Get Healthy!

COVID-19 Outbreaks at Meat Processing Plants Are Hitting Minorities Hard

Ethnic and minority groups make up nearly all meatpacking employees who've been infected during COVID-19 outbreaks at their plants, a new government study reveals.

The stats show that nearly 1 of every 10 workers in affected plants were diagnosed with COVID-19, based on figures from 14 states that reported the total number of workers i...

Healthier School Meal Programs Helped Poorer Kids Beat Obesity: Study

Just how healthy has the introduction of healthier new meals at America's schools been for kids? A new study ties the policy move to about a half-million fewer obese U.S. children.

The study covered kids aged 10 to 17. It found that after the introduction in 2012-2013 of school meals with less fat/sugar and more whole grains, the risk...

Brazilian Man Is Free of HIV After Drug Treatment, Researchers Say

A Brazilian man could be the first person to achieve long-term remission from HIV after treatment with a custom blend of antiviral drugs, but experts not involved in the case are skeptical.

Blood tests don't show any signs of lingering HIV infection in the unidentified 35-year-old man, and he also doesn't seem to have detectable antibo...

75 or Older? Statins Can Still Benefit Your Heart

Older adults with healthy hearts probably would benefit from taking a cholesterol-lowering statin, a new study contends.

People 75 and older who were free of heart disease and prescribed a statin wound up with a 25% lower risk of death from any cause and a 20% lower risk of heart-related death, researchers reported July 7 in the ...

U.S. Air Pollution Still at Deadly Levels, Study Finds

Fine particulate air pollution remains at levels deadly to older Americans, a new study finds.

If U.S. air quality standards for fine particulate pollution ((PM2.5) complied with World Health Association guidelines, more than 140,000 lives could be saved over a decade, say researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healt...

Sleepless After Bypass Surgery? Try a Morning Walk

If you have trouble sleeping after heart bypass surgery, regular morning walks may provide relief, a new study suggests.

"Many patients have trouble sleeping after heart bypass surgery," said researcher Dr. Hady Atef, of Cairo University in Egypt.

"When this persists beyond six months, it exacerbates the heart condition and ...

New Guidelines Could Double Number Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening

CT scans have been proven to help spot lung cancer early and save lives. Now, updated expert recommendations could double the number of Americans who are eligible for the yearly screening.

The recommendations -- from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -- would expand the definition of "high risk" for lung cancer. That's e...

Exposure to Iodine in the NICU May Affect Infant Thyroid Function

Exposure to iodine in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may increase a baby's risk for loss of thyroid function, a new study suggests.

Iodine solutions are often used as disinfectants on the skin before surgical or other medical procedures. Iodine also is given internally for imaging procedures used in infants, researchers expla...

Zika May Have Damaged More Infants' Brains Than Expected

It's a virus some might not even remember, but babies born to mothers infected with Zika who appeared normal at birth still experienced neurological or developmental problems, new research suggests.

A hallmark of infection with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in pregnant women is delivering a baby with an abnormally small head -- a condi...

A Dangerous Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria May Now Lurk in U.S. Water, Soil

A potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria could be hiding in the dirt and water of the southernmost U.S. states, warns a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacterial infection, called melioidosis, caused the lungs of a 63-year-old Texan to shut down in late 2018, forcing doctors to put him...

AHA News: Nurse Misreads Symptoms of Her Own Heart Attack

At her new job as a nurse at a college in St. Louis, Roslyn Harvey spent most of her day sitting at a desk. So, when she felt breathless walking across campus or climbing stairs, she figured she was out of shape.

To get fit, she started walking 15-20 minutes on a treadmill before work. Then one evening, Roslyn came home from work so exha...

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Near 3 Million as Hospitals in Sun Belt Fill Up With Patients

With the number of coronavirus cases in the United States approaching 3 million on Monday, hospitals across the Sun Belt continued to be flooded with COVID-19 patients.

Arizona reached 89 percent capacity for ICU beds, as Alabama, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas also reported unprecedented numbers of hospi...

As REM Sleep Declines, Life Span Suffers

TUESDAY, July 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Deep sleep is essential for good health, and too little of it may shorten your life, a new study suggests.

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is when dreams occur and the body repairs itself from the ravages of the day. For every 5% reduction in REM sleep, mortality rates increase 13% to ...

Working Off Your Quarantine Weight Gain

Life in lockdown has led many to overeat and gain weight, a phenomenon referred to as the "COVID-15."

But some small changes can get you back into shape, a weight management specialist suggests.

"COVID-19 changed how we eat, what we eat and how we spend our day," said Dr. Peter Jian, an assistant professor of family and com...

Ladder Injuries Can Go Far Beyond Broken Bones

Falling off a ladder can cause long-lasting mental and physical health problems, researchers say.

The new study included 134 people who fell off ladders and were seen at the emergency departments of two hospitals in Queensland, Australia, between October 2015 and October 2016.

More than half of the patients were men over 55 a...

Breast Cancer Caught Earlier in U.S. States With Expanded Medicaid: Study

Early-stage breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in U.S. states that have expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare than in those that haven't, researchers say.

Their new study looked at a database of more than 71,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 31 states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act ...

Common Blood Pressure Meds May Lower Colon Cancer Risk

Millions of Americans take medication to keep their blood pressure down. A new study suggests that two types of blood pressure drugs might do double-duty, keeping colon cancer away, too.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (often called ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) help lower blood pressure by relax...

Black Patients Fare Worse After Angioplasty

Even after undergoing the artery-clearing procedure angioplasty, Black patients with heart disease are more likely than whites to suffer a heart attack or die within the next several years.

That's the conclusion of a new analysis of 10 clinical trials: On balance, both Black and Hispanic patients fared worse after angioplasty, versus w...

Coronavirus Ups Anxiety, Depression in the LGBTQ Community

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, anxiety and depression are striking many in the LGBTQ+ community for the first time, researchers say.

"What I was hearing at the beginning of the pandemic was that people who were already anxious were more anxious than ever, and we didn't find that," said researcher Annesa Flentje, an assista...

Major Medical Groups Urge Americans to Wear Face Masks

Three major medical groups are urging Americans to wear face masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the United States.

In an open letter to the public released Monday, the groups noted that stay-at-home orders and other social distancing policies curbed the spread of COVID-19 i...