Health Advice
/Health
Federal task force urges regular mammograms for all women ages 40 to 74
To counteract growing rates of breast cancer in younger women and to reduce racial disparities in deaths, an influential panel has changed its advice and is urging most women to begin getting regular mammograms starting at age 40.
The new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say women without genetic mutations that make ...Read more
Cancer patient raises funds for research, provides support for others
ATLANTA — As Kim Airhart battles her own cancer recurrence, she continues to raise funds and awareness for ovarian cancer research and provide support for other women fighting the harrowing disease.
Statistically, patients diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer have a high rate of recurrence, but Airhart hoped she would be a unicorn. Through ...Read more
US long-term care costs are sky-high, but Washington state’s new way to help pay for them could be nixed
If you needed long-term care, could you afford it?
For many Americans, especially those with a middle-class income and little savings, the answer to that question is absolutely not.
Nursing homes charge somewhere around US$100,000 a year, while frequent visits from a paid caregiver may set you back more than $5,000 a month. ...Read more
To stop fentanyl deaths in Philadelphia, knocking on doors and handing out overdose kits
PHILADELPHIA -- On a narrow street lined with row houses and an auto body shop in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Marsella Elie climbs a home’s front steps and knocks hard on the door.
A middle-aged man appears with a wary look on his face.
“Hello, sir, how are you doing today?” asked Elie, wearing a royal-blue jacket ...Read more
What Florida's new 6-week abortion ban means for the South, and traveling patients
Monica Kelly was thrilled to learn she was expecting her second child.
The Tennessee mother was around 13 weeks pregnant when, according to a lawsuit filed against the state of Tennessee, doctors gave her the devastating news that her baby had Patau syndrome.
The genetic disorder causes serious developmental defects and often results in ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Treatment and research of glioblastoma
Considered the most aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma grows rapidly, destroying healthy tissue. Globally, approximately 300,000 people are diagnosed each year with glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is a type of cancer affecting glial cells, which connect nerve cells and support brain function.
"It tends to be a tumor that also tends to ...Read more
California strikes deal for cheaper overdose-reversing medication
California struck up a new deal with Amneal Pharmaceuticals on Monday to bolster the state’s supply of the opioid overdose-reversing medication naloxone at a much lower price for schools, police departments and others trying to ease the toll of fentanyl.
The deal would put the price tag for a two-dosage pack of FDA approved naloxone, often ...Read more
North Carolina health plan discriminates against transgender workers, federal appeals court rules
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A divided federal appeals court ruled that North Carolina’s state health insurance plan discriminated against transgender patients by not covering gender-affirming care.
Transgender state workers sued the state in 2019 over a coverage exclusion in the State Health Plan for treatments for gender dysphoria, the medical term ...Read more
How LA County is trying to remake addiction treatment -- no more 'business as usual'
LOS ANGELES -- Gary Horejsi wrestled with the decision before him, knowing a life could be in his hands.
It was the third time that the woman had used drugs or alcohol since coming to CRI-Help, which runs a 135-bed residential facility in North Hollywood where people are treated for substance use disorder.
CRI-Help needed to be a safe place ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: How to help your child avoid the pitfalls of perfectionism
Every parent wants their child to be successful in life. But young people sometimes set excessively high standards for themselves. If something they do isn't flawless, they may become overly self-critical. Their pursuit of perfection can become unhealthy and actually interfere with what they want to accomplish.
As adolescents face the ...Read more
What do you know about malaria?
Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans most commonly through mosquito bites. The malaria parasites enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver. When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect red blood cells. This is when people typically develop malaria symptoms....Read more
Pathfinders for Autism helps people with autism, families navigate diagnosis
BALTIMORE -- One of Rebecca Rienzi’s favorite stories to tell about Pathfinders for Autism – the Baltimore County nonprofit where she has been executive director since 2010 – happened at the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.
Every year, the organization rents out the aquarium to give people with autism and their families the chance ...Read more
Unsheltered people are losing Medicaid in redetermination mix-ups
KALISPELL, Mont. — On a cold February morning at the Flathead Warming Center, Tashya Evans waited for help with her Medicaid application as others at the shelter got ready for the day in this northwestern Montana city.
Evans said she lost Medicaid coverage in September because she hadn’t received paperwork after moving from Great Falls, ...Read more
This multiple sclerosis discovery could be a breakthrough
We’ve made significant progress in developing better treatments for multiple sclerosis over the last two decades. Yet the medical community still struggles to diagnose the neurological condition, let alone intervene or study it in its earliest stages, before damage has been done. What we need is a simple test that can definitively tell a ...Read more
The path to a better tuberculosis vaccine runs through Montana
A team of Montana researchers is playing a key role in the development of a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis, an infectious disease that has killed more people than any other.
The BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccine, created in 1921, remains the sole TB vaccine. While it is 40% to 80% effective in young children, its efficacy is ...Read more
Bird flu confirmed in Colorado dairy cows as outbreak spreads
The U.S. Department of Agriculture found bird flu in northeast Colorado dairy cows this week, according to state officials.
This is the first time avian flu has been diagnosed in Colorado cattle, the state Department of Agriculture said in its announcement.
Bird flu in dairy cows has been confirmed in eight other states, the USDA said. Those ...Read more
Tick-borne Powassan virus reported in Massachusetts: 'The virus can invade the central nervous system'
BOSTON — A confirmed case of the tick-borne Powassan virus has been reported in the Bay State, according to officials who are warning residents to take precautions against the disease.
The Sharon Health Department has confirmed the town’s first case of Powassan virus — which like Lyme disease, is transmitted through infected ticks.
...Read more
Mental health problems come with an added ‘cost’ of poorer cognitive function – a neuropsychologist explains
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
All types of mental disorders come with a hidden cost in the form of cognitive dysfunction, including deficits in memory, attention, executive functions and processing speed, according to a comprehensive study that my colleagues and I published in June 2021 in the ...Read more
Know the signs of irritable bowel syndrome
April is IBS Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.
Research suggests that about 12% of people in the U.S. have irritable bowel syndrome, and it's more common among women than men and in people younger than 50, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive ...Read more
Recognizing symptoms of Parkinson's disease
April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, which make this a good time to learn about the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive ...Read more
Popular Stories
- California strikes deal for cheaper overdose-reversing medication
- This multiple sclerosis discovery could be a breakthrough
- Tick-borne Powassan virus reported in Massachusetts: 'The virus can invade the central nervous system'
- What Florida's new 6-week abortion ban means for the South, and traveling patients
- Federal task force urges regular mammograms for all women ages 40 to 74