28 May 2020
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Very few people with autism receive two recommended genetic tests, a new study finds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups recommend offering chromosomal microarray testing and Fragile X testing to people with autism, to detect or rule out genetic abnormalities that could affect their diagnosis and care.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data gathered from 1,280 autism patients in Rhode Island between April 2013 and April 2019.
Only 16.5% said they'd received some genetic testing, with 13.2% receiving Fragile X testing, and 4.5% receiving chromosomal microarray testing. Only 3% received both recommended tests.
Older patients were less likely to have the tests. Patients diagnosed by subspecialist pediatricians...
28 May 2020
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus pandemic can be especially difficult for children and adults with autism and their families, experts say.
Self-isolation and disruption of routine are tough for anyone, but may emotionally upend someone with an autism spectrum disorder, said Dr. Adrien Eshraghi, a professor and director of the University of Miami Hearing Research and Communication Disorders Laboratory.
The challenges autism patients and their families might face during the COVID crisis, and what health care providers should know to ensure appropriate care, are outlined in a letter published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.
"The goal of this paper is to define the challenges these patients face in a pandemic like this, so physicians, caregivers and...
27 May 2020
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Fatter wallets lead to fatter people, according to a new study.
Researchers examined the link between nations' wealth and their obesity rates. They discovered citizens get plumper as their country gets richer.
"As most people currently live in low- and middle-income countries with rising incomes, our findings underscore the urgent need for effective policies to break -- or at least weaken -- the relationship between income growth and obesity," said study co-author Debabrata Talukdar. He's a professor of marketing at the University at Buffalo School of Management, in New York.
His team analyzed 40 years of data from 147 countries. They found that a 1% increase in per capita income is associated with a 1.23% rise in obesity among men and a...
27 May 2020
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Even if a vaccine against the new coronavirus is developed, only half of Americans say they'd get it, a new survey finds.
It also found that 31% weren't sure if they'd get vaccinated, and about 1 in 5 said they wouldn't get vaccinated.
Of those who'd refuse a vaccine, 7 in 10 cited safety concerns, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
"I am not an anti-vaxxer," Melanie Dries, 56, of Colorado Springs, Colo., told the AP. But, she said, "to get a COVID-19 vaccine within a year or two ... causes me to fear that it won't be widely tested as to side effects."
Others wouldn't hesitate to get the shot.
"I'm definitely going to get it," said Brandon Grimes, 35, of Austin, Texas. "As a father who takes...