Unproven stem cell therapies often peddled by doctors without training
At U.S. clinics advertising unproven stem cell treatments, roughly two-thirds of the clinicians may be physicians, but a new study…
Yes, counting steps might make you healthier
People who track their daily steps may not only be more active, they may also be less likely to develop…
Young women smokers at much higher risk of deadly heart attack
While smoking boosts the likelihood of heart attack in both men and women of all ages, it has a much…
Heart problems may hasten cognitive decline
(Reuters Health) – Adults with clogged arteries carrying blood to the heart may be more prone to cognitive decline than…
Eleven U.S. cancer centers get to charge more for care
For several decades, certain cancer centers have been allowed by the U.S. government to charge more for the care they…
When elders leave hospital, falls are big reason they return
(Reuters Health) – Preventing falls among elderly patients who’ve just left the hospital is an important part of keeping them…
Common nerve pain drug linked to suicidal behavior, overdose
(Reuters Health) – A class of medications used for nerve and muscle pain, including the popular drug Lyrica, increases users’…
Common nerve pain drug linked to suicidal behavior, overdose
(Reuters Health) – A class of medications used for nerve and muscle pain, including the popular drug Lyrica, increases users’…
Got an antibiotic prescription from your dentist? Chances are, it might be unnecessary
(Reuters Health) – More than three-quarters of antibiotic prescriptions written by dentists before dental procedures are unnecessary and might do…
Listening to music may ease cancer patients’ pain
(Reuters Health) – Listening to music at home may reduce cancer patients’ pain and fatigue and ease symptoms like loss…
Traumatic injuries linked to later social dysfunction
(Reuters Health) – Nearly half of trauma patients, even those without brain injuries, experience social deficits that make it harder…
Chronic depression after heart attack tied to increased risk of death
(Reuters Health) – Heart attack survivors with chronic mood disorders may be more likely to die prematurely than their counterparts…
HIV prevention pill recommended for healthy people at risk
(Reuters Health) – Healthy people at risk for HIV should take a daily pill to minimize their chances of getting…
Medicaid expansion tied to fewer heart disease deaths
(Reuters Health) – With increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, fewer middle-aged people…
Inflammatory bowel disease patients have higher health costs
(Reuters Health) – People with inflammatory bowel disease – either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis – may incur health costs…
In states with most overdose deaths, poor patients struggle to find treatment
Poor people with opioid use disorders may struggle to find doctors to prescribe the anti-addiction drug buprenorphine in U.S. states…
Childhood adversity tied to sleep problems decades later
(Reuters Health) – Children who suffer adverse experiences like abuse and neglect may be more likely to have sleep problems…
Many U.S. allergists now prescribe tablets instead of shots
(Reuters Health) – Almost three in four U.S. allergy specialists are prescribing tablets to ease symptoms caused by pollen, ragweed…
U.S. government website for comparing doctors lacks data on most MDs
(Reuters Health) – Physician Compare, a U.S. website created to help patients find high-quality doctors, is missing so much information…
Few at risk for opioid overdose get potentially life-saving naloxone
(Reuters Health) – A tiny percentage of people at high risk for opioid overdose are getting prescriptions for naloxone, a…
Most diabetes apps lack real-time advice on blood sugar management
(Reuters Health) – Hundreds of smartphone apps promise to make managing diabetes easier, but very few offer real-time guidance on…
Financial scam victims have higher risk of Alzheimer’s
(Reuters Health) – Older adults who are victims of financial scams may be more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s…
What’s bad for the heart is also bad for the brain
(Reuters Health) – People who have risk factors for heart disease like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity may also…
Your health app could be sharing your medical data
(Reuters Health) – That nifty new health app you downloaded to your phone to keep track of your meds might…
Women who vape around pregnancy may wrongly think it safe
(Reuters Health) – Health professionals advise against using any nicotine products during pregnancy, but some women are using e-cigarettes before,…
Gastric bypass surgery tied to diabetes remission
(Reuters Health) – Three in four obese people with diabetes who had a common type of weight-loss operation called Roux-en-Y…
Eating nuts tied to lower heart disease risk for diabetics
(Reuters Health) – People with diabetes who regularly eat nuts may be less likely to develop heart disease than their…
Eating lots of meat tied to higher risk of liver disease
(Reuters Health) – People who eat a lot of animal protein may be more likely to have excessive fat in…
