfortable in summer. So, not surprisingly, when researchers examined modern-day relatives of dinosaurs — birds and reptiles — they found that evaporation of moisture in the nose, mouth and eyes cooled blood on its way to the brain. The investigators used 3D imaging of fossils to reveal multiple heat exchangers in dinosaur heads. Lead author Ruger Porter, an assistant professor of anatomical instruction, said, “The handy thing about blood vessels is that they basically write their presence into the bones. The bony canals and grooves that we see in modern-day birds and reptiles are our link […]
Latest Mental Health News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Young and middle-aged adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased risk of stroke, new research suggests. For the study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 1 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They ranged in age from 18 to 60 years and two-thirds were white. Of those, 29% had been diagnosed with PTSD. None had previously suffered a stroke or mini-stroke (also known as a transient ischemic attack, or “TIA“). During 13 years of follow-up, 766 vets had a TIA and 1,877 had an ischemic stroke, which is caused by blocked blood flow to the brain. Veterans with PTSD were 62% more likely to have a stroke, raising the risk more than known risk factors such as obesity and smoking. They were also twice as likely to have a TIA, increasing the risk more than diabetes and sleep apnea. Even after accounting for known stroke risk factors, mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety) and drug and alcohol abuse, the investigators found that veterans with PTSD were still 61% more likely to have a TIA and 36% more likely to have a stroke […]
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A Trump administration plan to reduce the number of people who get food stamps could result in nearly a million children losing their automatic access to free school lunches. Latest Healthy Kids News Children whose families receive food stamps automatically qualify for free school lunches, but the Trump administration has proposed tightening eligibility for food stamps, the Associated Press reported. As many as 982,000 children could be affected by the change, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture analysis. About half those children would have to pay a reduced price of 40 cents for school lunch and 30 cents for breakfast, about 40,000 would have to pay full price, and 445,000 would still be able to get free meals, but their families would have to apply to qualify, the AP reported. But even the application to qualify could be a barrier, according to Lisa Davis of the advocacy group, No Kid Hungry. “We hear from schools all the time about the challenge they have with getting families to understand the paperwork or to get it back,” Davis told the AP. The National School Lunch Program serves about 30 million students and provides about […]
(HealthDay News) — For most babies, the two front teeth appear first, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. Though babies won’t develop teeth for months, it’s important for parents to know how to care for them. Latest Healthy Kids News The academy mentions these additional facts: Most babies develop teeth between 6 and 12 months. Fluoride should be in your child’s toothpaste at 6 months of age. Massaging sore gums can help soothe baby’s teething pain. Do not use teething tablets, gels with benzocaine or amber teething necklaces. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Make your first dental appointment when the first tooth appears. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. CONTINUE SCROLLING FOR NEXT NEWS ARTICLE SLIDESHOW Healthy Eating for Kids – Recipes and Meal Ideas See Slideshow
Tetanus Symptoms and Signs During a one- to seven-day period, progressive muscle spasms caused by the tetanus toxin in the immediate wound area may progress to involve the entire body in a set of continuous muscle contractions. Restlessness, headache, and irritability are common. The tetanus neurotoxin causes the muscles to tighten up into a continuous (“tetanic” or “tonic”) contraction or spasm. The jaw is “locked” by muscle spasms, giving the name “lockjaw” (also called “trismus”). Muscles throughout the body are affected, including the vital muscles necessary for normal breathing. When the breathing muscles lose their power, breathing becomes difficult or impossible and death can occur without life-support measures (mechanical ventilation). Even with breathing support, infections of the airways within the lungs can lead to death. Learn more about tetanus »
Cipro (ciprofloxacin) side effects list for healthcare professionals The following serious and otherwise important adverse drug reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of labeling: Disabling and Potentially Irreversible Serious Adverse Reactions Tenditits and Tendon Rupture Peripheral Neuropathy Central Nervous System Effects Exacerbation of Myasthenia Gravis Other Serious and Sometimes Fatal Adverse Reactions Hypersensitivity Reactions Hepatotoxicity Serious Adverse Reactions with Concomitant Theophylline Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea Prolongation of the QT Interval Musculoskeletal Disorders in Pediatric Patients Photosensitivity/Phototoxicity Development of Drug Resistant Bacteria Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Clinical trials in patients with urinary tract infections enrolled 961 patients treated with 500 mg or 1000 mg CIPRO XR. The overall incidence, type and distribution of adverse reactions were similar in patients receiving both 500 mg and 1000 mg of CIPRO XR. The adverse reaction information from clinical studies does, however, provide a basis for identifying the adverse events that appear to be related to drug use and for approximating rates. […]
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Climate change could help Ebola spread farther and affect areas previously free of the deadly virus, including the United States, researchers warn. Latest Infectious Disease News They concluded that by 2070, the climate crisis will result in a 1.75 to 3.2-fold increase in the rate that Ebola moves from animals to humans, CNN reported. There will be a greater risk of outbreaks in areas of Africa that haven’t had outbreaks before, while outbreaks in previously affected areas would occur more often and spread farther, via air travel, to previously unaffected areas. That includes a high risk of the disease spreading to China, Russia, India, Europe and the United States, CNN reported. The study was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. CONTINUE SCROLLING FOR NEXT NEWS ARTICLE SLIDESHOW Bacterial Infections 101: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments See Slideshow
Summary ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin (generic name) converting enzyme inhibitors, is a class of drugs that interact with blood enzymes to enlarge or dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. These drugs are used to control high blood pressure (hypertension), treat heart problems, kidney disease in people with diabetes high blood pressure. These drugs also improve the survival rate of people who have survived heart attacks and they prevent early death of people from heart attacks, high blood pressure, and heart failure. Sometimes ACE inhibitors are combined with other drugs for treating a condition. Examples of ACE inhibitors include benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), and ramipril (Altace). Examples of the most common side effects of this class of drugs are dizziness, headache, cough, rash, chest pain, and rash. There are serious side effects of this drug like kidney failure, severe allergic reactions, and liver dysfunction, or failure. ACE inhibitors all are similar in the way they work; however, they differ in how the body eliminates doses of the drug. Drug interactions, dosage, and pregnancy and safety information should be reviewed prior to taking this medication.
