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Long-Haul COVID Symptoms Common, Rise With Severity of Illness

For people who've suffered through a bout of COVID-19, their misery is too often not over. New research shows that a wide variety of "long-haul" symptoms are common, and the risk rises along with the severity of their case of COVID-19.

In what may be the largest such study to date, "the findings show that beyond the first 30 days of illne...

A Plus From the Pandemic: Fewer Kids Using E-Cigarettes

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- There appears to be a silver lining to forced school and business closures during early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study: Fewer kids used e-cigarettes.

Compared to the previous quarter, vaping rates fell among 15- to 20-year-olds while widespread stay-a...

You Don't Have to Be Obese for Belly Fat to Harm You, Heart Experts Warn

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Extra padding around the belly can spell trouble for the heart, even if you're not technically overweight.

That's among the conclusions of a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), where experts lay out the heart risks of being "apple-shaped."

'Breakthrough' COVID Infections After Vaccination Very Rare: Study

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 "breakthrough" infections, where someone who's been fully vaccinated becomes infected nonetheless, are exceedingly rare, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York City said they uncovered just two breakthrough infections in a group of 417...

'Disrupted' Sleep Could Be Seriously Affecting Your Health

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Waking up briefly throughout the night may do more than leave you feeling grumpy and tired in the morning.

Disrupted sleep may actually increase your odds of dying early from heart disease or any other cause, and women seem to be harder hit by these effects than men.

"Th...

AHA News: How to Make Sure Everyone Gets a Fair Shot at the COVID-19 Vaccine

Getting vaccinated may be everyone's best protection against COVID-19. But giving everyone fair access to vaccines will take more than just providing needles and vials, community health experts say.

Vaccines have not been reaching everyone equally, statistics show. Overall, Black and Hispanic people have been receiving smaller shares of va...

They're on the Frontlines of the U.S. Vaccine Rollout

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HeathDay News) -- April 16 was the first day that any Californian aged 16 or older became eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

And at a bustling vaccination center in Pomona, Calif., 16-year-old Ashley Madera was in line to get her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

"I think that this vaccine is effective,"...

Biden Gives Businesses Incentives to Help Workers Get COVID Shots

As demand for COVID-19 vaccination in the United States shows signs of declining, President Joe Biden on Wednesday offered businesses new incentives to help more workers get their shots.

He asked -- but did not mandate -- that businesses give employees paid time off to get vaccinated, and even offered special tax credits to businesses empl...

Chocolate, Butter, Sodas: Avoid These Foods for a Healthier Middle Age

THURSDAY, April 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- It's no secret that too much sugar and saturated fat aren't good for you, but what food combos put you at greater risk for heart disease and death in middle age?

The answer, from a new University of Oxford study, is likely to disappoint a lot of folks.

Researchers found ...

Two Is Not Better Than One When It Comes to Blood Thinners

It may not be a good idea to take a daily low-dose aspirin if you're also taking a widely used class of blood thinners called direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), researchers caution.

DOACs include drugs such as Eliquis (apixaban), Pradaxa (dabigatran), Lixiana (edoxaban) and Xarelto (rivaroxaban). They're used to help prevent strokes from ...

Don't Linger: 'Aerosolized Droplets' Hang in the Air After Toilet Flush

If you're in a public restroom, you may not want to hang around too long, because lots of airborne pathogens are hanging around, too.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science conducted flush tests in a public restroom with both a toilet and a urinal.

"After about three hours of tests ...

How 'Bleeding' Stroke Affects Brain May Depend on Your Race

Black and Hispanic survivors of a bleeding stroke are more likely than white survivors to have changes in small blood vessels in the brain that increase the risk of another bleeding stroke, researchers say.

'Bleeding' strokes, also called hemorrhagic stroke, comprise about 13% of all strokes. They occur when an artery in the brain leaks or...

Brain Study Suggests Autism Develops Differently in Girls Than Boys

Autism appears to develop differently in girls and boys, so the findings of research conducted mainly with boys might not apply to girls, a new study suggests.

Autism spectrum disorder is four times more common in boys, which may help explain why there's far less research about autism in girls.

"This new study provides us with a roa...

Wildfire Smoke Can Trigger Eczema, Study Finds

When wildfires choked the air and turned the skies orange throughout the American West in recent years, they caused a variety of health problems from coughs and runny noses to life-threatening heart attacks and strokes.

But eczema and other skin issues were a result of the wildfires, too, according to researchers from the University of Cal...

Pandemic Has Blocked Access to Treatment for Many Americans Hooked on Opioids

WEDNESDAY, April 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The COVID-19 pandemic may have kept some Americans from getting vital medication to treat opioid addiction -- possibly contributing to the national surge in overdose deaths, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that in the early months of U.S. pandemic restrictions, the nu...

Do You Live in One of America's Unhealthiest Cities for Polluted Air?

More than 40% of Americans live with unhealthy air, with people of color disproportionately affected, according to the American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report.

Certain cities, and certain types of Americans, are far more prone to be affected.

Black Americans are 61% more likely to live in a county shrouded in unh...

AHA News: Cancer May Cause Changes to the Heart Before Treatment

Some types of cancer may alter the appearance and function of the heart, according to new research that analyzed people's hearts before cancer treatment.

An estimated 1.9 million people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Having a history of cancer is linked t...

The Big COVID Vaccine Holdouts: Republican Men

Outspoken pandemic denier Ted Nugent announced this week that he's tested positive for COVID-19, after 10 days of symptoms so severe that at times he "literally could hardly crawl out of bed."

But despite his illness, the Republican rocker from Michigan remains skeptical about COVID vaccines.

"I haven't taken the vaccine, because nob...

Supply May Soon Outstrip Demand in U.S. Vaccine Rollout: Report

Since the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved in December, millions of Americans have eagerly sought to find and receive one. But a new report finds that that could change over the next few weeks, as the pool of eager recipients shrinks and only the vaccine-hesitant remain.

"While timing may differ by state, we estimate that across the U....

Could Chronic Sinusitis Affect Brain Health?

WEDNESDAY, April 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As if the headaches and stuffy nose aren't bad enough, chronic sinus trouble often leaves patients foggy-headed and depressed. Now, new research suggests one possible reason why: Sinusitis may trigger changes in brain activity.

"Chronic sinusitis is incredibly common," said ...