Common Heart Drugs' Risk With COVID-19 Unproven, Experts Say

Could a blood pressure or diabetes medicine make COVID-19 more severe?

A new theory suggests the coronavirus could be binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in the lower respiratory tracts. Commonly used drugs like ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are often used to control heart failure an...

AI Might Spot Which COVID-19 Patients Are at Risk of Severe Disease

An international team has designed a computer program that predicts with up to 80% accuracy which COVID-19 patients will develop serious respiratory disease.

Developed by U.S. and Chinese researchers, the artificial intelligence (AI) program has been tested at two hospitals in China with 53 patients who were diagnosed in January wi...

More Evidence COVID-19 Survivors' Blood Could Help Very Ill Patients

A small study out of China bolsters the notion that transfusing the antibody-enriched blood of people who've survived COVID-19 could help patients still fighting for their lives against the disease.

The study of five critically ill patients from near the initial epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic found that all five patients s...

Blood Sugar Control May Aid Stroke Recovery in Diabetes Patients

Good blood sugar control can help protect against mental decline after a common type of stroke in people with diabetes, new research suggests.

The study included 942 patients with diabetes who suffered a lacunar stroke -- one caused by a blockage in an artery that provides blood to the brain's deep structures.

Better blood su...

Doctors Describe First Drone Delivery of Diabetes Meds to Patient

Imagine needing insulin to live but a natural disaster suddenly cuts off access to your medication. New drone technology may one day come to the rescue by making urgent deliveries to remote locations, researchers say.

The world's first documented drone delivery of medications to a diabetes patient in a difficult-to-reach community is...

N95 Face Masks Can Be Sterilized and Re-Used, Studies Show

Amid a shortage of face masks for medical personnel fighting COVID-19, two studies show that disposable N95 masks can be sterilized and re-used.

A nationwide mask shortage has put health care workers and patients at risk, but the new findings may offer ways to ease that shortage.

Researchers at University of Massachuse...

Too Many Patients, Too Few Ventilators: How U.S. Hospitals Cope With COVID-19

Faced with a looming shortage of lifesaving ventilators, U.S. hospitals are scrambling for solutions and planning for the worst.

Intensive care units at besieged hospitals in New York and other cities are taking an "all hands on deck" approach -- recruiting doctors from various specialties to help handle the influx of severely ill COVI...

AHA News: Health Emergency? Don't Hesitate to Get Help

With hospitals across America focused on people who have developed COVID-19, some people with unrelated but still urgent health problems are feeling awkward about reporting to emergency rooms.

They shouldn't, doctors say.

It's true the coronavirus is stressing the health care system. Hospitals have canceled or postponed ele...

AHA News: Dropping Blood Pressure May Predict Frailty, Falls in Older People

Blood pressure that goes down when you stand up is associated with frailty and falls in older people, according to a new study that advocates more testing.

The research, published Monday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, delved into the relationship between geriatric patients and orthostatic hypotension – ...

Trump Extends Social Distancing to April 30 as COVID-19 Cases Surge

As U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise, President Donald Trump on Sunday backed down on plans to re-open the country by Easter -- instead extending strict social distancing guidelines for the country to April 30.

By Monday morning, more than 141,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported nationwide, with almost 2,500 deaths, t...

Do Gene Mutations Explain COVID-19 Cases in the Young?

Genetic mutations that put some younger people at high risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus will be investigated in an international study.

Plans call for enrolling 500 patients worldwide who are under age 50, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit, and have no underlying health problems su...

A Parent's Guide to Fighting Coronavirus Stress

Stressed-out parents should reach out to others for support during the coronavirus pandemic, child health experts say.

As the number of coronavirus cases rise and families spend long periods in isolation, parents face unique financial and emotional stresses. Research shows that family stress puts kids at increased risk of abuse, accord...

What Dental Offices Are Doing to Prevent Coronavirus Infection?

Dentists, hygienists and other dental professionals are at high risk for work-related exposure to coronavirus, but they can take steps to protect themselves.

"We have really good ways to prescreen patients: by taking their temperature, asking them questions regarding travel in the last two weeks, asking how they're feeling and if they ...

CDC Urges Residents of 3 States Near New York City to Cease Domestic Travel

In an unprecedented move, residents of the tri-state area around New York City -- New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- are being urged by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to refrain from travel to other states over the next 14 days, to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Although coronavirus hotspots continue to eme...

Recovery From Mild Brain Trauma Takes Longer Than Expected: Study

Less than half of patients with a sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) recover within two weeks, new research shows.

"This study challenges current perceptions that most people with a sports-related mTBI recover within 10 to 14 days," said lead author Dr. Stephen Kara, from Axis Sports Medicine in Auckland, New Zealand.

Trump Signs $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill Into Law, as U.S. Cases Pass 100,000

President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion economic stimulus package into law on Friday, as U.S. coronavirus cases surged past 100,000 and the death toll passed 1,600.

The unprecedented legislation will send $1,200 to millions of Americans, including those earning up to $75,000, along with $500 per child. It will also give an addition...

Staying at Home During the Pandemic? Use Technology to Stay Connected

Technology can help you maintain social connections if you're staying home during the coronavirus pandemic, an expert says.

"When using technology to stay connected, prioritize keeping deeper, meaningful connections with people," said Stephen Benning, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Electric Cars Still Better for the Planet Than Gas Vehicles

Electric cars really are greener than gasoline ones, researchers report.

Some have questioned whether electric cars could actually increase carbon emissions when the generation of the electricity to run them is taken into account.

But a new study concluded that in most areas of the world, electric cars reduce carbon emissions...

Nationwide Shortages Looming for Respirators, Masks, Gowns: Expert Poll

Nearly half of U.S. health care facilities are already or nearly out of respirators worn by staff to protect against infection as they care for COVID-19 patients, a new survey shows.

One in five facilities have no respirators and 28% are almost out of the filtering face masks, which provide advanced protection against viral infecti...

Caring for Relatives With ALS Almost a Full-Time Job for Youth: Study

Kids and teens spend as much as five hours a day helping care for relatives with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a new study finds.

Although the young people often help with bathing, dressing, eating and other caregiving activities, they may not have enough training or information about the dis...