What is valsartan, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? WARNING [update 10/15/2019]: Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted a warning letter to Torrent Pharmaceuticals in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Torrent manufactures losartan potassium tablets and has been one subject of an ongoing global investigation into nitrosamine impurities in angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) such as valsartan, losartan and irbesartan. The warning letter outlines several manufacturing violations at Torrent’s Taluka-Kadi, Indrad, Gujarat facility, including failure to follow written procedures for production and process control and failure to adequately investigate batch discrepancies. Failure to correct these violations may result in further action by the agency. The warning letter is another result of the agency’s ongoing investigation. FDA reminds patients taking recalled ARBs to continue taking their current medicine until their pharmacist provides a replacement or their doctor prescribes a different medication that treats the same condition. What is valsartan, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Valsartan is an oral medication that is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. It belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) which also includes irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), and candesartan (Atacand). Angiotensin, formed in […]
Latest High Blood Pressure News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — Many people know treating high blood pressure reduces the odds of a heart attack, stroke or heart failure. Now, a new study suggests another added benefit: a lower risk of lesions in the brain that increase the chances of dementia, stroke and falls in older adults. The study, published this week in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, included 199 women and men age 75 and older. They all had systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 150 or higher and brain MRIs showing lesions known as white matter hyperintensity lesions that are common in older adults. Half of the participants were given medication to lower their systolic blood pressure to 145. The other half were given medication to decrease it to 130 or lower. After three years, MRIs showed fewer new lesions had developed in the white matter of participants whose systolic blood pressure was 130 or lower than in those whose blood pressure target was 145. “People who initially reviewed our study were worried 130 would be too low for these older adults,” said Dr. William White, the study’s lead investigator and a professor […]
Latest High Blood Pressure News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — The New Amsterdam Medical Center is an active place. At any second, the ER might have to revive a man whose heart stopped after a basketball game with the friendly but convention-defying hospital director, while at the same time its staff is sleuthing out the cause of a child’s illness, grappling with the ethics of treating a terminally ill patient and sneaking away for the occasional tryst. This is not a documentary. But New Amsterdam viewers who tuned into the NBC drama on Tuesday saw a storyline based in reality for many black men. In the episode, “Denominator,” the revived man expresses disdain for regular checkups, even after being told his “heart is working overtime” because of high blood pressure. “Why go to the doctor when you’re healthy?” the patient asks. “Best time to go to the doctor is before you get sick,” says the show’s central character, Dr. Max Goodwin, who is inspired to start a high blood pressure outreach program at an African American barbershop. The storyline was inspired by actual scientific research, said executive producer David Foster, who wrote the episode. Foster, it […]
Latest Heart News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Recovering from a heart attack can be tough, but new research suggests that depression, anxiety and stress can make it even tougher. “Anxiety may lead to fear of another cardiac event and stop people from being active,” said study author Angela Rao, from the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. “Depression and anxiety can also impair the ability to retain new information needed to make health-related behavior changes.” Rao’s team followed nearly 4,800 patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation at two Sydney hospitals between 2006 and 2017. A mental health assessment showed that 18% 28% and 13% of the patients had moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety or stress, respectively. Patients with moderate depression were much more likely to drop out of cardiac rehabilitation (24%) than those with no or mild symptoms (13%). This was also seen in patients with anxiety (32% vs. 23%) and stress (18% vs. 10%). About half of the patients with moderate depression or anxiety who actually completed cardiac rehabilitation did not have significant improvements in their mental health conditions. The study was published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. “Heart patients living with depression are […]
By Len CanterHealthDay Reporter Latest Exercise & Fitness News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Don’t shrug off working your delts, the muscles of your shoulders. Besides assisting with good posture, strong shoulders help you lift and carry items with ease, and create excellent upper body definition for men and women alike. Deltoid rows work not only your shoulders, but also your biceps, lats and the muscles of your middle back. Begin in a standing position, knees slightly bent, with a dumbbell in each hand. Lean slightly forward from the hips, with a straight back. The weights should be just in front of your knees, with arms hanging down to the floor. Exhale and draw the weights straight up to your chest. Your torso stays still as elbows bend out to the sides — shoulders and upper arms should be in alignment at the top of the movement. Think of touching your shoulder blades as you hold for a second, then inhale and slowly return to the start position. Now move to deltoid raises. