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

• Robin Foster and E.J. Mundell
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

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,...

As REM Sleep Declines, Life Span Suffers

• Steven Reinberg
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

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 eve...

Working Off Your Quarantine Weight Gain

• Steven Reinberg
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

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 o...

Ladder Injuries Can Go Far Beyond Broken Bones

• Robert Preidt
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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 Oct...

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

• Robert Preidt
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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...

Common Blood Pressure Meds May Lower Colon Cancer Risk

• Serena McNiff
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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 angi...

Black Patients Fare Worse After Angioplasty

• Amy Norton
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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, bo...

Coronavirus Ups Anxiety, Depression in the LGBTQ Community

• Steven Reinberg
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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...

Major Medical Groups Urge Americans to Wear Face Masks

• Robert Preidt
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

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 order...

Obamacare Helps Poorer Americans Spot Cancer Earlier: Study

• Amy Norton
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

Medicaid expansion under Obamacare may have decreased the number of poorer Americans diagnosed with advanced cancer, a new study suggests.

The study focused on Ohio, which was among the first states to expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ...

Does Having a Dog Make for Well-Adjusted Kids?

• Serena Gordon
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

If you've hesitated to get a dog because your kids are very young, new research suggests that the preschool years might be a good time to add a furry friend to the family.

The study found that preschoolers with dogs at home had fewer problems with their peers or oth...

AHA News: Months After Infection, Many COVID-19 Patients Can't Shake Illness

• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

It was a Tuesday in late March when Julia Henry first felt the body aches and dry cough that signaled the start of her bout with COVID-19. By that weekend, her husband and three children also were sick. But the kids were fine less than a week later, her husband within two week...

New U.S. Coronavirus Cases Hit Another High

• Robin Foster and E.J. Mundell
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

FRIDAY, July 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For the 27th day in a row, the rolling seven-day average for daily new coronavirus cases in the United States set another record on Sunday, climbing past 48,000 COVID-19 infections in just 24 hours.

At the same time, coronavi...

Will the COVID-19 Pandemic Leave a Mental Health Crisis in Its Wake?

• Dennis Thompson
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

Stressed from home-schooling your kids? Lonely from lockdown? Worried about a sick loved one isolated in a nursing home? Worried you might lose your job?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone's mental health in ways small and large, and experts are conc...

With Pandemic-Related Stress, Abuse Against Kids Can Surge

• Steven Reinberg
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

Stress from social distancing and isolation to stop the spread of COVID-19 can lead to increased family violence at home, Tulane University experts say.

These changes in routine can upset kids, who may lash out and test limits. Stress from bad behavior, along with f...

How Immune System Fights COVID-19 May Be Key to Vaccine Success

• Steven Reinberg
• July 6, 2020
• Full Page

Even the sickest COVID-19 patients make T-cells to fight the infection, a new study finds.

This means that a COVID-19 vaccine will have to cause the body to make T-cells along with antibodies, researchers say.

The immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, ...

Follow Exercise Guidelines and You'll Live Longer, Study Says

• Robert Preidt
• July 3, 2020
• Full Page

Getting the recommended amount of exercise could cut your risk of early death, a new study indicates.

U.S. government guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity a week. They also sugge...

Multiple Surgeries for Cleft Lip, Palate Won't Cause Major Psychological Damage

• Robert Preidt
• July 3, 2020
• Full Page

Having multiple surgeries for cleft lip and palate doesn't appear to have a major impact on children's mental health, a new study shows.

But there may be one three-year period that ups the odds for anxiety and depression, researchers say.

The study included...

U.S. Coronavirus Hospitalizations Spiking in South, West

• Robin Foster and E.J. Mundell
• July 3, 2020
• Full Page

FRIDAY, July 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the daily toll of new coronavirus cases in the United States broke yet another record and topped 55,000 on Thursday, COVID-19 hospitalizations were also climbing across the South and West.

Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Ne...

HIV May Not Worsen COVID-19 Outlook

• Robert Preidt
• July 3, 2020
• Full Page

People with HIV who were hospitalized with COVID-19 didn't have worse results than COVID-19 patients without HIV, new research shows.

"Throughout the pandemic, we've suspected that immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV, could be at a higher risk for infe...