15Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Daily Coffee Associated With Lower Risk of Early Death

Daily Coffee Associated With Lower Risk of Early Death

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There might be something about coffee that helps people live longer. A new study suggests that people who drink moderate amounts of coffee — about 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day — are less likely to wind up in an early grave.This goes for both black coffee and coffee sweetened with sugar, according to the study, published May 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.For the study, researchers followed 172,000 adults without any history of heart disease or cancer for an average of seven years. All of the participants were part of the U.K. Biobank, and provided extensive medical information including details about their diet and lifestyle.People who regularly drank black coffee were 16 percent to 21 percent less likely to die during the study period, while coffee drinkers who added…
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14Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
The FDA Is Investigating Hepatitis A Cases Tied to Fresh Strawberries

The FDA Is Investigating Hepatitis A Cases Tied to Fresh Strawberries

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries.Several hepatitis A cases have been identified in California, Minnesota, and Canada involving patients who purchased fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB prior to becoming ill, the FDA said in a statement. These purchases occurred between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022.While this investigation is ongoing, the FDA said that these strawberries, “are a likely cause of illness in this outbreak.”The affected strawberries are now past their shelf life and should be thrown away, not eaten, the FDA said. People who froze the berries for future use should also throw them away.Strawberries Were Sold at Several Food ChainsSeveral retailers sold these strawberries, including Aldi, HEB, Kroger,…
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14Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Dementia Risk Factors Change With Age

Dementia Risk Factors Change With Age

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The risk factors for developing dementia change as we age, according to a study that suggests people may need to watch out for different things as they reach their sixties and seventies.For the analysis, researchers examined data on 4,899 dementia-free adults who were part of the Framingham Heart Study at age 55, including 2,386 people who still didn’t have dementia by the time they reached their eighties. The Framingham study was begun in 1948 to examine cardiovascular disease risk factors over multiple generations.At age 55, people who had diabetes were more than 4 times more likely to develop dementia in the future, making this the best predictor of cognitive decline, according to study results published May 18 in Neurology. At this age, each 10-point increase in systolic blood pressure —…
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14Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Common Drugs and Sleep Disorders Are Linked to Erectile Dysfunction

Common Drugs and Sleep Disorders Are Linked to Erectile Dysfunction

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Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, and several common medications may contribute to erectile dysfunction and lower sex drive, according to two new studies presented at the American Urological Association’s AUA 2022 Conference in New Orleans.Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition in which a man is unable to get or keep an erection firm enough for satisfactory sexual intercourse, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It’s estimated that about 30 million men in the United States have ED.“Oftentimes, ED isn’t caused by just one thing, but several different contributing factors. In general, it’s considered a blood flow problem, particularly for men in their fifties and beyond,” says Petar Bajic, MD, a urologist and expert in men’s sexual health who moderated the Men’s…
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14Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves First-of-Its-Kind Steroid-Free Cream for Psoriasis

FDA Approves First-of-Its-Kind Steroid-Free Cream for Psoriasis

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On May 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vtama (tapinarof) cream 1 percent for the treatment of mild, moderate, or severe plaque psoriasis in adults.It is the first unique topical medication to be launched for psoriasis in 25 years, according to a statement by Dermavant, Vtama’s manufacturer.Unlike topical steroids, which doctors widely prescribe for psoriasis, Vtama is safe for long-term use.“There’s tremendous enthusiasm for this product, in part because of the huge need for new treatments for people who have mild psoriasis,” says dermatologist Steven Feldman, MD, PhD, a psoriasis specialist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Dr. Feldman is not affiliated with Dermavant and did not participate in any of the clinical trials.)“Those patients just need an effective topical to put…
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14Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Pollution Causes 1 in 6 Deaths Worldwide

Pollution Causes 1 in 6 Deaths Worldwide

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Worldwide, pollution causes just as many premature deaths as smoking, and far more fatalities than alcohol, drugs, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, terrorism, or wars.Most of these early deaths — about 6.7 million each year — are caused by air pollution, according to a global pollution study published May 17 in The Lancet Planetary Health. In the United States alone, energy-related air pollution is responsible for about 53,000 premature deaths each year, a separate study, published May 16 in GeoHealth, concluded.“Shifting to clean energy sources can provide enormous benefit for public health in the near term while mitigating climate change in the longer term,” lead author of the U.S. study, Nicholas Mailloux, PhD, of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, said in a…
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13Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
E-Cigarettes May Have Dangerously High Levels of Synthetic Cooling Agents

E-Cigarettes May Have Dangerously High Levels of Synthetic Cooling Agents

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Disposable e-cigarettes and refillable vaping liquids sold in the United States may contain unsafe levels of synthetic cooling agents like menthol, a study suggests.Concerns over the potential for these cooling agents to mask harsh flavors and make smoking more addictive prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to propose a ban on menthol in traditional cigarettes and cigars in April. Even though menthol and similar cooling agents are also used in e-cigarettes, vaping products weren’t covered by the proposed ban.In a new study, scientists searched online for refillable vaping liquids marketed as containing WS-3 or WS-23, two types of synthetic cooling agents, or with flavors like “koolada,” “kool,” or “ice.” Researchers said that they focused on products sold by Puff Bar because it’s currently the most popular e-cigarette brand…
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13Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Is Your Data Safe With Period Tracking Apps?

Is Your Data Safe With Period Tracking Apps?

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As the country grapples with the possibility of heavily curtailed abortion access, period tracking apps have come under more scrutiny. To get some answers, we spoke with Cooper Quintin, a senior staff technologist at the internet and civil liberties–focused nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, about the data your period tracking app could be collecting and what precautions you can take to guard your privacy when seeking information on abortion in a post-Roe America.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Period Tracking Apps Could Be Collecting More Data Than You RealizeEveryday Health: When a person uses a period tracking app, what kind of data might be recorded?Cooper Quintin: Obviously, data about whether you're on your cycle or not, data about whether you missed your cycle, whether you missed your period, when your…
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