With self-compression, women suffer less and mammogram quality not at all
(Reuters Health) – There are many reasons women dislike mammograms, chief among them the awkward and often painful process of…
Shorter waits for new patients at VA than in private sector, U.S. study finds
(Reuters Health) – In many cases, veterans get a first appointment at VA hospitals quicker than the general public gets…
Doctors explain misconceptions about penicillin allergy
(Reuters Health) – Most patients who report having a penicillin allergy are not really allergic to this highly effective antibiotic,…
No quick fix for physician burnout, depression
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Close to 44 percent of U.S. physicians are burned out, and 15 percent are depressed…
U.S. substance abuse helpline largely unknown
(Reuters Health) – The U.S. government’s toll-free substance abuse helpline, which provides free referral services to those looking for treatment,…
Scheduled dialysis for undocumented immigrants saves money and lives
(Reuters Health) – Providing scheduled dialysis for undocumented immigrants with kidney failure, rather than offering them only emergency dialysis, dramatically…
More U.S. adults may be trying to lose weight, after all
(Reuters Health) – – Researchers said last year that the proportion of overweight U.S. adults trying to lose weight has…
Inflammatory bowel disease tied to heart attack risk
(Reuters Health) – – People with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis may be up to 12…
Patients often withhold relevant information from doctors
(Reuters Health) – – Patients commonly hold back information from doctors that could help in their healthcare, which could influence…
Two studies find probiotic therapy ineffective against stomach flu, diarrhea
(Reuters Health) – A widely-used probiotic therapy is ineffective against the diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain of gastroenteritis, two large…
Families often share potentially dangerous antibiotics: study
(Reuters Health) – A substantial proportion of parents confessed to giving their children antibiotics that had been prescribed for someone…
Cannabis tied to serious type 1 diabetes complications
(Reuters Health) – People with type 1 diabetes may be more likely to develop potentially fatal complications when they use…
Defibrillator vest fails test because many heart attack survivors wouldn’t wear it
(Reuters Health) – Patients who have just survived a heart attack and consequently have a dangerously-weak heart face a high…
Drug shortages may add $230 million to annual U.S. drug costs
(Reuters Health) – Prescription drug shortages may drive up prices twice as much as they would rise with medicines in…
Diabetes drugs less affordable, less available in lower income countries
(Reuters Health) – People who live in low-income and middle-income countries may have a harder time finding and affording essential…
Women’s sexual health after menopause may be best treated by gynecologists
(Reuters Health) – Postmenopausal women who experience problems like vaginal dryness, painful intercourse or urinary incontinence may want to see…
Dementia risk doubles right after a stroke
(Reuters Health) – People who have recently experienced a stroke may be more than twice as likely to develop dementia…
In absence of heart disease, sodium may not be so bad
(Reuters Health) – Moderate consumption of sodium may not affect the risk for cardiovascular problems in people without heart disease,…
Many doctors skip meningococcal vaccine talks with teens
(Reuters Health) – Many pediatricians and family physicians don’t discuss the meningococcal B vaccine with teens even though these conversations…
Doctors may not explain pros, cons of lung cancer screening
(Reuters) – Many U.S. doctors don’t discuss the harms of lung cancer screening or the potential for overdiagnosis in conversations…
Shingrix vaccine makes shingles less severe, disruptive to quality of life
(Reuters Health) – The vaccine Shingrix prevents shingles, and if people do contract the virus, it reduces the severity of…
Cancer diagnosis tied to increased risk of diabetes
(Reuters Health) – People who get diagnosed with cancer may be more likely to develop diabetes, a Korean study suggests.…
Sticking with the same doctor may extend patients’ lives
(Reuters Health) – Seeing the same doctor over the years helps people live longer, suggests a new international study. “We…
Experts outline ethics issues with use of genealogy DNA to solve crimes
(Reuters Health) – With recent revelations that U.S. law enforcement can – and already has – dipped into consumer genealogy…
Oily fish still a good habit for heart health, U.S. doctors say
(Reuters Health) – People who eat at least two servings a week of oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and…
Fewer dementia patients die after surgery when nurses more educated
(Reuters Health) – Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia may be less likely to die after surgery when they’re treated…
People with sinus infections stay on antibiotics too long
(Reuters Health) – Most people prescribed antibiotics for sinus infections are on treatment courses of 10 days or longer even…