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Scare Up Some Halloween Safety
Posted today in Daily MedNews
SATURDAY, Oct. 1, 2016 -- There's no trick to staying safe on Halloween, safety experts say. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers. It's best if children wear light-colored costumes and face paint or make-up instead of potentially vision-obstructing masks, according to SafeKids Worldwide. Costumes should be the proper size to prevent trips and falls. Children should carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. Don't let children use electronic...
Read more1 in 10 Stroke Rehab Interruptions May Be Preventable
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Interruptions in inpatient rehabilitation occur for some stroke survivors and patients with brain and spinal cord injuries, a new study finds. But at least one-tenth of these treatment breaks could be prevented, resulting in improved patient outcomes and lower health care costs, the researchers said. The findings indicate that inpatient rehabilitation facilities "are performing well in preventing complications," said researchers led by Addie Middleton of the...
Read moreHormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Less Safe for Men With Prior Heart Attack
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Men diagnosed with prostate cancer often receive hormone-depleting therapy to help fight the tumor. But a new study suggests that the treatment may pose a risk to men who've previously suffered a heart attack. "Patient age, cardiac risk, and disease recurrence risk should be considered when selecting candidates for hormone therapy in this patient population," lead researcher Dr. Nataniel Lester-Coll of Yale University said in a Yale news release. He's a resident...
Read moreIt May Be Time to Punt on Your Favorite Football Fare
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Fried foods and free-flowing beer may be the norm at many football or tailgate parties, but the American Heart Association (AHA) says there are many healthier options. When it comes to meats for the grill, they recommend choosing lean or extra-lean beef burgers and keeping the patties to the size of a deck of cards. Or try turkey or salmon burgers. Instead of fried chicken wings, grill chicken breast strips coated in a small amount of your favorite sauce. Watch how you...
Read moreCDC: Pregnant Women Should Avoid Southeast Asia Due to Zika
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Zika continues to extend its reach around the globe, with U.S. health officials now urging women to delay travel to 11 countries in Southeast Asia where the virus is circulating. Reports are also describing the first two cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Thailand. Since the Zika outbreak began last year, thousands of babies, mostly in Brazil, have been born with the devastating brain defect after their mothers were infected with the mosquito-borne virus during...
Read moreSmoking Bans May Keep Young Men From Heavy Smoking
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Smoking bans may help reduce smoking among young American men, a new study finds. Researchers examined data from more than 4,300 people in 487 cities nationwide who were interviewed annually between 2004 and 2011 when they were aged 19 to 31. Among young men who were light smokers and lived in areas with smoking bans, their rate of smoking in the past 30 days was 13 percent. It was 19 percent for young men in areas without such bans. Rates were the same (11 percent)...
Read moreQueen Latifah Puts Heart Failure Center Stage
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- When her mother was diagnosed with heart failure, the award-winning singer and actress Queen Latifah was shocked. Her mom, Rita Owens, was a New Jersey high school teacher only in her early 50s. But after she passed out at school one day, doctors determined she was one of 6 million Americans with heart failure, a chronic, progressive disorder. Like many of them, Owens had missed the early symptoms of the disorder, including shortness of breath and unusual fatigue. If...
Read moreMore Health Care Workers Need Flu Shots: CDC
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- More U.S. health care workers need to get their annual flu shots, a new government report shows. Roughly one in every five American health care workers skips the yearly vaccination, and in some facilities that number exceeds half, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We owe it to our patients, as well as to other health care providers, to be vaccinated," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital...
Read more'Mindfulness'-Based Approach Could Help You Stay Slim
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- A weight-loss therapy that focuses on personal values and "mindful" decision-making may help people shed more pounds, a new clinical trial suggests. Over one year, people who received the therapy lost more than 13 percent of their initial weight, on average. To put that into perspective, current behavioral therapies typically help people drop 5 percent to 8 percent of their starting weight, the study authors said. Researchers call the new approach acceptance-based...
Read moreA Doctor's Words Key to Whether Child Gets HPV Vaccine
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- The language doctors use when recommending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can influence whether parents will have their children immunized, a new study finds. HPV causes most cases of cervical cancer and a large percentage of vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends boys and girls receive the three-dose HPV vaccination beginning at age 11 or 12. As of 2015, only 42 percent of girls...