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand at the front of the thighs. With control, exhale and raise the weights out […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Digestion News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that doesn’t respond to the usual treatments, a complex surgery may help, a new study finds. In carefully selected patients, the surgery provided much more relief than two different types of medication treatment — 67% for surgery compared to 28% for “active” drug treatment and 12% for the “control” (placebo) drug treatment. “GERD is an extremely common problem. About 1 in 5 people has GERD. Heartburn is the main symptom. Drugs called proton pump inhibitors [PPIs] are the best treatments we have for GERD, but as many as 30% of people still have symptoms when taking PPIs,” said study lead author Dr. Stuart Jon Spechler. He’s chief of gastroenterology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. In that group of people who don’t improve on PPIs, many have what’s known as functional heartburn. That means doctors can’t pinpoint a specific disorder that’s causing the heartburn. Surgery won’t help them, he said. “If someone has heartburn, it was thought to be reflux-related. The thinking was that if it’s burning, there must be acid in the esophagus. But there are a […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Diabetes News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The latest version of the so-called artificial pancreas system helped people with type 1 diabetes gain even better control of their blood sugar levels than current technology does, a new study reports. The device combines an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor and a computer algorithm. The system measures blood sugar levels and delivers insulin automatically when levels rise. Insulin delivery is temporarily stopped if blood sugar levels drop too low. People using the artificial pancreas were able to have good blood sugar control for almost an extra three hours each day compared to using just an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. “People with type 1 diabetes have to think every day about their blood sugar and how they need to manage it. Automated delivery systems can make a big difference and help ease the daily burden of managing blood sugar,” said study lead author Dr. Sue Brown, an endocrinologist and associate professor at the University of Virginia. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system — which normally protects you from disease — mistakenly turns against the healthy cells that produce insulin. […]
Latest Cholesterol News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many people who take cholesterol-lowering statins may not benefit from them, researchers say. Drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and fluvastatin (Lescol) provide little value to people without heart disease, new research shows. Yet these heart-healthy folks represent a sizable number of statin users. While statins for people with heart disease isn’t controversial, their use in people without heart disease (known as “primary prevention”) is the subject of debate. The use of statins for primary prevention “warrants more careful consideration,” concluded researchers led by Paula Byrne of the National University of Ireland Galway. Used in this way, statins “may be an example of low value care and, in some cases, represent a waste of health care resources,” the study authors said. Changes in clinical guidelines have increased the number of people eligible to take statins. In many countries, the majority of people taking the drugs do so for primary prevention. For the study, Byrne’s team analyzed data from Ireland from 1987 through 2016. The investigators found that the proportion of adults older than 50 eligible for statins rose from 8% under 1987 guidelines to 61% under 2016 guidelines. That means a far […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Cholesterol News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — When children with genetically high cholesterol are prescribed statins, it can drastically cut their risk of heart disease and death before the age of 40, a new study finds. At issue is a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an inherited genetic disorder that causes levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol to soar. It begins at birth, and people with FH have a high risk of developing heart disease early in adulthood. In the new study, Dutch researchers found that when children with FH were started on statins, their risk of developing or dying from heart disease before age 40 was slashed. Of over 200 patients, just 1% suffered a heart attack or other cardiovascular complication; that compared with 26% of their FH-affected parents — who were children in the “pre-statin” era. None of the statin patients had died by age 39, versus 7% of their parents. The findings, published Oct. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine, are “dramatic,” according to one expert not involved with the study. They show that early statin treatment not only prevents disease and death — but is also safe, said […]
Latest Cancer News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Due to population growth and aging, the number of cancer cases worldwide is expected to jump 60% by 2040 — but unhealthy lifestyle habits are likely to make the surge even larger. That’s the conclusion from the new edition of the Cancer Atlas, unveiled Wednesday at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. It notes that unhealthy habits such as smoking, poor eating and inactivity all add to the risk. The atlas — an overview of cancer around the world — was produced by the American Cancer Society (ACS), Union for International Cancer Control, and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Cancer is the leading or second-leading cause of death before age 70 in 91 countries. “This much is clear. We simply must do better to ensure everyone can benefit from advances in the fight against cancer,” Gary Reedy, ACS chief executive officer, wrote in the report’s foreword. But progress against cancer “is not only possible, but also achievable,” he said in an ACS news release. Dr. Elisabete Weiderpass, director of IARC, noted that cancer is an issue of sustainable development. “Facing the cancer problem is a prerequisite […]
By Peter Schelden on 10/17/2019 2:35 PM Latest Cancer News Source: MedicineNet Health News Gene and stem cell therapies are on the rise to treat leukemia and many other serious health conditions, but paying for these new therapies presents new challenges, said Dr. Steven Pearson, founder and president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). Stem cell therapies are already in common use for bone marrow cancer, and are approved for patients with acute spinal cord injury, according to Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, of MedicineNet. Treatments like CAR T-cells have shown rapid promise in trials and some are approved to fight blood cancers like non-Hodgkins lymphoma. What do gene and stem cell treatments have in common? All are either single or short-term therapies, making them very different from typical drug regimens, Pearson told Managed Healthcare Executive, an industry trade magazine. Healthcare providers have fewer opportunities to charge for these services, leading to high prices. For instance the $2 million Zolgensma, used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, was labeled the “world’s most expensive therapy” this summer in Forbes magazine. But insurers are wary of these new treatments, and are unsure of their long term success, Pearson said. He said […]
