AHA News: Long-Term Survival After Heart Attack Could Hinge on Where You Live

Having a heart attack before your 50th birthday is bad enough. But new research shows if you also live in a poor neighborhood, your chances of dying within a decade of that heart attack are higher.

"This tells us that we need to focus not just on a patient's medical problems, but on the whole person, on where they live and the resources th...

Third COVID Vaccine Shows Effectiveness; FDA Approves New Treatment

MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) – Americans were greeted with possible advances against coronavirus as Thanksgiving week began: A third vaccine candidate shows good results in shielding recipients against the virus, and an antibody therapy used by President Donald Trump against COVID-19 got emergency use approval by the U.S. Food and D...

Black Americans Suffer More From Heart Disease: The AHA Wants to Change That

The Black Lives Matter movement put racism in the United States under the glare of the public spotlight in 2020. And at its recently concluded annual meeting, the American Heart Association pledged to fight racial disparities in heart health and boost the life expectancy of all Americans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that systemic racis...

Vegan Diets Tied to Higher Bone Fracture Risk

Chew on this: Vegans face a 43% higher risk for bone fractures than meat eaters, a large British study warns.

The rise in risk was not confined to vegans, who eat no meat, fish, dairy or eggs. The researchers also identified a notably higher risk for hip fractures among those who eat fish but no meat (pescata...

Does Parents' Nagging Kids About Screen Time Even Matter?

Parents' constant refrain, telling their teens to turn off the TV, stop playing video games or put down the cellphone, may not be necessary.

And new research suggests those worried about their kids becoming addicted to technology may even be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The amount of time young people spend on technology -- and ...

Parents' Age Key to Whether Kids Get Vaccinated Against COVID, Study Finds

As scientists worked on COVID-19 vaccines, other researchers were addressing a question: Once shots are available, will parents vaccinate their kids against the new coronavirus?

The answer: Younger parents are much less likely than older ones to plan to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19.

"Parents' willingness t...

Coping With Lockdown Loneliness During the Holidays

Pandemic lockdowns will increase Americans' risk of loneliness and depression this holiday season, an expert warns.

"People are grieving for similar reasons: loss of family members, jobs, relationships, friendships and physical touch. Everyone is suffering," said Dr. Asim Shah. He's professor and executive vice chair of psychiatry and ...

B 11/21 -- Which Kids With COVID Will Get Very Sick?

Scientists have identified symptoms that may predict the severity of COVID-19 in children.

According to the researchers, children with respiratory disease and those with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (a rare but serious condition linked with COVID-19) have the most severe illness.

"Much of the discussion to date around COVID-19 ...

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer May Raise Heart Risks

Hormone therapy can be a lifesaver for men with prostate cancer, but it also appears to put some at increased risk of heart problems, a new study reports.

Long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) increased the risk of heart-related death nearly fourfold in a group of prostate cancer patients, and also caused their heart fitness to decr...

More Childbearing Women Having Suicidal Thoughts: Study

The number of women who contemplate suicide or self-harm during or after pregnancy may be on the rise, a large, new study suggests.

Among nearly 600,000 U.S. childbearing women, researchers found that close to 2,700 were diagnosed with suicidality in the year before or after giving birth. And the diagnosis --...

AHA News: People With Depression Fare Worse in Heart Health Study

Heart disease and depression are interwoven, and a new study is helping unravel that connection by linking depression with poorer scores on seven important measures of heart health.

The research included more than 4,000 people taking part in a national survey who had been screened for depression using a basic questionnaire. Participants we...

Birx Says U.S. COVID Cases Are Skyrocketing as Holidays Approach

FRIDAY, Nov. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) – The new coronavirus is spreading across America with unprecedented speed, the White House Coronavirus Task Force said in its first briefing in four months on Thursday.

"This is more cases, more rapidly, than what we had seen before," Dr. Deborah Birx said during the briefing. "You can see the incr...

Will Biden 'De-Politicize' COVID?

President-elect Joe Biden campaigned on big plans for health care, many of which would face an uphill road if the U.S. Senate remains in Republican hands.

But one of the first contributions Biden will make to America's health also will be one of the most important, experts said -- de-politicizing and unifying the U.S. response to the COVID...

WHO Says No to Remdesivir as COVID-19 Treatment

The antiviral drug remdesivir is not recommended for hospitalized COVID-19 patients because there's no evidence that it reduces their need for ventilation or improves their chances of survival, a World Health Organization panel said Thursday.

Remdesivir is regarded as a potential treatment for severe COVID-19 and is used to treat hospitali...

Yes, Pot Is Stronger Now Than in Decades Past, Study Finds

Marijuana packs a lot more punch than it did 50 years ago, making it a greater threat to health, researchers say.

"As the strength of cannabis has increased, so too has the number of people entering treatment for cannabis use problems," said study co-author Tom Freeman, director of the addiction and mental health group at the University of...

Many Young Americans Lonely, Depressed During Pandemic: Survey

Loneliness, anxiety, depression and substance use have increased sharply among young American adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey shows.

Over 1,000 people aged 18 to 35 took part in the online anonymous questionnaire between April 22 and May 11, 2020. Nearly half reported high levels of loneliness, eight in 10 had significant dep...

How Hospitals Can Cut Patients' Falls

A new toolkit to help reduce falls and fall-related injuries among hospital patients is highly effective, a new study shows.

Falls are the leading cause of preventable injury, so researchers set out to create a fall prevention toolkit for patients and their families.

It includes measures such as a laminated poster to display by patie...

Add Kids to COVID Vaccine Trials, Pediatricians' Group Says

Children should be included in COVID-19 vaccine trials at the earliest possible stage, a leading group of U.S. pediatricians says.

If that's not done, youngsters' lives could be at risk, according to the 67,000-member American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

"If we do not add children to these research trials very soon, there will be a...

Losing Your Hair Because of Pandemic Stress?

Add stress-related hair loss to the many problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"I've had patients coming in recently with stress-related hair loss, who tell me they were so worried about dying earlier this year or even that they had COVID-19. But they don't see the effects until three months later," said dermatologist Dr. Ohara Aiva...

Disasters Leave a Rise in Suicides in Their Wake: Study

Hurricanes, tornadoes and other major disasters can cause more damage than devastation to property, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that the severe emotional distress and anxiety for those who have lived through major disasters can also lead to suicide.

The authors examined 281 natural disasters during a 12-year period and th...