WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) — While the origins of smallpox has remained a mystery for centuries, researchers now believe that it dates back 2,000 years earlier than previously thought. Until recently, the earliest genetic evidence of smallpox, the variola virus, was from the 1600s. And in 2020, researchersContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Jan. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Could a simple letter prompt doctors to prescribe opioids more safely? Yes, claims new research that found reminding doctors to check a prescription database before doling out opioids increased their engagement with the program, having the potential to create more informed prescribing. TheContinue Reading
MONDAY, Jan. 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Military service members who conceal their suicidal thoughts are also more likely to store their guns unsafely, a new study reveals. “These findings highlight a real problem with our suicide prevention system,” said Michael Anestis, lead author of the study and executive directorContinue Reading
MONDAY, Jan. 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) — One low-cost intervention could make a difference in America’s epidemic of opioid overdoses, a new study suggests. When health care providers were notified that one of their patients had died from an overdose, they wrote fewer opioid prescriptions for up to a yearContinue Reading
SUNDAY, Jan. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) — If you’re sick or have been injured, you might not know whether the emergency room or urgent care is the right place to be treated. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) offers some general advice, so you don’t have to wonder whereContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Jan. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) — People should test for the naturally occurring radioactive gas radon in their homes to help prevent ill health, the American Lung Association urges. In some areas, like the state of Connecticut, radon was found to be present at high levels in a quarterContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Jan. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A short but intensive approach to “talk therapy” can help many combat veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new clinical trial has found. The study tested “compressed” formats of a standard PTSD treatment called prolonged exposure therapy, in which patients learn toContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Patients might be happier with their care when their physician trained with the specialist they’re referred to, a new study suggests. Researchers found that when patients saw a specialist, they generally gave better ratings to their care if that doctor had gone toContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Jan. 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) — As more U.S. states legalize marijuana, the number of preschoolers accidentally eating cannabis “edibles” is rising in tandem, a new study shows. In the past five years, U.S. poison control centers have witnessed a whopping 14-fold increase in calls about youngsters who gotContinue Reading
MONDAY, Jan. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Wearing proper gear, watching out for snow and ice hazards, and “walking like a penguin” are just some of the tips that can help prevent winter accidents, one medical expert says. “A variety of injuries can occur during the winter,” cautioned Dr. MahmoodContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s that time of year again, when people gather up their best intentions for living a healthier life and make New Year’s resolutions. Luckily, the American Medical Association (AMA) has some suggestions on which pledges pack the most punch. Start by being moreContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Most working-age Americans get health insurance through their employer, but even they are finding it tougher to afford medical care these days, a new study shows. Researchers found that over the past 20 years, a growing number of Americans with job-based health insuranceContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — U.S. communities with higher Hispanic, American Indian or Black populations also have the highest concentrations of metal in public water systems, new research reveals. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City found significantly higher arsenic and uraniumContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Groups of whales, dolphins and porpoises are regularly stranded in shallow waters around the coasts of the United Kingdom. Researchers wanted to understand why, so they studied the brains of 22 toothed whales — or “odontocetes” — that were stranded in Scottish coastalContinue Reading