HPV 'Herd Immunity' Now Helping Vaccinated, Unvaccinated Women

TUESDAY, May 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccination against the virus that causes most cervical cancers has spurred a widespread reduction of infections among young Americans — including those who are unvaccinated, a new government study finds.

The study, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked...

Biden Signs Law Banning Sleep Products Tied to Infant Deaths

The manufacture and sale of products known as crib bumpers and sleep incliners — linked with more than 200 infant deaths in the United States — will be banned under a new law signed by President Joe Biden.

"This is a long-fought and important victory for babies and anyone who cares about babies," Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog with t...

Cutting Pollution From Power Plants, Transport Could Save 50,000 U.S. Lives Each Year

More than 50,000 premature deaths would be prevented in the United States each year if fine particle air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels were eliminated, researchers say.

Curbing this source of pollution would also save more than $600 billion a year in health care costs due to related illness and death, their study notes.

...

FDA Expands Baby Formula Market to Foreign Suppliers, Moves to Reopen Abbot Plant

Dealing with a crippling shortage of infant formula that has many U.S. parents desperate, the Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced "increased flexibilities" in allowing foreign manufacturers to help boost American supply of the vital product.

Also on Monday, the FDA announced that an Abbott Nutrition baby formula manufacturing...

As Baby Formula Shortage Continues, Experts Offer Guidance to Frantic Parents

A nationwide baby formula shortage continues across the United States, with desperate parents scouring shelves to find nutrition for their infants.

Millions of babies rely on formula -- the only source of nutrition recommended for infants who aren’t exclusively breastfed.

Two prominent pediatricians have advice for parents who are ...

Immunotherapy Drug Can Lower Recurrence When Bladder Cancer Spreads

MONDAY, May 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Immunotherapy with nivolumab (Opdivo) after surgery for metastatic bladder cancer significantly reduces the odds for the tumor's return, a new clinical trial finds.

Among 700 patients with urothelial cancer of the bladder or other parts of urinary tract that had spread to muscle, ...

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Saved 110,000 American Lives: Study

As the United States mourns one million deaths from COVID-19, a new study indicates the grim tally could have been worse. Use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine prevented more than 110,000 deaths and 690,000 hospitalizations in the United States in 2021, researchers report.

The vaccine also prevented 8.7 million symptomatic cases of ...

AHA News: Stroke Hospitalizations Rising Among Younger Adults, But Deaths Falling

Stroke hospitalizations for younger adults – along with the cardiovascular risk factors associated with them – have risen since 2007, preliminary new research shows. But the chances of people under age 45 dying from a stroke in the hospital have dropped.

The increase in hospitalizations was higher for women and for white and Hispanic a...

After Roe v. Wade: Could Bans on Out-of-State Abortions, Mail-Order Pills Be Next?

"I do not believe that the overturning of Roe v. Wade is where any of this will end."

So warns Rachel Fey, vice president of policy and strategic partnerships for Power to Decide, a contraception advocacy group dedicated to reducing the risk for unplanned pregnancies.

Elisa Wells, co-director of Plan C, an organization focused on ens...

Hispanics Wait Half-Hour Longer in ER When Chest Pain Strikes

When Hispanic Americans arrive in the emergency room with chest pain, they have to wait longer for care than other people with the same symptoms, a preliminary study finds.

Chest pain, a potential sign of heart attack, is one of the leading reasons people end up in an ER. But the new findings suggest that Hispanic patients may face unneces...

Wildfire Survivors Could Face Higher Cancer Risk

MONDAY, May 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Wildfires, like the one currently raging in New Mexico, are known to cause upticks in breathing issues and heart attacks in their immediate wake for folks who live nearby.

Now, new Canadian research shows that these fires may also increase risk for lung and brain cancer over time....

When Abortion Means Traveling, More Women Forgo Procedure: Study

Long-distance travel will likely prove a nearly insurmountable barrier to some women seeking abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned as expected, a new study concludes.

Women who need an abortion are more than twice as likely to delay the procedure or decide to continue their pregnancy if they live 50 or more miles from a clinic, compared wi...

Various Mental Illnesses Share Same Genes: Study

Many people who get a diagnosis for one mental illness may find they have additional psychiatric conditions, and new genetic research offers an explanation why.

A number of mental illnesses share genetic similarities, researchers found. This discovery helps explain why multiple conditions are common among people with psychiatric disorders,...

COVID Rules Don't Apply: Narcissists Shun Masks, Vaccines

Narcissists' belief that it's 'all about them' can make them less likely to wear a mask or get vaccinated during the pandemic, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed data gathered from 1,100 U.S. adults in March 2021. They were asked about their mask use and vaccination views and behaviors, and they also completed assessments to measure t...

Under 45 With Prediabetes? Your Heart Attack Risk Is Rising

If you're a young adult with prediabetes, you may already know you have a greater than average risk of full-blown diabetes. But you could also be at increased risk for a heart attack, new research shows.

"After taking into account various influencing and modifying factors, we found that young adults with prediabetes had 1.7 times higher ch...

Why Emphysema May Often Be Missed in Black Men

Emphysema is missed more often in Black Americans than in white Americans, and now researchers report they have figured out why.

The investigators found that many Black men who were considered to have normal results after race-specific interpretations of a common lung function test called spirometry actually had emphysema when assessed us...

Arthroscopy: A Viable Treatment Option for Painful Hip Joints

College basketball player Joey Liedel suffered years of debilitating hip pain that limited his ability to play.

As a freshman at University of Detroit-Mercy, he was in constant discomfort. Eventually, the Erie, Mich., athlete underwent hip surgery and took some time off to get comfortable on the court again.

The 6-foot-1 guard had a...

Warm Water Danger: What to Know About Flesh-Eating Bacteria

If heading back into the water this summer has you concerned about flesh-eating bacteria, an expert offers some advice.

"Flesh-eating bacteria refers to an infection that spreads so rapidly that the skin and surrounding soft tissue starts to die," explained Dr. Stacey Rose, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College o...

AHA News: Improved Fitness Gave Man Chance to Walk Daughter Down the Aisle After Heart Attack

Justin Ballard of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, stared at the photos in disbelief.

"Do I really look that big?" he thought.

The pictures came from a joyous occasion – Christmas Day 2019, when Kelsey, the oldest of his three children, had gotten engaged.

The couple set a wedding date in October 2021. Justin vowed to be in much bett...

AHA News: Black, Hispanic Adults Less Likely to Receive CPR, Especially in Public

Black or Hispanic adults who experience a witnessed cardiac arrest outside the hospital are substantially less likely than their white peers to receive lifesaving care from a bystander, preliminary new research shows.

CPR was least likely for Black and Hispanic adults in a less personal setting, such as on the street or in a public transpo...