TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Folks who’ve had a clogged artery reopened probably can stop taking blood thinners sooner than previously thought, a new study argues. Patients are regularly prescribed blood thinners for a year or more after angioplasty. This is to make sure that blood doesn’t clotContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Addictive opioid painkillers aren’t the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say. As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings may come as good news. AfterContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — U.S. government worker compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate had reached 95% as of Monday, which was the deadline set by the Biden administration. “Already 95% of USG [federal government] employees are in compliance with the President’s vax requirement,” White House assistant pressContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A widely available drug used to treat alcoholism has potential as a COVID-19 treatment, researchers say. The investigators found that people taking disulfiram (Antabuse) for alcoholism had a lower risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and were less likely to die from COVID-19 ifContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — An experimental Lyme disease vaccine shows promise in animal studies and could also help protect against other tick-borne diseases, researchers say. The vaccine — which relies on the same mRNA technology used by some COVID-19 vaccines — protected guinea pigs against infection byContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 booster shots trigger much stronger and longer protection than full vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to a small study. It also found that the response to a booster is even greater in fully vaccinated people whoContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pfizer Inc. said Monday that its coronavirus vaccine provides long-term protection in youth ages 12-15, according to data from a company clinical trial that included more than 2,200 participants. In a company clinical trial that included more than 2,200 adolescents, getting two dosesContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Most prescriptions for the medication gabapentin are for unapproved uses — and many patients end up taking it along with drugs that create potentially dangerous interactions. That’s the conclusion of a new study that looked at “off-label” use of gabapentin. In the UnitedContinue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who take medications that suppress the immune system don’t have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 than those with normal immune systems, a new study finds. Early in the pandemic, it was feared that people taking immunosuppressive drugs were atContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use of both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots for all adults, clearing the way to additional vaccine protection for tens of millions of Americans. The announcement came hours before the startContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A COVID-19 vaccine booster shot gives cancer patients — especially those with blood cancer — much-needed protection, new research reports. “Our study demonstrates in clear terms how the booster shot can make all the difference for some people with compromised immune systems, suchContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines for treating movement problems in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease have been updated. The new treatment recommendations from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) focus on dopaminergic medications, which increase dopamine levels or mimic dopamine effects. Parkinson’s is aContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Low-dose aspirin neither reduces nor increases the risk of dementia in adults with type 2 diabetes, a new study finds. “This is reassuring that an increase in the risk of dementia is unlikely for the millions of people worldwide who regularly take aspirinContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Nov. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Neurologists must make sure Alzheimer’s patients and their families understand that the controversial drug aducanumab does not restore mental function, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) said in new position statement that includes ethical guidelines. “Aducanumab is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease,Continue Reading