Many Common Meds Could Alter Your Microbiome

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Some widely used drugs alter the population of microbes in the gut, and a number raise the risk of antibiotic resistance, a new Dutch study shows.

The gut microbiome includes at least 1,000 species of bacteria and is influenced by a number of different factors, including medication. Research...

The Exercise Effect and Prediabetes

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- If you've been told that your blood glucose is higher than normal and that you have prediabetes, your doctor is likely to first suggest lifestyle steps to stop it from progressing to diabetes.

The steps that can have the most benefit are losing weight and improving your diet, which obviousl...

Don't Be Fooled By Foods That Sound Healthy But Aren't

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- You probably already realize that adding zucchini or carrots to a cake won't magically make it low calorie or healthy. But you might not realize that there are many foods that sound healthy but really aren't.

It might seem as though bran muffins are the perfect way to get needed fiber, but t...

Could Screens' Blue Light Make You Old Before Your Time?

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Daily exposure to blue light from sources such as smartphones, computers and household fixtures could speed your aging, even if it doesn't reach your eyes, research in animals suggests.

Blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may damage cells in your brain as well as your ret...

AHA News: She Thought Her Dizziness, Exhaustion Came From Being A Mom

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Their young sons in bed, Lucy Henglefelt and her husband, Adam, were cleaning their Sioux Falls, South Dakota, home to put it on the market. A real estate agent was coming the next day to take pictures.

But Lucy reached a stopping point. She occasionally got dizzy and often w...

Bald Eagles Across U.S. Infected With Newly Identified Virus

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Bald eagles in the United States are facing another challenge: Nearly one-third are infected with a newly identified virus, researchers say.

The virus is called bald eagle hepacivirus (BeHV). The researchers discovered it while trying to determine the cause of Wisconsin River Eagle Syndrome (W...

Good News for Parents: Many Preemie Babies Grow Up Fine

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Having a premature baby can be frightening for parents, but new research delivers a calming finding: Many premature babies end up as healthy adults without major illnesses.

The study of more than 2.5 million children found that more than half of those born prematurely had no major medical conc...

Antidepressant Doesn't Ease Obsessive Behaviors of Autism

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The commonly used antidepressant Prozac doesn't appear to help reduce obsessive-compulsive behavior in children and teens with autism, new research suggests.

The study randomly compared use of the drug to a placebo over 16 weeks. In the end, the researchers saw no meaningful clinical benefits...

Jimmy Carter Recovering From Broken Pelvis After Fall

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is recovering in a Georgia hospital after he broke his pelvis in a fall at his home on Monday night.

"He has been admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center for observation and treatment of a minor pelvic fracture," said a statement issued early Tuesday by The ...

Family Can Help Keep Delirium at Bay After Surgery

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Many older hospital patients suffer delirium after surgery, but a new program that involves the patient's family in recovery may help, a new study suggests.

Called the Tailored, Family-Involved Hospital Elder Life Program (t-HELP), it appears to help lessen the burden of postoperative deliriu...

FDA Approves New Drug for Most Common Form of Cystic Fibrosis

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug to treat most cystic fibrosis patients has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Trikafta (elexacaftor/ivacaftor/tezacaftor) is the first triple combination therapy available to treat patients with the most common cystic fibrosis mutation. Its list price is $311,00...

Women With More Aggressive Breast Cancer Face Higher Risk of Other Cancers

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer between two routine screenings have an increased risk for other types of cancer, a new study finds.

Breast cancer detected between two routine screenings is called interval cancer, and it tends to be more advanced, more aggressive and to have a worse prognosi...

Depression Rates Not Budging for Lesbian and Gay Teens

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- While fewer straight teens suffer depression than did two decades ago, the same cannot be said for lesbian, gay and bisexual teens.

For those teens, depression risk remains much higher than among their straight peers, new research shows, and it is not following a similar downward trend....

1 in 4 Parents Say No to Play Date Invites

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. parents are selective about their children's play dates, with nearly one-quarter refusing invitations because they're not comfortable leaving their child in the other parent's care, a new survey finds.

Their main concerns about play dates include children being unwatched, hearing ina...

Making a Lighter Chicken Parmesan

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Love your chicken parm but not the crazy calorie overload you get at a restaurant? Try this lighter version that's easy to make at home.

Most of the unwanted calories in chicken parmesan come from heavy breading plus the typical big side of pasta. Both bring down the nutrition profile since th...

A Workout to Protect Your Thumbs

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The range of motion of the human thumb makes so many everyday hand movements possible. Whether you're an athlete gripping sports equipment, a baker whisking egg whites or a do-it-yourselfer hammering a nail, you'd be at a total loss without your thumbs. Yet most people do little to protect these overloo...

Not All Transplant Centers Use Deceased-Donor Kidneys, Despite Growing Need

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. transplant centers accept less-than-ideal kidneys from deceased donors, but their willingness to use such organs varies widely.

That's the conclusion of a study that examined the use of deceased-donor kidneys at 182 transplant centers nationwide.

Researchers found big differ...

Smartphone App Gets Heart Patients to Follow Their Rx

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Forget doctor's instructions: New research shows a smartphone app is the best way to get heart patients to remember to take their medicines.

Heart attack survivors are typically prescribed medications to prevent another attack, but one in four stop taking at least one drug within 30 days after...

Scientists Spot Signs of Virus Behind Disease Paralyzing Kids

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A new antibody test appears to have honed in on the most likely cause of a mysterious polio-like disease that regularly sweeps through the United States.

The new test detected antibodies for two types of enteroviruses in the spinal fluid of dozens of patients diagnosed with acute flaccid myelit...

American Indians May Have Higher Odds for A-Fib

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- American Indians have a higher rate of the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation than other racial/ethnic groups, a new study suggests.

Commonly called a-fib, the heart rhythm disorder affects about 2.7 million people in the United States, putting them at increased risk of stroke and...