Cervical cancer definition and facts Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is a cancer that arises in the cervix of the uterus (womb) In the early stages of cervical cancer, it may not cause symptoms. As the cancer progresses, the most common signs and symptoms of cervical cancer include: Cervical cancer causes and risk factors include: HPV infection may cause cervical dysplasia, or abnormal growth of cervical cells, which is considered a precancerous condition. Regular pelvic exams and a Pap smear test can detect precancerous changes in the cervix. Screening for cervical cancer is recommended for women aged 21-65 with a Pap test or a combination of Pap test and human papillomavirus testing. Cervical cancer can be diagnosed using a Pap smear or other procedures that sample the cervix tissue. The stage of cervical cancer may determine by: Imaging techniques such as chest X-rays, MRI, and CT and PET scan Precancerous changes in the cervix may be treated with cryosurgery, cauterization, or laser surgery. Cancer of the cervix requires different treatment options than cancer that begins in other parts of the uterus. Treatment options for cervical cancer include: Radiation therapy Surgery Chemotherapy A vaccine is […]
What are the health risks of mold exposure? What are symptoms and signs of mold allergy? Molds produce irritating substances that may act as allergy causing substances (allergens) in sensitive individuals. Furthermore, some molds produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins, but mold itself is not poisonous or toxic. The term “toxic mold,” therefore, refers to the fact that certain kinds of mold can produce mycotoxins. The conditions under which some molds produce toxins is not understood, and the presence of mold, even a mold that is capable of producing toxins, does not always imply that toxins are being produced or that a health risk or problem is present. Mold may not cause any health problems, or it may lead to allergy or other symptoms in people, including adults and children, who are sensitive to molds. Allergic reactions to mold are the most common health effects of mold and are therefore the greatest health risk related to mold. Allergic reactions may happen immediately or develop after a period following exposure. Both growing mold and mold spores may lead to allergic reactions. Symptoms and signs of mold allergy may include Mold or mold spores may cause asthma attacks in people who have […]
What is Vistaril (hydroxyzine), and what is it used for? Vistaril (hydroxyzine) is an antihistamine with anticholinergic (drying) and sedative properties used to treat allergic reactions. Vistaril is used to relieve itching caused by various allergic conditions. Vistaril is also used to treat anxiety and tension, to induce sedation prior to or after anesthesia, and to treat nausea, vomiting, and alcohol withdrawal. Common side effects of Vistaril include sedation, tiredness, sleepiness, dizziness, disturbed coordination, drying and thickening of oral and other respiratory secretions, and stomach upset. Other important side effects of Vistaril include Drug interactions of Vistaril include alcohol and other drugs that can cause sedation such as benzodiazepines, narcotic pain medications, tricyclic antidepressants, certain antihypertensive medications such as clonidine and propranolol, and other medications with anticholinergic properties such as dicyclomine, bethanechol, propantheline, amitriptyline, and chlorpromazine. Vistaril should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy because it may harm a fetus. It is unknown if Vistaril is excreted into breast milk. In general, antihistamines are not recommended for use during breastfeeding because they can cause stimulation or seizures in newborns. Vistaril (hydroxyzine) side effects list for healthcare professionals Side effects reported with the administration of Vistaril are usually mild […]
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You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don’t include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page.
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A recent study found that scoring verbal memory tests according to sex can alter who receives a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by as much as 20%. New research assesses the differences in cognition between males and females after the age of 65. Evidence shows that females tend to have better verbal memory than males, and yet, tests that assess cognitive ability do not reflect this. In the new study, the researchers scored memory tests using different norms and thresholds, or cut-off scores, for males and females. They found that using sex-specific scores led to 10% more females and 10% fewer males receiving a diagnosis of MCI compared with scores that used averages. The team suggests that should further studies validate the findings, they could change the way that doctors diagnose males and females for dementia. “If these results are confirmed, they have vital implications,” says first study author Erin E. Sundermann, Ph.D., a scientist at the University of California, San Diego. She explains that one of the consequences of identifying people as having no memory difficulties when they actually have MCI is that they do not start treatment when they should. This can also mean that they and […]
Scientists have highlighted a possible link between infection with rotavirus and an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Undergoing vaccination against the pathogen may be an effective way to prevent the condition. Could a routine childhood vaccination reduce the incidence of type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. The exact reason a person develops this condition is unknown, but experts believe that a complex relationship between many genetic and environmental factors is at play. A longstanding theory has implicated certain infections in early childhood as a trigger for type 1 diabetes — particularly in children who are genetically susceptible. One such infection is rotavirus. Infection with rotavirus causes gastroenteritis, also known as stomach flu. In infants, rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Writing in the journal PLOS Pathogens, Dr. Leonard C. Harrison — a professor at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research at the University of Melbourne in Australia — and colleagues present data that underpin their theory of a link between rotavirus and type 1 diabetes. They point to two studies in particular that show a drop in new type 1 diabetes cases in children who received the rotavirus vaccine. […]
Thousands of people experience negative health outcomes from the overuse or misuse of opioids, a drug class that includes both illegal substances, such as heroin, and prescription medicines for pain relief. Can mindfulness boost the effects of traditional treatments that relieve opioid cravings? New research suggests that mindfulness can help reduce cravings for opioids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse report that around 21–29% of people, whose doctors prescribe them opioids for the management of chronic pain, end up misusing these drugs. Furthermore, some 8–12% of people who take prescription opioids develop opioid use disorder. Some of the criteria that specialists use to diagnose opioid use disorder — according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — include: taking opioids for longer or in larger quantities than the doctor advised experiencing intense and hard to control cravings for opioids opioid use negatively affecting performance at work or school Usually, when a person receives a diagnosis of an opioid use disorder, doctors prescribe methadone maintenance therapy. In this form of therapy, doctors offer people controlled doses of methadone — also an opioid — to help reduce withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings for opioid drugs. “Methadone maintenance therapy has been […]