Read moreEncouraging Surgical ICU Patients to Get Moving Pays Off
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- Getting out of bed and moving around as soon as possible benefits surgical intensive care unit patients, a new study shows. Among 200 surgical ICU patients in the United States, Germany and Austria, those encouraged to move around sooner than usual were discharged from the ICU and the hospital earlier than others, researchers found. "We have become much more successful in making sure patients hospitalized after serious injury or major surgery survive their stays in...
Read moreWhen Indoor Temps Rise, So Do COPD Symptoms
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016 -- High indoor temperatures can worsen symptoms of the lung disorder chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly in homes with high levels of air pollution, researchers report. The research included 69 people with moderate to severe COPD. The disorder includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. The study volunteers were assessed on the hottest days of the year. The mean outdoor temperature was 85...
Read moreHealth Highlights: Sept. 30, 2016
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Pregnant Women Should Delay Travel to 11 Southeast Asian Countries: CDC Pregnant women should consider delaying nonessential travel to 11 Southeast Asian countries where the Zika virus is circulating, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. The countries covered by the advisory include Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, the...
Read moreHealth Tip: Make Sure Eggs Are Thoroughly Cooked
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
-- Enjoying an egg for a meal or snack? Make sure it's properly cooked to avoid food-borne illness. The FoodSafety.gov website recommends: Cooking scrambled eggs until they are no longer runny and are firm to the touch. Baking, broiling, frying or poaching eggs until both the yolk and white feel firm. Baking casseroles and other egg dishes until the center reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, measured with a food thermometer. Replacing raw egg whites with liquid egg substitute or a cooked mixture...
Read moreHealth Tip: Avoid These 5 Pre-Bedtime Don'ts
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
-- Your habits just before you slip into bed could be sabotaging your night of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation says do NOT: Take any over-the-counter medications that contain pseudoephedrine, found in common cold medicines, which can keep you awake. Opt for a nighttime formula that may help you feel drowsy. Text, watch TV or spend time on the computer shortly before bed. Take a hot shower or bath just before bed. It's best to do so about an hour before you plan to sleep, as that gives...
Read more'Entitled' People May Be Pursuing an Unhappy Path
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016 -- "Entitled" individuals who feel superior to others often end up unhappy when reality fails to match their expectations, new research shows. "Entitlement is a broad construct, but basically it refers to a desire to get something for nothing," explained study lead author Joshua Grubbs, assistant professor of psychology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. According to Grubbs, entitlement is a personality trait where a person has an exaggerated belief that he or...
Read moreCancer Patients in Poorer Countries Often Go Without Radiation
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016 -- Many cancer patients in low- and middle-income nations who would benefit from radiation treatment don't receive it, a new study finds. "In Ghana and the Philippines, for example, about eight in 10 cancer patients who need radiation therapy will not receive needed treatment," said study co-author Dr. Elena Fidarova, a researcher at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. She and her colleagues analyzed data from nine nations: Costa Rica, Ghana,...
Read moreCan You Blame Your Headaches on Your Thyroid?
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016 -- People with migraines and other headache disorders have a greater risk of a thyroid disease known as hypothyroidism, a new study suggests. Hypothyroidism occurs when the body doesn't produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. This can cause mood swings, weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, constipation and irregular menstrual cycles, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The study included more than 8,400 people. The volunteers...
Read moreFlagging Flu-Shot Rate Worries CDC
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016 -- The flu-vaccination rate sagged in the United States last season, causing concern among public health officials that more Americans might wave off a flu shot this year. Influenza vaccination coverage declined 1.5 percent across the entire U.S. population during the 2015-2016 flu season, with only 46 percent of Americans receiving the annual vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. "Flu is serious. Flu is unpredictable. Flu...
Read moreConcern About Dialysis Safety Spurs CDC Action
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016 -- Steps to reduce bloodstream infections in dialysis patients will be mapped out Thursday at a meeting of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a coalition of kidney and dialysis groups. Dialysis treatment -- either in a hospital, a dialysis unit or at home -- is needed when the kidneys cannot filter wastes from the body sufficiently. Each year, about 37,000 dialysis patients in the United States develop potentially deadly bloodstream infections...
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