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Fewer U.S. Cancer Patients Are Dying From Suicide, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- New research reveals an encouraging trend: Despite the rate of suicide rising overall for Americans, U.S. cancer patients are actually less likely now to take their own life than in the past.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) tracked national data on causes of dea...

Promising Steps Toward Retinal Cell Transplants to Fight Blindness

A promising step toward using retinal cell transplants to treat blindness is reported in a new study.

Adult retinal stem cells from deceased human donors survived when they were transplanted into the eyes of non-human primates, according to the researchers.

The cells were taken from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). It is a layer...

Strict Low-Carb Diets Could Push Type 2 Diabetes Into Remission, But Effect Fades

TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Tough limits on carbohydrates in your meals can help get type 2 diabetes under control -- but the benefits typically wane over time, a new research review shows.

The analysis of 23 small trials found that low-carb diets worked better than other eating plans in helping people los...

Fried Food a Big Factor in Heart Disease, Stroke

Delicious but deadly: Eating fried food is tied to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study suggests.

The risk rises with each additional 4-ounce serving per week, a research team in China found.

For the study, the investigators analyzed 19 previously published studies. They combined data from 17 studies, involvin...

The Family Cat Could Be Good Medicine for Kids With Autism

Cats have a long history of boosting people's moods and brightening their days. And that's probably true for kids on the autism spectrum as well, new research shows.

The small study suggests that adopting a shelter cat may help reduce separation anxiety and improve empathy in kids with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

"Ca...

A Promising New Therapy Against OCD?

Noninvasive electrical stimulation of the brain, fine-tuned to specific "circuitry" gone awry, might help ease obsessive-compulsive behaviors, an early study hints.

Researchers found that the brain stimulation, delivered over five days, reduced obsessive-compulsive tendencies for three months, though in peopl...

Nasal Spray COVID Vaccine Shows Promise in Animal Trials

A spritz instead of a shot to ward off COVID-19? Researchers report that a nasal spray vaccine against the new coronavirus shows promise in animal testing.

Rodents that were given two doses of the vaccine had antibody and T-cell responses that were strong enough to suppress SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The vacci...

Many Parents Support 'Teens Helping Teens' Mental Health Programs at Schools: Poll

It may take a village to support teens' mental health, whether it's during the pandemic or later.

One option is having school-based mental health programs that offer peer support leaders.

A new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine found that one in three parents are strongly in favor ...

Biden to Honor Those Lost to Coronavirus With Ceremony at Lincoln Memorial

On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Joe Biden will preside over a ceremony on Tuesday evening that will honor those who have died during the coronavirus pandemic.

Four hundred lights will be illuminated along the perimeter of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, with each light representing 1,000 Americans who have died o...

Health Care After COVID: Racial Disparities Laid Bare

Deidre Johnson spends her days leading a center that provides resources to help Black people in her community overcome health disparities and other societal challenges.

She understands the impact this can have. As a mother of two and a Black woman, Johnson faced discrimination in the hospital when her sons were born and she experience...

If a Nursing Home Resident Gets a COVID Shot, Can Their Families Visit Them Now?

People in nursing homes have been suffering in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, with their institutions in constant lockdown to prevent potentially fatal outbreaks.

Now that they're some of the first in line to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, it would be natural for nursing home residents to expect that visits from friends and fam...

How Divorce Harms Kids, and How to Lessen That Harm

Kids who see their parents bicker during a separation or divorce are more likely to develop a fear of abandonment, new research warns.

And even if a youngster feels close to one or both parents, that fear can still undermine his or her mental health down the road.

The findings stem from interviews with ...

Do You Socially Distance? Your Income Might Matter

Do you you keep 6 feet apart from others to help stop coronavirus spread? New research shows that the wealthier you were at the start of the pandemic, the more likely it is you'll maintain social distance.

The new study looked at social distancing and mask wearing, and determined a link between those behaviors and income.

Doorway Study Reveals How Anorexia Changes 'Body Awareness'

A study that examined how people walked through doorways provides new insight into anorexia's effect on a person's body image.

It's long been known that people with anorexia overestimate their body size, but this study examined unconscious body awareness -- formally called "body schema." It's the innate ability a person has to orient thems...

As More Legal Pot Dispensaries Open, More Young Adults Start Using

As more states legalize marijuana and more shops begin to sell it, more young adults are using pot and developing drug-use disorders, a new study finds.

For the study, researchers looked at young adults in Los Angeles County before and after retail sale of recreational marijuana was legalized in California.

The study linked areas wi...

Estrogen Taken During Gender-Affirming Surgeries Won't Raise Blood Clot Risk: Study

Most transgender women can safely continue their estrogen treatments during gender-affirming surgery, a new study finds.

Estrogen therapy and surgery can increase the risk of blood clots, so experts have suggested that transgender women stop taking the hormone when having gender-affirming surgery.

But the sudden loss of estrogen was ...

Kids' ER Visits for Injuries Rose During Lockdown, While Non-Injury Cases Fell

When the coronavirus pandemic began, one U.S. children's hospital saw an increase in trauma cases from recreational and outdoor activities, even as total ER visits dropped by 50%, researchers report.

What happened? Their new study suggests that being in lockdown, with schools closed, may have prompted more kids to go outside and play -- an...

Vision Problems? Here's a Guide to Which Specialist Is Right for You

If you're having eye problems, you may not know which type of specialist to consult.

Here's some help from experts who explain the roles of an optometrist, ophthalmologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, orthoptist and optician.

Optometrists provide comprehensive eye care, including evaluations for glasses and contact lenses and common e...

Biden Outlines 'Bold' National Vaccine Effort

President-elect Joe Biden described an ambitious national vaccination plan on Friday that will deliver coronavirus vaccines to far more people and invoke a wartime law to boost vaccine production.

In a speech in Delaware, Biden told Americans that, "The honest truth is this: Things will get worse before they get better."

He pledged t...