Dry eye disease is one of the most common eye disorders in the United States. Although treatment is available, it does not work for everyone. A new antibody based eye drop may be the answer. Dry eye disease is surprisingly common, and some cases can be difficult to treat. Although scientists do not know the exact prevalence of dry eye disease, global estimates vary from 5% to 34%. The National Eye Institute estimate that it affects nearly 5 million people in the U.S. In the most severe cases, dry eye disease causes significant eye pain and sensitivity to light, and it can compromise an individual’s overall quality of life. Dry eye disease creates dry areas on the cornea, which, in some cases, can produce scarring. Several factors play a role in this condition. For instance, the body may not produce tear fluid in the right quantities or at the right time. Similarly, tear production is a complex process, and if anything goes wrong, it can affect tear quality. Experts have noted that there appears to be an autoimmune component — meaning that the immune system attacks healthy tissues — for some individuals. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago […]
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — About 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef taco and burrito filling was removed from Taco Bell outlets in 21 states after metal pieces were found in the beef, the company said Tuesday. Latest Infectious Disease News The problem came to the attention of federal regulators on Saturday, after three consumers complained about metal pieces in Taco Bell beef, NBC News reported. The beef was produced by Kenosha Beef in Columbus, Ohio, between Sept. 20 and Oct. 4 and distributed to Taco Bell restaurants in 21 states across the eastern Midwest, northern Southeast and Northeast regions, according to Taco Bell. There were reports that Taco Bell restaurants in some states were suggesting chicken or steak to customers as a beef substitute before the recall was publicly announced, which led to criticism by some people on social media, according to NBC News. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW Bacterial Infections 101: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments See Slideshow
Corns and Other Common Causes of Foot Pain Symptoms and signs of aching feet Because we expose our feet to potential injury in our daily lives by walking, we have all experienced pains in the feet at one time or another. There are many common causes of foot pains, such as blisters and corns. There are also less common causes of foot pain, such as sciatica and osteomyelitis. Treatments for foot pain depend on the particular cause. Read more about common causes of foot pain » Source: “Corns” by Marionette / iStock What are corns and calluses? Corns and calluses are annoying and potentially painful conditions that form thickened areas in the skin in areas of excessive pressure. The medical term for the thickened skin that forms corns and calluses is hyperkeratosis (plural=hyperkeratoses). A callus refers to a more diffuse, flattened area of thick skin, while a corn is a thick, localized area that usually has a popular, conical or circular shape. Corns, also known as helomas or clavi, sometimes have a dry, waxy, or translucent appearance. A callus is also known as a tyloma. Corns and calluses occur on parts of the feet and sometimes the fingers. Corns are […]
Latest Sexual Health News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Undiagnosed chlamydia infection can harm male fertility, a new study suggests. “Chlamydia infection has been associated with women’s infertility but much less is known about its impact on male infertility, particularly if men do not experience symptoms, which is estimated to be in about 50% of cases,” said study leader Ken Beagley, a professor of immunology at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. “When people have no symptoms, they can unknowingly pass on the infection to sexual partners,” Beagley added in a university news release . The Australian research is the first to find the sexually transmitted disease in testicular tissue biopsies of infertile men with no identified cause for their infertility. Chlamydia was found in fixed testicular biopsies from 43 of 95 men (45.3%) who had no defined cause of infertility. Chlamydia was also found in 16.7% of fresh testicular biopsies (3 of 18 men) with no identified cause of infertility. Twelve of those 18 (66.7%) had chlamydia-specific antibodies, indicating they’d been exposed to the bacteria, but none had symptoms of chlamydia or said they’d been diagnosed with any STI. “This is the first reported evidence of chlamydia […]
Latest Pregnancy News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Weight-loss surgery before pregnancy may lower obese women’s odds of having a baby with major birth defects, new research suggests. For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 33,000 births in Sweden between 2007 and 2014. Of these, nearly 3,000 children were born to mothers who had a type of weight-loss surgery called gastric bypass before getting pregnant. The rest were born to women who weighed about the same as the others did before weight-loss surgery — more than 260 pounds. Women in the surgery group lost an average 88 pounds and weighed about 181 pounds at their first prenatal checkup. In addition, their use of diabetes medications fell from 9.7% to 1.5%. The risk of major birth defects was about 30% lower in children whose mothers had weight-loss surgery than in those of the obese mothers, the findings showed. The risk of major birth defects was 3.4% in children born to women who had gastric bypass surgery — similar to the 3.5% rate among those born to normal-weight women, the researchers reported. The risk of major birth defects was 4.9% in children born to the women who […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Pregnancy News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — When people in non-monogamous relationships decide to have a baby, they may find that hospitals are not ready to handle their childbirth needs, a new study suggests. The study is among the first to look into the health care experiences of people in “polyamorous” relationships. While the term might sound exotic, it’s estimated that 20% of adults have willingly been in a non-monogamous relationship. Meanwhile, small surveys suggest many of those relationships involve at least one married couple. “I think this is more common than many people think,” said Sharon Flicker, an assistant professor of psychology at California State University, Sacramento. But while polyamory might be fairly common, there are many misperceptions about it, according to Flicker, who wrote an editorial published with the study. Some see it as an aberrant behavior. However, Flicker said, “there is nothing inherently pathological about these relationships.” Another misperception