Even Short Bursts of Daily Activity Lengthen Life

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for couch potatoes — bursts of activity as short as one to three minutes in duration can prompt a steep decrease in the risk of heart attack, stroke and early death, a new study reports.

Researchers tracked the activity of more than 25,000 people in the United Kingdom, ...

CDC Will Recommend an Antibiotic After Sex to Help Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to recommend use of a powerful antibiotic to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

On Monday, the CDC issued draft recommendations, recommending doctors consider prescribing doxycycline to help prevent the spread of d...

Arthritic Hands: What Works (and Doesn't) to Ease the Pain?

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of people who live with the pain and stiffness of arthritis in their hands get steroid or hyaluronic acid injections directly into their finger joints in the hopes of feeling better.

Now, a new review shows that even though these injections are widely recommended in treatm...

Breastfeeding in Infancy Tied to Healthier Weight Later for Kids

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- What a baby eats, or how the baby eats, may have an impact on future weight and health, research has shown.

A new study backs that up. It found that 9-year-olds who had been breast-fed for six months or more had a lower percentage of body fat than their peers who were never breast-...

Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to COVID Vaccine Pioneers

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- This year’s Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine has been awarded to two scientists who laid the groundwork years ago for the mRNA research that made COVID-19 vaccines possible.

Dr. Katalin Karikó, the 13^th woman to ever receive the honor, and Dr. Drew Weissman, be...

Beating 'Middle-Age Spread':  Carbs You Should and Shouldn't Eat

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A diet rich in whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables is the best recipe for middle-aged folks trying to keep their weight under control, new research finds.

Low in added sugar, yet rich in vitamins and minerals, such foods are considered “high-quality” carbs, investig...

Germs Love Two Skin 'Hot Spots' on Your Body

Grandma knew it all along: Certain places on the body are "hot spots" for unhealthy microbes.

That notion — which the authors of a new study dubbed “the grandma hypothesis,” after grandma’s admonitions to clean behind the ears — was tested by students in a genomics course at George Washington (GW) University in Washington, D.C.

Third of Medicaid Patients With Opioid Use Disorder Don't Get Treatment

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Medications that cut cravings have been shown to help with opioid use disorder, yet nearly a third of Medicaid recipients dealing with opioid addiction aren’t getting them, a new report shows.

There were significant disparities in who gets these medications by age, race and stat...

Scientists Gain Insight Into How COVID Harms the Heart

New research shows the COVID-19 virus can directly infect coronary arteries, inflaming fatty plaque inside them, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

This may explain why some people who get COVID-19 have a greater chance of developing heart disease. It also may shed light on why those who already have heart trouble dev...

Diabetes Could Speed Progression of Blood Cancer Myeloma

Diabetes may accelerate the growth of a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma, affecting overall survival, according to a new study.

The research, published Sept. 29 in the journal Blood Advances, also underscores differences in survival outcomes for Black patients versus white patients with both conditions. In this stud...

Exercise Can Preserve Astronauts' Heart Health on Long Space Flights

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Extensive exercise regimens are keeping astronauts healthy and protecting their hearts during extended space missions, new research finds.

A study from scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found no loss of heart mass or output, and no loss of function in the heart...

Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Intolerance: What's the Difference?

For most people, there’s no reason to give up gluten for good.

But that’s not so easy for folks with two gluten-related medical conditions: celiac disease and gluten intolerance, according to Dr. Sarmed Sami, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London.

He offers some details about this protein and the two h...

Mammograms: An Expert Overview on Why They're So Important

SUNDAY, Oct. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Mammograms have long offered early detection of breast cancer, which is why getting them regularly is crucial to women’s health, one expert says.

“There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. As with many other diseases, risk of developing breast cancer increa...

Take These Steps to 'Fall-Proof' Your Home

SATURDAY, Sept. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of falls increases in older age, and along with it, the risk for serious physical or psychological damage, but there are steps people can take to help prevent these accidents.

Each year, about 27% of adults 65 and older fall and about 10% of those are injured.

“If you'v...

FDA Will Begin to Regulate Thousands of Lab Tests

Faced with growing reports of inaccurate clinical lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that it will for the first time regulate these vital diagnostic tools.

Many Americans might have assumed that the FDA already had oversight of all medical tests; it does not.

However, FDA Commissioner Dr. ...

Want a Healthy Old Age? Get Your Finances in Order Now

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Planning for your long-term financial future doesn’t just make good economic sense — it could also save your life.

People in both the United States and the United Kingdom have a higher risk of dying prematurely if they aren’t engaged in long-term financial planning, according to a r...

COVID Triggered More Cases of Deadly Sepsis During Pandemic Than Thought

The life-threatening infection sepsis was more common than once thought among COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic.

Massachusetts researchers linked SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, to about 1 in 6 sepsis cases at five Boston hospitals during the pandemic's first 2-1/2 years.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital...

Jimmy Carter 'Happy' in At-Home Hospice Care as 99th Birthday Nears

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Former President Jimmy Carter turned quite a few heads last week when he made a surprise visit to the Plains Peanut Festival in Georgia.

Carter, who turns 99 on Sunday, decided back in February “to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instea...

Biden Administration Says Insurance Issues With COVID Shots Mostly Fixed

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Despite reports of trouble last week where some people may have been denied insurance coverage while seeking COVID shots at pharmacies, the Biden administration said Thursday those issues have been ironed out.

That issue is "largely, if not completely," resolved after U.S. Healt...

Getting COVID Shot During Pregnancy Helps Protect Newborns, CDC Study Finds

FRIDAY, Sept. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) – When pregnant women get a COVID vaccine, it helps protect their newborns from the virus, a new government study shows.

"These findings indicate that maternal vaccination during pregnancy could help prevent COVID-19–related hospitalization in infants too young to be vaccinated,...