Latest Health News

12Sep
2023

Your Hobby Could Help Keep Depression at Bay

Your Hobby Could Help Keep Depression at BayTUESDAY, Sept. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors, pick up those knitting needles, some paintbrushes or that favorite novel, because new research suggests that having a hobby is linked to having lower depression in older people.Hobbies might include anything from gardening to playing games, arts and crafts, volunteering, reading or being part of a club, according to the study, which spanned numerous countries and included more than 93,000 people ages 65 and older. “Our study shows the potential of hobbies to protect older people from age-related decline in mental health and well-being. This potential is consistent across many countries and cultural settings,” said lead author Karen Mak, of University College London's Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care.Data came from people...

People Exhale Less COVID Virus as Their Infection Wanes

12 September 2023
People Exhale Less COVID Virus as Their Infection WanesTUESDAY, Sept. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When you have COVID-19, when are you most infectious? Researchers are getting closer to an answer, with a new study finding that folks exhale the highest amounts of virus during the first eight days of their illness. Scientists found that patients exhale quite a bit of virus during the first several days — as many as 1,000 copies of airborne virus per minute. Those levels drop steeply by day eight, however, when a person exhales only about two copies per minute.“This information speaks directly to when someone with COVID-19 should isolate; when they are more likely to infect other people by breathing out virus into the air around them; and when they become much less likely to spread the infection," lead study author Gregory Lane, a senior...

For the Young, Vaping & Chronic Stress Often Go Together

12 September 2023
For the Young, Vaping & Chronic Stress Often Go TogetherTUESDAY, Sept. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Young people who vape are more likely to experience chronic stress, though it isn’t clear whether it was the stress that brought on the vaping or the vaping that caused the stress, investigators say.“Research is starting to show how vaping affects young people’s physical and mental health," said Dr. Teresa To, a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. "Our previous research has shown that those who vape are more likely to suffer an asthma attack. In this study we were particularly interested in the relationship between vaping, mental health and quality of life among young people,” To said in a news release from the European Respiratory Society.For the new research, investigators used the data from the...

FDA Approves New COVID Booster Shots

11 September 2023
FDA Approves New COVID Booster ShotsMONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday gave the green light to new COVID boosters for Americans, setting the stage for the updated vaccines to become available within days.The COVID-19 shots from Pfizer and Moderna will join the flu shot and newly approved RSV shots as part of a three-pronged public health strategy to tame the spread of all three viruses this coming winter. The updated COVID vaccines are each fully approved for those 12 and older and are authorized under emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age. “Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center...

Could Wildfire Smoke Raise Rural Suicide Rates?

11 September 2023
Could Wildfire Smoke Raise Rural Suicide Rates?MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As this summer has shown, the massive smoke plumes generated by wildfires can dirty the air of regions many miles away. Now a new study is raising the question of whether that pollution is contributing to suicides in rural America.Researchers found a correlation between air pollution from "drifting" wildfire smoke and a rise in U.S. counties' suicide rates. The connection was not seen everywhere, however: It was concentrated in rural counties, and among certain groups with a relatively heightened suicide rate to begin with: white, working-age men without a college education.For every 10% increase in wildfire air pollutants, the study found, a rural county's monthly suicide rate rose by 1.5%, on average.The study was published Sept. 11 in...

Red Cross Appeals for Donors During National Blood Shortage

11 September 2023
Red Cross Appeals for Donors During National Blood ShortageMONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The American Red Cross said Monday that it urgently needs blood donations because the national blood supply has dropped nearly 25% since early August.Back-to-back climate-related disasters have hampered blood collection efforts, and a summer shortfall has made the shortage worse.Patients in need of transfusions as part of cancer and sickle cell disease treatments face the potential danger of not having the blood supply they need, the Red Cross said. The organization asked for people of all blood types to donate. Platelet donors and those with type O blood are especially needed.“For so many patients living with urgent medical care needs, crises don’t stop with natural disasters,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the American...

Have Sleep Apnea? CPAP Machine May Help Save Your Life

11 September 2023
Have Sleep Apnea? CPAP Machine May Help Save Your LifeMONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of people who suffer from sleep apnea go to bed at night with a motorized device called a CPAP machine. Now, two new studies confirm the treatment has significant benefits not just on quality of sleep, but also for keeping people's hearts healthy. Together, the studies may offer more reasons to endure the not-always-comfortable treatment known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that keeps people breathing properly through the night.“The results are striking,” said Dr. Jordi de Batlle, co-author of one of the studies.Over the study period, patients who stuck with CPAP treatment reduced their risk of death from heart disease by 36%. And they had a 40% lower risk of death from any cause, his study found. Previous research...

Yet Another Mosquito-Borne Threat: The 'Jamestown Canyon Virus'

11 September 2023
Yet Another Mosquito-Borne Threat: The `Jamestown Canyon Virus`MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- You've probably heard of West Nile virus, but mosquitoes spread various other illnesses, too, including the little-known Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), which is garnering attention across the United States.For example, health officials in Connecticut have so far identified mosquitoes carrying JCV in 12 towns across the state. Although no confirmed human cases of the disease have occurred there this year, scientists are watching it carefully, as it's affecting more people around the United States."In the last six years, we have seen an increase in the number of reported disease cases," said Stacey Martin, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, "this could be due to better awareness of the disease and...

Cancer Care Tougher to Access in U.S. If English Second...

MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Much has been made of how a lack of English proficiency can interfere with a patient’s ability to interact with their doctor and get the best health...

Americans Who Are Deaf Can Now Use 988 Suicide Helpline

MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. government’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is expanding its reach to help more people. The crisis line has now launched services in...
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