(HealthDay)—Yet another study confirms what doctors have long known: Being obese greatly raises the odds that if you contract COVID-19, your case could be a severe one. The study, from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supports calls for obese Americans to move to the head of the line for protective […]
Reopening of Long-Term Care Facilities Is ‘an Absolute Necessity for Our Well-Being’
For nearly a year, nursing homes and assisted living centers have been mostly closed to visitors. Now, it’s time for them to open back up and relieve residents of crushing isolation, according to a growing chorus of long-term care experts, caregivers, consumer groups and physicians. They’re calling for federal health authorities to relax visitation restrictions […]
A Duo of Dachshunds Find Homes for the Holidays
Kristina “Kat” K. was working her shift at the Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina on December 3, when a Wings of Rescue plane touched down. On the plane were nearly 20 dogs recently rescued from an overwhelmed owner in Texas and on their way to a variety of animal shelters. As Kat peered into […]
Why it’s so hard for sexual assault survivors to come forward, and what happens when they do
As a senior sexual assault counselor working with Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, I often sit across from people on the worst day of their life. The trauma of being sexually assaulted is an experience filled with violence. It transforms a person’s sense of safety, their worldview and their relationships with others. When survivors come […]
Researchers develop dual-targeting drug for EBV-related cancers
A Hong Kong Baptist University-led (HKBU) research team has developed a novel drug which has the potential to become a next-generation treatment for cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The peptide-linked drug, which is responsive to the acidic environment found in tumors, is the first known agent to have successfully targeted two viral proteins that […]
Spain suffers second-wost month for virus deaths
Spain suffered its second-worst month for coronavirus deaths in February with 10,528 fatalities, the worst figure since April last year, government figures showed on Monday. The overall toll now stands at 69,609, health ministry data showed. Although Spain’s third wave peak has passed—the 14-day cumulative case number has fallen from nearly 900 per 100,000 people […]
Financial incentives for hospitals boost rapid changes to opioid use disorder treatment
Hospital emergency departments (EDs) not only care for patients with overdose and other complications from opioid use, but they also serve as vital touch points to engage patients into longer-term treatment. After an overdose, patients are at risk for repeat overdose and death. Pennsylvania is unique in establishing a voluntary incentive program to improve the […]
Laughter isn’t always the best medicine for work stress
Humor helps us deal with the stress of juggling work and family commitments, but only when we seek it out, according to a new study led by The Australian National University (ANU). It turns out colleagues sending us cat videos to make us laugh before an important meeting might actually be making our blood pressure […]
Effective treatment for insomnia delivered in a few short phone calls
Insomnia—trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early—is a common condition in older adults. Sleeplessness can be exacerbated by osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis causing joint pain. While there are effective therapies for treating insomnia in older adults, many people cannot get the treatment they need because they live in areas […]
DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: My top tip for staying trim: Wear a tight belt
DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: My top tip for staying trim: Wear a tight belt… and my other Golden Rules for keeping weight loss off for good As we all know, when it comes to achieving a healthy weight the challenge is not just losing the pounds but keeping them off. Like most people, I struggle with […]