is that polyamorous relationships are strictly casual — in the vein of “swinging,” said Elizabeth Darling, the senior researcher on the study. But, in fact, many people build “stable family units” where there are simply more than two adults taking care […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Neurology News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — New research on concussions reports mixed news for kids playing high school sports. The good news? Concussions are down during football practices. And the number of recurrent concussions is down in all sports. The bad news? Concussions are on the rise during high school football games, and football continues to have the highest concussion rates in high school sports. The study also reported bad news for girls playing comparable sports, such as soccer. Girls were more than twice as likely as boys to have a concussion. They were also more likely to have a recurrent concussion. As to why concussion rates are going down in football practices, but not in games, it’s hard to pinpoint one reason, according to study author Avinash Chandran. He is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “There is heightened sensitivity to concussion, so we’re getting better at detection, but what we’re seeing is likely multidimensional,” he said. “Coaches may be becoming more nuanced in concussion, and we might be seeing more athletic trainers in practice settings,” Chandran said. “The science has always been pretty […]
A new drug to treat migraine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Latest Migraine News Reyvow (lasmiditan) tablets were approved for short-term treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults, but not for preventive treatment of migraine. The approval of the Eli Lilly drug is based on the result of two clinical trials that included a total of nearly 3,200 adults. The most common side effects of Reyvow were dizziness, fatigue, a burning or prickling sensation in the skin and sedation, according to the FDA. Patients should not drive or operate machinery for at least eight hours after taking Reyvow, the agency added. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. QUESTION Who suffers more frequently from migraine headaches? See Answer
(HealthDay News) — Job burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion. Often, job burnout is accompanied by a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity, says Mayo Clinic. Latest Mental Health News When dealing with job burnout, Mayo Clinic suggests: Evaluate options. Maybe you can work with your supervisor to change expectations. Seek support from co-workers, friends or loved ones. Try a relaxing activity that can help with stress. Exercise to take your mind off of work. Get some sleep to restore well-being and protect your health. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW 17 Everyday Ways to Ease Depression See Slideshow
Latest Mental Health News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Aging populations in many countries may explain why the worldwide homicide rate fell 20% between 1990 and 2015, researchers say. They analyzed data from 126 countries that account for 90% of the world’s population and found that people aged 15 to 29 were responsible for a large percentage of homicides. However, that age group is shrinking and now accounts for just 21% of the global population. The decline in the size of that age group is strongly associated with falling homicide rates, according to the study, published Oct. 9 in the journal PLoS One. The largest declines in homicides were in regions with lower crime rates. North America and Western Europe had a 40% decrease in homicides between 1990 and 2015, Asia had a 37.5% decline, while Eastern Europe and Oceania had a 20% decline. On the other hand, the Latin American homicide rate rose 10% between 1990 and 2015. In the United States, the homicide rate fell 43% between 1991 and 2000, going from 10 of every 100,000 people dying by homicide to just under six per 100,000. Previous research has suggested that falling homicide rates are due […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest Healthy Kids News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Drinks marketed to children often contain loads of unhealthy sugars and sweeteners, and they come in packages that deliver too-large servings, a new report finds. None of 34 sweetened drinks aimed at the youth market meet nutrition recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to University of Connecticut researchers. “Sweetened drinks are about two-thirds of children’s drink sales, compared to 100% juice-and-water blends,” said lead researcher Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives for the university’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity in Hartford. “Parents may be surprised to know that pediatricians, dentists and other nutrition experts recommend against serving any of these drinks to children.” Sweetened drinks have been identified as a major source of excess calories for kids. Added sugars account for 17% of the total caloric intake of children and teens, and sugary beverages contribute almost half of those added sugars, according to AAP. For this study, Harris and her team looked only at products marketed for children, ignoring sodas, sports drinks and iced teas that are promoted for a wider audience. They identified 67 products from 23 drink brands. […]
Latest Healthy Kids News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say they have identified a compound in breast milk that combats the growth of infection-causing bacteria in infants. The compound is called glycerol monolaurate (GML), and the amount of GML in human breast milk is more than 200 times higher than in cow’s milk. Infant formula has no GML, according to the study. Along with fighting harmful bacteria, GML promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. “Our findings demonstrate that high levels of GML are unique to human breast milk and strongly inhibit growth of pathogenic bacteria,” senior author Dr. Donald Leung, professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health in Denver, said in a hospital news release. The study found that human breast milk inhibits the growth of the harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium perfringens, but neither cow’s milk or infant formula had any effect on those bacteria. Meanwhile, human breast milk did not inhibit the growth of the beneficial bacteria Enterococcus faecilis, and breastfed babies have high levels of beneficial bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and enterococci bacteria, according to the researchers. They said that when they removed GML from human breast milk, it no longer protected against […]
