21Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
New Study Questions Effectiveness of Colonoscopies

New Study Questions Effectiveness of Colonoscopies

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Colonoscopy screenings prevent just 1 case of colon cancer for every 455 people who undergo this invasive test, in which a camera is snaked through the intestines, according to a new study that calls into question the benefit of the procedure.For the study, researchers randomly selected about 28,000 adults in Poland, Norway, and Sweden to undergo colonoscopies and compared colon cancer diagnoses and deaths with a randomly selected control group of about 56,000 people who didn’t get these screenings. Over a median follow-up period of 10 years, there were 259 cases of colon cancer detected in the group invited to get colonoscopies and 622 cases in the control group.At 10 years, the group invited to get colonoscopies had an 18 percent lower risk of colon cancer and a 10 percent…
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21Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Candy-Colored Fentanyl May Trick Young Kids Into Accidental Overdoses This Halloween

Candy-Colored Fentanyl May Trick Young Kids Into Accidental Overdoses This Halloween

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Every trick-or-treater has been warned at some point not to eat candy from strangers — at least until a parent can check their Halloween haul to make sure none of the sweets have been tampered with. This year, however, parents have something even more sinister to watch out for: the potential that what looks like candy is actually a lethal street drug.The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning parents to watch out for so-called “rainbow fentanyl,” brightly colored versions of the street drug that’s 50 times more potent than heroin. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl — about as much as a dozen grains of salt — can be a lethal dose, according to the DEA.“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powders that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes,…
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21Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Later Meals Increase Hunger, Decrease Calories Burned

Later Meals Increase Hunger, Decrease Calories Burned

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Dining later in the day may make it harder to resist eating too much food and more difficult to burn off all the calories you consume, according to a new a study that offers fresh insight into why skipping breakfast or late-night snacking might contribute to obesity.Even though eating snacks after dinner has long been linked to an increased risk of obesity, less is known about exactly why consuming food too close to bedtime might cause people to gain weight. For the new study, scientists set up a lab experiment to see how changing when people ate — but not what they ate — might impact three factors that can play a role in body weight and the risk of obesity: food cravings and appetite, the ability to burn calories,…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Drinking 2 to 3 Cups of Coffee Linked to Heart Benefits and Longevity

Drinking 2 to 3 Cups of Coffee Linked to Heart Benefits and Longevity

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New research suggests that there may be heart-health and mortality benefits from drinking all different types of coffee — not only regular ground coffee, but instant and decaf as well. The findings were published on September 27 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day was associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause, said study author Peter Kistler, MBBS, PhD, head of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, in a press release. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”For most of us, this is welcome news — about 3…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Loneliness and Unhappiness May Age You More Than Smoking

Loneliness and Unhappiness May Age You More Than Smoking

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Surrounding yourself with people who help you feel good about your life may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about ways to lengthen your lifespan. But a new study suggests focusing on happiness and social connections may be one great way to boost longevity.For the study, researchers examined data on almost 12,000 adults 45 and older who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. All of the participants provided blood samples, detailed medical histories, and information on their social circumstances and mental health. Scientists then used all of this data to predict which factors might make the biggest difference on longevity using a so-called “aging clock,” a statistical model for assessing biological rather than chronological age.Psychological factors such as being lonely or…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves Sotyktu (Deucravacitinib) for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

FDA Approves Sotyktu (Deucravacitinib) for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

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On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, according to a release from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), manufacturer of the drug.The once-a-day pill is a systemic treatment for psoriasis, meaning that unlike topical treatments applied directly to skin, the drug minimizes inflammation throughout the body. It works differently than existing systemic medications, including other oral therapies and biologics, which require injections.Jessica L. Garelik, DO, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who was not involved in the drug development, calls the approval good news. “There remains a need for effective, safe treatments, particularly oral medications, for people with psoriasis who require systemic therapy,” she says. Source link
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
CDC Warns of Increased Respiratory Virus Among Children That Can Cause Polio-Like Paralysis

CDC Warns of Increased Respiratory Virus Among Children That Can Cause Polio-Like Paralysis

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an official advisory warning of a recent rise in the number of children hospitalized with a respiratory illness that can cause a serious neurologic condition that weakens muscles and reflexes.According to reports to the CDC in August from healthcare providers and hospitals from around the United States, these pediatric patients tested positive for rhinovirus or enterovirus, including enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). Pediatric acute respiratory illness sentinel surveillance sites have also reported a higher proportion of children with EV-D68 positivity compared with previous years.Data analysis from NBC News found that there were 84 EV-D68 cases from March through August 4. By comparison, the CDC identified six such cases in 2019, 30 in 2020, and 16 in 2021. EV-D68 has been reported in 40 states…
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20Feb 2023 by Janice Holland
Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Death

Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Death

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Two large studies that followed participants for decades have provided further evidence that the foods we eat — and don’t eat — can have significant health consequences. The research, published August 31 in the BMJ, found that people who consumed higher amounts of “ultra-processed” foods were at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, bowel (colorectal) cancer, and early death.What are ultra-processed foods? They include items like hot dogs, lunch meat, baked goods, salty snacks like chips, and sugary drinks, along with prepackaged ready-to-eat or microwave meals, which can contain more unhealthy fats and lots of sodium.According to researchers, these findings add further support for policies that limit ultra-processed foods and promote unprocessed or minimally processed foods to improve public health worldwide.Researchers Followed Participants for Over 2 Decades to Assess Cancer RiskIn…
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