Many Kidney Failure Patients Regret Starting Dialysis

• Steven Reinberg
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

More than 1 in 5 adults getting dialysis for kidney failure are sorry they started it, a new study finds.

Patients who began treatment to make their doctors or family members happy are least pleased with the decision, researchers reported.

On the other han...

Wristband 'Zapper' Might Help Calm Tourette Syndrome

• Steven Reinberg
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

A wristband that zaps a key nerve may help quell the uncontrollable tics of Tourette syndrome, according to British researchers.

"We think we've come up with a safe and effective piece of technology that we believe is relatively cheap that will give control over tic...

Do-It-Yourself COVID Tests Work Fine, Without the Discomfort: Study

• E.J. Mundell
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

Most Americans have winced watching one of those nurse-administered COVID-19 nasal swab tests, where the swab reaches painfully farther up the nose than anyone would want.

Well, the days of "nasopharyngeal" swab tests, administered only by health care workers, may be...

Loss of Smell, Taste Might Be Long-Term for Some COVID-19 Survivors

• Amy Norton
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become clear that many people with the infection lose their sense of smell and taste. And doctors are concerned that some will never get back to normal.

At this point, it's hard to know how common the symptom is. First, ...

Amid Pandemic, Protest Peacefully While Staying Healthy

• Steven Reinberg
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

You've watched police brutality protests unfold across America and you want to take part, but you fear that choice could raise your risk of coronavirus infection. Is there a way to express your outrage without endangering your health?

Yes, say doctors who offer tips ...

Pandemic Has Left Nearly 43 Million Americans Without Work

• Robin Foster and E.J. Mundell
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

As the U.S. coronavirus case count eclipsed 1.8 million and the death toll passed 107,000 on Thursday, America's jobless rolls swelled to nearly 43 million. That's close to one-quarter of the country's work force.

The U.S. Labor Department reported 1.9 million more p...

Could Face Shields Replace Masks in Preventing COVID-19?

• Dennis Thompson
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

Face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but some people find them awkward, uncomfortable or downright unbearable to wear.

There's another good option available for people who just can't get used to strapping on a face mask while out in public, experts say.

How to Get Better Sleep While Working at Home

• Steven Reinberg
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

For many, work-at-home orders aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect: sleep loss.

"We've seen a significant increase in reports of stress-related insomnia in recent months," said Julio Fernandez-Mendoza of the Penn State Health Sle...

Kids Breaking Fewer Bones During Pandemic, But More Fractures Happening at Home

• Robert Preidt
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

There's been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds.

The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures at the C...

Are Your Symptoms From COVID-19 or Seasonal Allergies?

• Robert Preidt
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

In the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, it might be hard to tell if you've come down with COVID-19, spring allergies or a cold, which all have some similar symptoms.

Fever and dry cough are common symptoms of COVID-19, along with shortness of breath and difficulty ...

No Evidence Marijuana Raises Stroke Risk

• Steven Reinberg
• June 4, 2020
• Full Page

Whether pot use increases the risk of stroke has been hotly debated, and now a new study adds to evidence that it doesn't.

"Our observational study looked specifically at recent cannabis use by reviewing drug testing data for people admitted to the hospital. While mo...

When a Handgun Is in the Home, Suicide Risk Quickly Rises

• Amy Norton
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Handgun owners are at substantially heightened risk of suicide in the years after buying their first gun, a large new study finds.

The study of more than 26 million California residents found that first-time handgun owners were nearly four times more likely to die by...

'Gold Standard' Clinical Trial Finds Hydroxychloroquine Won't Prevent COVID-19

• Steven Reinberg
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug touted and reportedly used by President Donald Trump as a preventative for COVID-19, appears not to have lived up to its hype, a new study shows.

Unlike some prior studies, this new trial was a "gold standard" prospective, randomi...

People Are Avoiding the ER During COVID-19 Crisis at Their Peril: Study

• E.J. Mundell
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Visits to U.S. emergency departments are down by 42% compared to the same time last year, and that's not good news, researchers report.

Fears of contracting the new coronavirus while visiting the ER are keeping people away, experts say.

But hesitating ...

At-Home Gene Test for Breast, Ovarian Cancers Looks Effective

• Serena Gordon
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Screening for breast and ovarian cancer genes might be added to the list of medical tests that can be safely and effectively done from home, new research suggests.

The study looked at screening for BRCA1, BRCA2 and other gene mutations linked to an increased risk of...

Similar to Adults, Obesity Raises Kids' Odds for Severe COVID-19

• E.J. Mundell
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

If a child is infected with the new coronavirus, being obese appears to greatly raise the odds for developing a severe form of COVID-19, a new study finds.

The report was based on 50 cases of pediatric COVID-19 severe enough to require admission to a New York City ho...

Plasma Therapy Aids Recovery in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

• Alan Mozes
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the new coronavirus infection may help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover, a new study finds.

Of 25 sick patients given plasma transfusions, 19 improved and 11 left the hospital, the researchers reported. None ...

Domestic Violence May Have Risen Under Stay-at-Home Rules

• Robert Preidt
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Domestic violence cases rose after Los Angeles and Indianapolis introduced stay-at-home rules to help stop the spread of COVID-19, researchers say.

"Shelter-in-place rules, by mandating more time at home, are very likely to increase the volume of domestic or intimate...

Meds Like Valium, Xanax Linked to Higher Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy

• Serena Gordon
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Taking benzodiazepines -- drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Halcion or Ativan -- to treat anxiety or insomnia before pregnancy boosts the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, new research suggests.

Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus, typ...

Living Near Oil, Gas Wells Tied to Low Birth Weight Infants

• Steven Reinberg
• June 3, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnant women who live near active oil and gas wells may be at risk for having low birth weight infants, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed nearly 3 million births to Californians living within six miles of an oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015.