By Len CanterHealthDay Reporter Latest Exercise & Fitness News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Universal gym etiquette includes steps like turning off your cellphone whenever you’re working out, being courteous when using shared equipment in the weight room, taking thoughtful steps such as not wearing heavy perfume, and wiping off your sweat after working out on a machine. But there are also good rules to follow whenever you walk into an exercise class. Adhering to them can improve your performance as well as your standing at the health club and your all-important relationship with your fitness instructors. First, use the minutes when you’re getting dressed for class to focus mentally. Get psyched for a serious workout and remind yourself that fitness boosts your motivation and enthusiasm. Being on time benefits everyone. Lateness is more than distracting to your instructor and classmates. You miss out on the important warmup segment, warns the American Council on Exercise, and that puts you at greater risk for injury. If you’re late for a personal trainer session, it throws off the rest of your trainer’s schedule and means less time for you. On the other hand, don’t be shy about asking questions that […]
Latest Exercise & Fitness News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A little bit of testosterone cream might help women run faster longer, a new study suggests. Some female athletes have naturally high testosterone levels that are similar to men, and there is controversy over whether it’s fair to allow them to compete against female athletes with normal testosterone levels. There’s a lack of clear evidence on how testosterone levels affect women’s athletic performance. To learn more, Swedish researchers gave 48 physically active, healthy women between the ages of 18 and 35 either 10 milligrams (mg) of testosterone cream or 10 mg of a placebo cream every day for 10 weeks. The researchers, led by Angelica Linden Hirschberg from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, assessed how testosterone levels affected aerobic performance by measuring how long the women could run on a treadmill before becoming exhausted. Average circulating levels of testosterone rose from 0.9 nanomoles/liter of blood (nmol/l) to 4.3 nmol/l among the women given the testosterone cream. There was no increase among the women who received the placebo. Compared to the women in the placebo group, running time to exhaustion increased by 21.2 seconds (8.5%) among the women in […]
Latest Exercise & Fitness News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — Music may be just what you need to stick with an exercise program – and picking the right tunes could even improve performance. Federal exercise guidelines recommend people get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, each week. For those who don’t love the act of exercising, those totals can seem like a tall order. But over the last decade, researchers have begun to build the case that music during exercise might just give an edge. A recent study in the journal Psychology of Sports and Exercise concluded that listening to motivational music during sprint-interval training has the potential to not only improve the participants’ level of enjoyment, but their performance as well. “People I find who may have trouble staying with an exercise program or who begin one and quit after a month may find this as a method to help them enjoy it,” said Costas Karageorghis, one of the study’s authors. “The real benefit of this type of research is that the more people you can direct toward a healthier lifestyle, the better.” In […]
Zoloft (sertraline) side effects list for healthcare professionals The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in other sections of the prescribing information: Hypersensitivity reactions to sertraline Disulfiram-alcohol reaction when Zoloft oral solution is taken with disulfiram QTc prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias when taken with pimozide Suicidal thoughts and behaviors Serotonin syndrome Increased risk of bleeding Activation of mania/hypomania Discontinuation syndrome Seizures Angle-closure glaucoma Hyponatremia Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The data described below are from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of Zoloft (mostly 50 mg to 200 mg per day) in 3066 adults diagnosed with MDD, OCD, PD, PTSD, SAD, and PMDD. These 3066 patients exposed to Zoloft for 8 to12 weeks represent 568 patient-years of exposure. The mean age was 40 years; 57% were females and 43% were males. The most common adverse reactions (>5% and twice placebo) in all pooled placebo-controlled clinical trials of all Zoloft-treated patients with MDD, OCD, PD, PTSD, SAD and PMDD were nausea, […]
Lexapro (escitalopram) side effects list for healthcare professionals Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Clinical Trial Data Sources Pediatrics (6 -17 Years) Adverse events were collected in 576 pediatric patients (286 Lexapro, 290 placebo) with major depressive disorder in double-blind placebo-controlled studies. Safety and effectiveness of Lexapro in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age has not been established. Adults Adverse events information for Lexapro was collected from 715 patients with major depressive disorder who were exposed to escitalopram and from 592 patients who were exposed to placebo in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. An additional 284 patients with major depressive disorder were newly exposed to escitalopram in open-label trials. The adverse event information for Lexapro in patients with GAD was collected from 429 patients exposed to escitalopram and from 427 patients exposed to placebo in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Adverse events during exposure were obtained primarily by general inquiry and recorded by clinical investigators using terminology of their own choosing. Consequently, it […]
Latest Chronic Pain News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The widely used bladder drug Elmiron may cause eye damage, a new study claims. A report released last year suggested that the drug — known as pentosan polysulfate sodium and used by hundreds of thousands of people for decades — may be toxic to the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye. That led researchers to examine a database of 4.3 million patients at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. The three Kaiser Permanente ophthalmologists who conducted the study identified 140 patients who’d taken an average of 5,000 pills each over 15 years. Of those 140 patients, 91 agreed to an exam, and the researchers took detailed images of the back of their eyes. Twenty-two of the 91 patients showed clear signs of Elmiron toxicity. The rate of toxicity rose with the amount of Elmiron taken, from 11% of those taking 500 to 1,000 grams to 42% of those taking 1,500 grams or more. The findings showed that about one-quarter of patients who’d taken large amounts of Elmiron had clear signs of eye damage, and that damage caused by the drug could be mistaken for other retinal […]
