Are Food Allergies Under-Diagnosed in Poor Families?

Food allergies may be under-diagnosed among children covered by Medicaid, a new study suggests.

"We were surprised to find such a large discrepancy in estimates of food allergy prevalence in children on Medicaid compared to the general population," said senior study author Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician and food allergy researcher at ...

Coronavirus Pandemic Spurring Mental Health Crisis, Especially in the Young

The coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll on Americans' mental health, with more than 88,000 people developing anxiety or depression as a result, according to Mental Health America (MHA), a U.S. community-based nonprofit organization.

Also, more than 21,000 Americans who completed MHA's free online mental health screening last month...

In a Pandemic-Stressed America, Protests Add to Mental Strain

Just as Americans are emerging from COVID-19 quarantines, hoping to resume normal life but still fearful of infection, protests against police violence are raging in cities across the country.

And millions remain unemployed, as a shaky economy attempts to restart.

How are folks expected to cope with all of this?

"Fo...

Last Year's NYC Measles Outbreak Has Lessons for COVID Crisis

In a finding that could help guide the response to the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows that a measles outbreak that struck New York City last year could have been much worse if the city had not launched a vaccine campaign.

The measles outbreak -- the largest in the United States in nearly three decades -- ultimately sickened 6...

COVID-19 Exacts Emotional Toll on Doctors

In a possible harbinger of future mental health problems among doctors working during the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows the levels of depression, anxiety and fear jumped among young doctors in China treating COVID-19 patients.

Chinese and American researchers found that for more than 380 medical residents in Shanghai, their...

Cost of Type 1 Diabetes: $2,500 a Year With Insurance

Out-of-pocket costs for Americans with type 1 diabetes average $2,500 a year, a new study says.

But 8% of patients have more than $5,000 in out-of-pocket costs, possibly due to having high-deductible health insurance plans or significant medical needs, researchers found.

And insulin accounted for only 18% of total out...

COVID-19 Cases Drop in Warm Weather, But Not Much

So many questions remain unanswered about COVID-19, including whether the pandemic coronavirus will wane with warmer weather, like some other respiratory viruses.

In search of an answer, researchers at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass., studied the effects of temperature, precipitation and sunlight (UV index) on the number of ...

AHA News: Both Blood Pressure Numbers Key to Pinpointing Heart Attack, Stroke Risk in Young Adults

High blood pressure of any kind in young adults increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events, according to new findings that shed light on an issue experts say has been understudied.

Blood pressure readings have two measurements. Systolic is the top number and indicates how much pressure the blood exerts a...

AHA News: Looking for Ways to Protect Against Pandemic PTSD

As many places start to look forward to life after the first wave of the coronavirus, another type of illness could be about to follow in its wake.

"We're going to have many more mental health issues as time goes on," said Dr. Rima Styra, a psychiatrist at Toronto's University Health Network and associate professor of psychiatry at the U...

Final States Reopen Amid Worries That Protests Will Spark New COVID Infections

Michigan prepared to lift its stay-at-home order on Tuesday -- one of the last states to do so. But in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that protests rampant in numerous American cities could trigger a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

"Protest, just be smart about it," Cuomo said. New York plans to reopen all of the state, inclu...

Maria Shriver and AARP Take on Alzheimer's in Women

An Alzheimer's diagnosis is devastating, no matter your sex. But the disease strikes far more women than men.

Journalist and author Maria Shriver is determined to help researchers figure out why women make up two-thirds of those with Alzheimer's disease. And why certain races and ethnicities are harder hit, too.

"Some of th...

Trump-Touted Hydroxychloroquine in Short Supply for Lupus Patients

A drug championed by President Donald Trump as a coronavirus panacea appears to be in short supply for people who really need it: lupus patients.

More than one-third of U.S. lupus patients who take hydroxychloroquine have struggled to fill prescriptions for the drug during the COVID-19 crisis, a new survey finds.

One patient ...

Sinus Infection? 'Good' Germs in Your Nose May Be Key

If you constantly battle sinus infections, low levels of good bacteria in your nose may be to blame, new research suggests.

Previous research has shown that health-protecting strains of bacteria reside in your digestive system, genital tract and on your skin.

In this study, researchers found that people with chronic nasal and...

6 Feet of Social Distancing Best, but Even 3 Feet Should Help: Study

"Social distancing" is the watchword for keeping the new coronavirus at bay, but how far apart is enough? Researchers say they may have an answer.

While most public health officials recommend you put 6 feet between yourself and others, a new review of 172 studies from 16 countries concluded that keeping 3 feet apart might also protect...

Biggest Hurdle for Young Burn Survivors Is Acceptance

The way they're treated by other people can cause young burn survivors more distress than their physical challenges, two surveys find.

In one, researchers asked 64 burn survivors between 17 and 25 years of age what they found hardest to deal with. The seven most common responses: people staring; being bullied; memories of being burned;...

Juul-Type E-Cigarettes May Be Especially Addictive for Teens: Study

Talk to a teacher if you want an idea of how addicted teenagers can become using Juul and other pod-based e-cigarettes.

That's the suggestion of Patricia Folan, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y.

"We've had teachers tell us that once they confiscate a Juul from kids in school, t...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Are Linked: Review

There's an association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease, according to a new research review.

Researchers analyzed dozens of studies published between 1978 and 2019 that included tens of millions of people in Europe, North America and Asia.

They found that people with a previous diagnosis of celiac ...

Where Are Kids Getting the Most 'Empty Calories'?

U.S. children and teenagers are still downing too many "empty calories" -- primarily from sugary beverages, sweets and pizza, a new government study finds.

The study, based on a long-running federal health survey, did turn up some good news: In recent years, kids have been eating fewer empty calories, versus a decade before.

...

Stay-at-Home Orders Could Mean More Obese Kids: Study

As if the childhood obesity epidemic isn't bad enough, new research warns that over one million more American boys and girls stand to become obese if coronavirus-related school closures continue through the end of the year.

The culprit: a steep rise in sedentary behavior following the spring shutdown of school and afterschool sports an...

Pangolins, Bats or What? New Coronavirus' Path to Humans Still Unclear

Armadillo-like animals called pangolins may have played a role in the emergence in humans of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but they weren't the only links in animal-to-human transmission, scientists say.

Pangolins are sold for food in live-animal "wet markets" in China -- facilities that have long been suspected of being ground zero ...