Latest Health News

13Feb
2020

As Liquor Stores Close, Murder Rates Decline

As Liquor Stores Close, Murder Rates DeclineTHURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Having fewer liquor stores in cities may lead to lower murder rates, a new study suggests. The implication of alcohol zoning regulations can have life-or-death consequences -- at least in Baltimore, according to study author Pamela Trangenstein, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues. "There is an ongoing violence epidemic in Baltimore, with recent years breaking records for number of homicides," the authors said. "This study suggests that there is potential to prevent violent crimes by reducing alcohol outlet density in Baltimore City." Previous research has found that 50% of violent crime is associated with access to alcohol, the authors noted. For their study, researchers used a computer model to assess how...

Even After Stroke, Many Smokers Still Light Up

13 February 2020
Even After Stroke, Many Smokers Still Light UpTHURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- While fewer Americans are smoking these days, the habit has remained stubbornly persistent among stroke survivors, new research shows. The researchers found that the prevalence of smoking among U.S. stroke survivors has not improved since 1999 and, as of 2016, stood at 26%. That's in contrast to the trend among Americans in general, who are gradually leaving cigarettes behind. Between 1999 and 2016, the study found, the smoking rate among the overall population fell from about 25% to 19%. The findings are concerning, experts said, considering the fact that smoking is a major risk factor for stroke. And among stroke survivors, those who continue to smoke are more likely to have -- or die from -- a repeat stroke or a heart attack, according...

Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Shoot Up Sharply, While 14th...

13 February 2020
Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Shoot Up Sharply, While 14th Case Reported in U.S.THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- After charting a slight decline in growth earlier this week, new coronavirus cases in China jumped by almost 15,000 in a single day, while the death count spiked to 1,367, Chinese health officials reported Thursday. Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Wednesday that a 14th case of coronavirus has been confirmed in this country. The patient was one of the hundreds of American evacuees from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. "Most of the disease is in China. However, we can and should be prepared for this new virus to gain a foothold in the U.S," Dr. Nancy Messonier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a media briefing on Wednesday. "At some...

Consumers Waste Twice as Much Food as Experts Thought

12 February 2020
Consumers Waste Twice as Much Food as Experts ThoughtWEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Much more food is wasted worldwide than commonly thought, a new study shows. In 2005, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that one-third of all food available for human consumption was wasted. This figure has been used to show the extent of food waste worldwide, but it considers supply alone and not consumer behavior. The new study investigated if and how consumer wealth (affluence) may affect food waste. Researchers created a dataset that provides estimates of global and country-by-country waste. Once consumer spending reaches about $6.70 a day per person, they found, waste grows -- initially increasing quickly with rising wealth, and then at much slower rates at higher levels of wealth. The...

Air Pollution Made in One State Can Cause Deaths in Others

12 February 2020
Air Pollution Made in One State Can Cause Deaths in OthersWEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Deadly air pollution doesn't stop at state borders, researchers warn. Their analysis of 2005-2018 data on different types of air pollution from a variety of sources showed that half of pollutants generated in one state are carried by winds to affect the health and life span of people in other states. More than half of early deaths related to air pollution in the United States are the result of emissions that originated in other states, according to the study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Electric power generation is the greatest contributor. For example, more than three-fourths of deaths caused by sulfur dioxide emissions occurred in another state. One positive finding: Early deaths associated with air pollution fell...

Drug Duo Speeds Regeneration of Key Cells Lost in Diabetes

12 February 2020
Drug Duo Speeds Regeneration of Key Cells Lost in DiabetesWEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A novel combination of two drugs appeared to spur faster regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, a preliminary study in mice and human tissue found. Beta cells are crucial to making insulin, a hormone that's deficient in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The new drug combo pairs an already approved class of type 2 diabetes medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists with an experimental drug called harmine. "In the United States, 30 million people have diabetes. As many as 80 million have prediabetes. Worldwide, there are 400 million people with diabetes. All of those people have inadequate numbers of beta cells," explained senior study author Dr. Andrew Stewart. He's director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes,...

Fewer American Families Weighed Down by Medical Bills

12 February 2020
Fewer American Families Weighed Down by Medical BillsWEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The number of people struggling to pay their medical bills declined dramatically during the last decade, as the Affordable Care Act expanded health insurance coverage and financial protection for the sick. The percentage of families who had problems paying medical expenses in the previous year declined from about 20% in 2011 to 14% in 2018, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Households not struggling to pay doctor bills very likely enjoy a more solid financial footing overall, said senior researcher Robin Cohen, a health statistician for the NCHS. "Other studies have shown that problems paying medical bills can lead to financial consequences,...

Age Makes the Difference in Sticking With HIV Meds

12 February 2020
Age Makes the Difference in Sticking With HIV MedsWEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Young people with HIV have much lower rates of viral suppression than adults with the AIDS-causing virus, a new U.S. study finds. Viral suppression means that HIV has been reduced to undetectable levels. Maintaining viral suppression for at least six months prevents the sexual transmission of HIV and helps people with the virus remain healthy. Researchers assessed more than 1,400 patients ages 12 to 24 with HIV who were referred to a nationwide treatment network. Of those, 75% were enrolled in care, with 34% remaining in care and beginning antiretroviral treatment. Twelve percent achieved viral suppression after a median of nearly five months. (Median means half took less time, half took longer.) That rate of viral suppression is much...

Shingles Vaccine Bonus: Reduced Risk of Stroke?

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who get the shingles vaccine may gain stroke protection as well, a new study suggests. Shingles is a viral infection tied to heightened risk...

Growing Up in U.S. 'Stroke Belt' Bad for the Brain Later...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Americans who grew up in the swath of the South known as the Stroke Belt are more likely to develop thinking declines later in life, even if they moved...
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