What is the treatment for a torn meniscus? The treatment of a meniscus tear depends on its severity, location, and underlying disease within the knee joint. Patient circumstances also may affect the treatment options. Often it is possible to treat meniscus tears conservatively without an operation using anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy rehabilitation to strengthen muscles around the knee to prevent joint instability. Frequently, that is all a patient needs. Patients involved in sport or whose work is physically demanding may require immediate surgery to continue their activity. Most patients fall in between the two extremes, and the decision to use conservative treatments or proceed with an operation needs to be individualized. Torn meniscus due to injury The first steps in treatment after the acute injury usually include rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). This may be helpful in easing the inflammation that occurs with a torn meniscus. Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), may help relieve pain and inflammation. It is important to remember that over-the-counter medications can have side effects and interactions with prescription medications. It is reasonable to ask a health care professional or pharmacist for directions as to which over-the-counter medication might […]
By Peter Schelden on 10/16/2019 2:31 PM Latest Arthritis News Source: MedicineNet Health News The molecules that control human cartilage repair are the same as the more active ones in salamanders, zebrafish, and other animals that can regrow limbs, according to Duke Health researchers. The researchers found evidence of an innate capacity for human cartilage to repair itself, according to the study released on Oct. 9. This contradicts the historical notion that joint cartilage cannot be repaired in humans. The study found that cartilage proteins in ankles are younger than those in knees, and knee cartilage proteins are younger than those found in hips. This aligns with how some animals regenerate limbs more quickly near the tips of a limb than near the body. The key seems to be microRNA, and unlocking its secrets may lead to advancements in osteoarthritis, and even regrowth of human limbs, the researchers said. They said injecting the right microRNA cocktail into a damaged joint or limb might someday enhance the body’s ability to repair itself. “We believe that an understanding of this ‘salamander-like’ regenerative capacity in humans … could provide the foundation for new approaches to repair joint tissues and possibly whole human limbs,” […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Arthritis News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Corticosteroid shots are often used to ease arthritis pain, but a new study suggests they may be riskier than thought. Researchers found that among patients who had the treatment at their center, 8% had complications. Most often, that meant a worsening in cartilage breakdown in the joint. But a small number of patients suffered bone loss or stress fractures. Traditionally, doctors have told patients that steroid injections might not help their arthritis pain, but are unlikely to do any harm, said senior researcher Dr. Ali Guermazi. But that, he said, is downplaying the risks. “We just want to make sure that we’re not hiding anything from patients,” said Guermazi, a professor at Boston University School of Medicine and chief of radiology at the VA Boston Healthcare System. The study, published online Oct. 15 in the journal Radiology, is far from the first to point to risks from corticosteroid shots, however. A 2017 study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is a case in point. It followed the outcomes of knee arthritis patients who received repeated injections over two years — with either […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Dealing with the agitation, anxiety and aggression that often come with dementia is one of the most challenging aspects of caring for someone with this brain disorder. But new research suggests that massage and other non-drug treatments may be more effective than medications. Even just taking people with dementia outdoors can help, said study author Dr. Jennifer Watt, a geriatrician and clinical scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital-Unity Health in Toronto. “The bottom line from our study is that non-medication based therapy and multidimensional care seem to be better than medications for treating the symptoms of aggression and agitation in persons with dementia,” she said. Dementia, a progressive loss of thinking and memory skills, affects 50 million people worldwide. Up to three-quarters have behavioral and psychological symptoms. People with such symptoms often need institutionalized care sooner. Health care professionals rely on several medications to lessen symptoms of agitation and aggression, but these medications carry significant risks. One, ironically, is worsening memory and thinking, the researchers said. Some medications — such as anti-psychotics — may do little to control symptoms, according […]
Does dementia spread gradually and evenly in all directions across the brain, or can it “jump” from one brain area to another? New research helps to settle the question by examining the progression of frontotemporal dementia. Researchers have used MRI scans to improve their prediction of brain atrophy progression in a type of dementia. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a condition in which the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain shrink, or atrophy. This results in two broad categories of symptoms: behavioral changes and language problems. Unlike in other forms of dementia, FTD does not affect spatial awareness and memory. There are currently no treatments for slowing the progression of FTD. The medical community has insufficient knowledge of how the disease spreads and how differently it progresses between individuals. To help understand the condition, Dr. William Seeley — a professor of neurology and pathology at the Memory and Aging Center and Weill Institute at the University of California San Francisco — together with his team, set out to examine the patterns of brain atrophy progression in FTD. Dr. Seely and his colleagues published their findings in the journal Neuron. Finding the ‘patient-tailored epicenter’ The new study builds on previous […]
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The effect of added sucrose in the diet on calorie intake and body weight appears to depend on whether it is in liquid or solid form, according to a new study in mice. If the results translate to humans, they suggest that the contribution of added dietary sugar to obesity comes largely from sugar-sweetened drinks. If scientists replicate this finding in humans, it will validate rising concerns about the consumption of sugary drinks. A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and China made these suggestions after giving mice added sugar in either their drink or their food for 8 weeks and then comparing them. In both groups of mice, the added sugar represented 73% of the available dietary calories. A recent Molecular Metabolism paper carries a full report of the study. “The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages,” says John R. Speakman, a professor in the school of biological and environmental sciences at the University of Aberdeen in the U.K., “has been widely implicated as a contributing factor in obesity, and we investigated whether the mode of ingestion (solid or liquid) had different impacts on body weight regulation in mice.” Prof. Speakman, who led the research at both the University of […]
