TUESDAY, March 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Dr. Jennifer Cobanov had been tracking her young thyroid patient for years. The girl’s antibody levels were elevated, but her thyroid functioned normally. Then, routine blood work revealed something quite unusual: Her underactive thyroid had suddenly switched into overdrive. Last November, the CaliforniaContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Many U.S. primary care doctors worry they aren’t ready to care for the growing ranks of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease, a new report suggests. In a Alzheimer’s Association survey, half of primary care doctors said the U.S. medical profession is unprepared for theContinue Reading

MONDAY, March 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Don’t grab that door handle. Put the toilet seat lid down before you flush. COVID-19 has prompted a mountain of advice about how to protect yourself against coronavirus infection, and now a trio of studies ofContinue Reading

TUESDAY, March 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Opioid use in Florida fell after a law that restricted opioid prescriptions for acute pain was introduced in 2018, researchers report. Under the law, opioid prescriptions for acute pain are limited to a three-day supply (with certain exceptions), and physicians and pharmacists mustContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Rave online reviews about a hospital stay may not mean much about the actual medical care there, if a new study is any indication. Researchers found that across U.S. hospitals, patient-satisfaction scores were more dependent on “hospitality” factors — like friendly nurses, quietContinue Reading

THURSDAY, Feb. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — With U.S. health officials this week declaring a domestic outbreak of coronavirus a “not if, but when” situation, one expert in infectious illness offers guidance on how you can prepare and protect yourself. First of all, if you do develop symptoms such asContinue Reading

SATURDAY, Feb. 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Hitting the slopes or the skating rink as the winter of 2020 winds down? Don’t let an accident or injury spoil your fun. “Winter sports and recreational activities have great health and cardiovascular benefits,” said Dr. Joseph Bosco, vice president of the AmericanContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Feb. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of antibiotic prescriptions for Medicaid patients appear to be inappropriate, new research suggests. That kind of overprescribing raises risks for everyone, experts say, as bacteria gain more chances to mutate around the life-saving drugs. For the study, researchers analyzed 298 millionContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — American dentists often prescribe more than the recommended supply of opioid painkillers to patients, a new study finds. Not only that, they are more likely to prescribe more powerful opioids, the researchers found. In this study, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 550,000Continue Reading