Booster Dose of J&J COVID Vaccine Increases Immunity

Getting another shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine substantially increased its protection, the company announced Tuesday.

According to the results of a new clinical trial, two doses of the vaccine boosts immunity to 94% from the 74% offered by a single dose, the company said in a statement.

"Our single-shot vaccine genera...

4 Out of 10 Adults With No Known Heart Disease Have Fatty Hearts: Study

TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Many middle-aged adults with apparently healthy hearts have a "silent" buildup of fatty deposits in their arteries, a large, new study shows.

Researchers found that of more than 25,000 50- to 64-year-olds, about 42% had signs of atherosclerosis — a buildup of "plaques" in the...

Which Kids Are at Highest Risk From COVID?

TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Older children and kids with chronic diseases are those most likely to wind up in the hospital with COVID-19, researchers have found.

Conditions such as obesity, diabetes and neurologic problems, among others, put kids at risk for severe COVID-19, according to a new U.S. s...

AHA News: A Day Before His Cardiologist Appointment, 41-Year-Old Had a Stroke

Patrick Wright was back home after ringing in the new year with family and friends at his grandmother's house.

Around 2:30 a.m., he woke up to go to the bathroom. He noticed he had no feeling in his left hand but figured it was numb because he'd been sleeping on it.

He headed to the kitchen for a glass of water but was so thirsty tha...

COVID Has Killed More Americans Than the Spanish Flu Did in 1918

As the highly contagious Delta variant has swept across the United States, the country has reached a tragic milestone.

COVID-19 has now killed more Americans than the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic did, when roughly 675,000 people died.

It didn't have to be that way.

"Big pockets of American society — and worse, their leaders — ...

Pandemic Changed Families' Eating Habits, for Good and Bad: Poll

TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Over the past year and a half, the coronavirus pandemic has remade so much of everyday life, including the foods families eat.

In many families, that's been a good thing, with half cooking at home more often and two-thirds making healthier food choices, according to a na...

Animal Sedative Is Driving Rise in Fatal Drug ODs

TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- An animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is increasingly linked to drug overdose deaths across the United States, health officials say.

According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylazine has turned up in overdose deaths in 25 of 38 states exam...

AHA News: A Year of Committed Exercise in Middle Age Reversed Worrisome Heart Stiffness

A year of exercise training helped to preserve or increase the youthful elasticity of the heart muscle among people showing early signs of heart failure, a small study shows.

The new research, published Sept. 20 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, bolsters the idea that "exercise is medicine," an important shift...

Most Supermarket Chicken Laced With White Fat: Report

A new report from the Humane League claims that 99% of supermarket chicken has pockets of fat, called white stripes, running through it.

The nonprofit group said its findings show how chickens are being raised with little concern for their welfare. But white striping can also deplete the nutritional value of meat, the group added.

T...

Dealing With Grief in the Time of COVID

That feeling that many people are collectively experiencing right now? It's grief.

Some may be living through the loss of family, friends or colleagues who have died from the COVID-19 virus. Others have had losses that would be considered major life events, such as a job layoff. Many have lost recreation, social support and relationships. ...

Neighborhood Gun Violence Means Worse Mental Health for Kids

Living within a few blocks of a shooting increases the risk that a child will end up visiting the emergency department for mental health-related problems, researchers say.

The new study found significant increases in mental health-related ER visits in the two weeks after a neighborhood shooting, especially among kids who lived closest to i...

Common Form of Liver Cancer on the Rise in Rural America

Liver cancer is on the rise in rural America, but on a downswing in cities, new research shows.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It's rising at an annual rate of nearly 6% in rural areas, approaching rates seen in cities, the study au...

Post-Stroke Rehab: There's a Sweet Spot in the Timing

After a stroke, the best time to work on regaining hand and arm use is 60 to 90 days later, according to a new clinical trial.

Starting intensive rehab at less than 30 days can be helpful, too, but waiting until six months can be too late for maximum benefit, said researchers from Georgetown University and MedStar National Rehabilitation N...

Doctors Often Miss Signs of Type 1 Diabetes in Kids

Potentially dangerous symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are not always immediately recognized by primary care providers, new research suggests.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas fails to make enough insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar used for energy by cells. Between 5% and 10% of cases of diabetes are type 1, which...

Watch Their Backs -- Don't Overload Those Schoolbags

After more than a year at home, children are heading back to classrooms across the country. But they're also toting heavy bags on their backs again.

A backpack that fits properly -- and is not overloaded with binders and books -- will help prevent injury.

"With a focus on getting back in the classroom and returning to 'normal,'...

New Drug Combo Boosts Survival Against Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer

New research offers good news for women with an aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer.

A targeted therapy, trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), sold as Enhertu, triples the length of time that the cancer remains in check when compared with the current gold standard, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1).

Both of these drugs are second-line trea...

Sleep Apnea Patients Struggle as Common CPAP Machine Is Recalled

Millions of U.S. sleep apnea patients are scrambling to find ways to protect their nightly slumber, following a voluntary recall from one of the nation's leading manufacturers of CPAP breathing machines.

Philips Respironics agreed to a voluntary recall of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines in late June, over concerns that ...

U.S. Will Lift Restrictions on Fully Vaccinated International Travelers in November

Starting in November, the United States plans to lift travel restrictions on people coming from overseas who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

This move by the Biden administration will open the United States to relatives separated from families as well as business travelers. The restrictions, involving many European countries, China...

Telemedicine Gets High Marks for Follow-Ups After Surgery

After routine surgery, a "virtual" follow-up visit might be just as good as a traditional office appointment, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that surgery patients who had video follow-up appointments were just as satisfied with their care as those who made a trip to the office. And they appreciated the convenience of skipping the ...

HPV Infection Tied to Higher Odds of Premature Delivery

MONDAY, Sept. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women infected with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may have a heightened risk of preterm birth, a new study suggests.

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts. Most of the time, the immune system clears the infection. But some st...