ALL ABOUT HEALTH -

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

Drinking Moderate Amounts of Alcohol Linked to Cognitive Decline

Main

Having as few as two alcoholic drinks per week can lead to cognitive decline, according to a study published recently in PLOS Medicine. That’s because drinking seems to increase the amount of iron present in the brain, with higher levels linked to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.“Even small amounts of alcohol can harm your brain,” says Anya Topiwala, doctor of psychiatry, senior clinical researcher at the University of Oxford, and lead author of the study. “We found that the amount people said that they drank was related to the amount of iron in their brain. The more they drank, the more iron there seemed to be.”Those increased iron levels were also associated with demonstrable cognitive effects. “We also did memory tests on these people, and it seemed that…

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

First Polio Case in U.S. in Nearly a Decade Detected in New York Suburb

Main

New York health officials on Thursday alerted the public that a case of polio has been confirmed in an unvaccinated resident of Rockland County.State and county authorities are advising medical practitioners and healthcare providers to be on the lookout for additional cases.Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a potentially crippling and even deadly infectious disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person, invading the brain and spinal cord, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in 200 cases leads to irreversible paralysis.The polio vaccine, however, is highly effective at stopping polio, and the shot continues to be included in the CDC’s standard child immunization schedule. Because of a successful vaccination program in the United States in the 20th century, the country has been considered polio-free since 1979. Occasionally,…

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

9 Things to Do Before Your Teen Leaves for College: A Post-Roe Contraception Checklist

Main

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling that women do not have a constitutional right to an abortion. The matter is now is left up to the states, and many legislatures are limiting or even outlawing abortion.One month after the decision, 11 states had either banned abortion completely or implemented a ban on abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide. As many as 26 states overall are certain or likely to ban abortion, also according to the Guttmacher Institute.Abortion Bans Spawn Confusion About Contraception and Reproductive RightsMany people are living in confusion about what options are available to them, says Julia Bennett, director of…

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

Faulty Batteries in Heart Devices Recalled

Main

For some end-stage heart failure patients, the Medtronic HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) System helps the heart by supporting the weak left ventricle and providing additional blood flow. On Thursday, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert warning these patients that Medtronic is recalling batteries used to operate the system because the batteries may experience electrical faults that cause them to unexpectedly fail.The federal health agency has labeled this a “Class 1 recall,” which is the most serious kind of recall. Loss of power from these batteries (model number 1650DE) can cause serious health consequences or even death.Medtronic has already reported 1,159 complaints, six injuries, and one death related to this issue.If the battery has an electrical fault, the controller may not receive power, or the battery…

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

Does the Ink Used in Tattoos Pose a Health Risk?

Main

In the last decade, the number of Americans with at least one tattoo has grown nearly 50 percent, from 21 percent in 2012 to an estimated 30 percent, according to an Ipsos poll conducted in 2019. And the trend is even more popular in younger people — those under 55 are more than twice as likely to have a tattoo.What may surprise some people is that although tattoo businesses are subject to stringent sanitation and health protocols, a key component — the ink used to create the body art — is unregulated in the United States. In many cases, that may not be an issue, but a new study shows that the lack of oversight has resulted in mislabeled and potentially concerning ingredients.“I think right now our most important finding…

01Mar 2023 by Janice Holland

Nearly Half of All Cancer Deaths Around the World Could Be Prevented

Main

A new, first-of-its-kind global study found that nearly 1 in 2 cancer deaths — an estimated 4.45 million a year — can be attributed to preventable risk factors, with smoking, high body mass index (BMI), and drinking too much alcohol topping the list.Although cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide (after heart disease) this is the first study to look at a multitude of factors on a global level, according to the authors. The findings were published on August 20 in The Lancet.“This study illustrates that the burden of cancer remains an important public health challenge that is growing in magnitude around the world. Smoking continues to be the leading risk factor for cancer globally, with other substantial contributors to cancer burden varying,” said Christopher Murray, MD, DPhil, co-senior…

28Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

‘Polypill’ Reduces Risk of Repeat Heart Attacks

Main

For years, doctors have prescribed a standard regimen of medications to help heart attack survivors avoid another serious cardiovascular event. And for just as long, many patients have struggled to keep up with all of these pills.Results of a new clinical trial suggest that the solution may be a so-called “polypill” containing three of these commonly prescribed medications: aspirin to prevent clots that lead to heart attacks; an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) to control blood pressure; and a cholesterol-lowering statin.For the trial, researchers randomly assigned almost 2,500 heart attack survivors to take either a three-drug polypill or a standard drug regimen with similar medications, each prescribed separately. After about three years of follow-up, patients on the polypill were 33 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular-related causes than people…

28Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Button Batteries Are Sending More Children to the Emergency Room

Main

Button batteries and lithium coin batteries — small, disk-shaped batteries — are the power source for a multitude of everyday objects, including remote controls, hearing aids, key fobs, and many children’s toys. Unfortunately, these tiny devices that add convenience to our lives can pose a serious health risk to or even kill children who swallow them.A new study found that the number of battery-related ER visits for children 18 years old and younger between 2010 and 2019 more than doubled compared with 1990 to 2009, and the majority of injuries occurred in patients 5 years old or younger. The findings were published August 29 in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.“Unfortunately, past prevention efforts have yet to lead to significantly reduced injury rates,” said the study's lead…

28Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Muscle Aches and Pains Are Not Caused by Statins in 90 Percent of Cases

Main

Millions of Americans are prescribed statins, medications that help lower cholesterol and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Even though the medications have decades of safety and efficacy data behind them, many people decide never to fill the prescription, and it’s estimated that between 40 and 75 percent of people discontinue therapy within one year of starting it.So what’s the problem? It’s not access, as many statins are available in generic form. Instead, the most commonly cited reason for not taking a statin is the potential side effects, specifically muscle aches or pain, stiffness, or cramps.But a new study by researchers at Oxford Public Health suggests that statins are being unfairly blamed for aches and pains that they aren’t causing. In a review of…

28Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Will There Be a Lot of Flu Going Around During the 2022-2023 Season?

Main

There’s a saying among flu experts that goes, “If you’ve seen one flu season, you’ve seen one flu season,” says Pritish Tosh, MD, infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “I’ve been studying the flu for over a decade, looking at internal data, external data, public health trends, and every year I’m surprised at what influenza does,” he says.Given all these curveballs, infectious disease specialists are wary about making predictions about future flu seasons. But Dr. Tosh and others note that, if recent history is any indication, the United States can expect an increase in flu activity after two years of fewer cases.Read on to learn more about what might be coming in the months ahead and what you can do to fight the flu. Source link