New COVID Variant Takes Hold in the United States

TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (Healthday News) -- The prevalence of a highly mutated COVID variant has tripled in the past two weeks, new government data shows.

Now, nearly 1 in 10 new COVID cases are fueled by the BA.2.86 variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.

The variant is sprea...

Internet Poses No Threat to Mental Health, Major Study Finds

It might seem that surfing the web could cause a person’s mental health to suffer, but a landmark new study has concluded that internet use poses no major threat to people’s psychological well-being.

Researchers compared country-level internet and broadband use to the mental well-being of millions of people in dozens of countries, and ...

Early Promise for Stem Cell Therapy to Curb MS

Stem cells injected into the brains of multiple sclerosis patients appear to protect them against further damage from the degenerative disease, a new study shows.

MS occurs when the body’s own immune system attacks and damages the protective sheath around nerve fibers, called myelin. This disrupts messages sent around the brain and spina...

Could a 'Brain Coach' Help Folks at Higher Risk for Alzheimer's?

Personal trainers can help people increase their strength and their fitness.

Could a “brain coach” be just as useful in preventing Alzheimer’s’ disease?

A new study suggests that personalized health and lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent memory loss for older adults at high risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Pe...

COVID Vaccines Curbed Pandemic-Linked Surge in Preemie Births

COVID vaccines saved the lives and health of countless babies by preventing their premature births, a new study shows.

COVID-19 initially caused an alarming surge in premature birth rates, but those returned to pre-pandemic levels following the introduction of vaccines, researchers found.

These findings should help allay vaccine hesi...

Smoking Tobacco Plus Weed Greatly Raises Odds for Emphysema

Folks who smoke weed along with cigarettes are doing serious damage to their lungs, a new study warns.

People who do both are 12 times more likely to develop emphysema than nonsmokers, due to the damage they’re doing to the lung’s air sacs, researchers report.

“There is a common public misconception that marijuana smoking is no...

Soccer 'Heading' Tied to Declines in Brain Function

Evidence that soccer heading -- where players use their heads to strike a ball -- is dangerous continues to mount.

Research to be presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago on Tuesday points to a measurable decline in brain structure and function as a result of the practice.

"There is eno...

Black Patients Wait Longer Than Whites for Alzheimer's Diagnosis

TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Medical imaging for thinking and memory issues happens much later in Black patients than in their white and Hispanic counterparts, new research shows.

A study to be presented Thursday at a meeting of radiologists also revealed that Black patients were less often tested with MRIs, a preferred way...

Testosterone Therapy for Transgender Patients May Be Safer Than Thought

Transgender people transitioning to male (transmasculine) identity typically take testosterone therapy as part of the process.  

There have been worries that the treatment might spur erythrocytosis, an abnormally high concentration of red blood cells in blood that could prove dangerous.

But new research should help allay those f...

After Salmonella Cases Double in a Week, Cantaloupe Recall Expanded

MONDAY, Nov. 27, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Three more brands of cantaloupe have been recalled by U.S. health officials after salmonella infections linked to the fruit more than doubled in just a week.

The case count now includes nearly 100 people in 32 states, with Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio having the highest number o...

Long COVID Now Common in U.S. Nursing Homes

MONDAY, Nov. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Repeated COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes have had a stark and lasting impact on vulnerable older residents, a new study reports.

Long COVID has left many residents of these facilities relying more and more on staff to help them months later with basic, everyday activities such as bathing and u...

In Michigan, 5 Women Contracted Syphilis Affecting the Eyes From the Same Asymptomatic Man

MONDAY, Nov. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — In a disease cluster last year, one infected but asymptomatic man spread a rare form of syphilis that affects the eyes to five Michigan women, a new report finds.

Since ocular syphilis remains very rare, researchers believe the strain of T. pallidum  -- the syphilis bacterium -- that...

Whole Grain Foods Could Help Black Seniors Avoid Alzheimer's

Whole grains could be the key to Black people protecting their brains against aging and dementia, a new study reports.

Black folks who ate more foods with whole grains appeared to have a slower rate of memory decline than those who ate fewer whole grains, according to findings published Nov. 23 in the journal Neurology.

Amon...

Want to Avoid Knee Replacement? Build Up Your Thighs

Squats and lunges aren’t the most fun exercises, but a new study says they’ll help save your knees.

Folks with strong quads building up their thighs appear to be less likely to require a total knee replacement, according to a presentation scheduled for Monday at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.<...

Breathing in Coal-Based Pollution Could Be Especially Deadly: Study

When it comes to the ultra-fine particles you may breathe in from polluted air, all is not created equal as it affects your health. 

Fine particle pollutants known PM2.5 -- particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter -- appear to double the risk for premature death over time if they originate from coal-fired power plants versus...

Scans Show Brain Changes in People With Long COVID

People with long COVID exhibit brain changes that are different from the brains of fully recovered COVID-19 patients, a new brain scan study reports.

COVID-19 induced a specific pattern of microscopic structural changes in various brain regions of people with long COVID, researchers will report at the upcoming annual meeting of the Radiolo...

Got GERD? Eat This Way to Help Avoid Symptoms

Some folks feasting this holiday have to contend with gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD.

In fact, about one-third of the population is affected by this chronic condition, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

That’s why it is providing tips on how to manage this digestive disorder, as part of GERD A...

New Advances Mean Many Patients Go Home Same Day After Knee Replacement

Robert Fleetwood, 73, needed joint replacements in both knees, both to relieve his arthritis pain and to continue competing in athletic activities.

And thanks to medical advances, Fleetwood was able to go home the same he had each knee replaced, in procedures spaced several months apart.

A knee replacement "changes your perspective o...

Give Thanks for Healthy Diet Changes During the Holidays

THURSDAY, Nov. 23, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday eating season, when everyone is constantly tempted by sweet treats, rich foods and fancy, high-calorie drinks.

But before diving into decadent eating, consider trying to make healthy food choices during the festivities, one expert suggests.

“T...

Birth Rates Have Risen in States With Abortion Bans

New data shows that births rose in the first half of 2023 in states where abortion bans came into effect following the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

States with bans had an average 2.3% rise in the fertility rate compared to states where abortion remained legal, according to an analysis of preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease ...