Lockdowns May Be Keeping Kids' Asthma Attacks at Bay: Study

For kids with asthma, more time spent at home and donning masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be providing a reprieve from emergency symptoms, new research shows.

Boston Children's Hospital's emergency department (ED) observed a steep decline in asthma-related emergency visits last spring. That coincided with a surge of coronavirus case...

Could Tanning Raise a Woman's Odds for Endometriosis?

Young women who regularly visit tanning salons may have an increased risk of developing endometriosis, a new study suggests.

Researchers said the findings, from a large study of U.S. women, don't prove that tanning beds help cause the painful pelvic condition.

But, they noted, the study might give women...

AHA News: Here's an Idea to Float – a Space-Ready Sleeping Bag to Keep Blood Moving

A sleeping bag attached to a vacuum cleaner might not sound like the stuff giant leaps are made of. But researchers using just that have taken at least a small step toward solving a serious problem for space travelers.

The problem is the way blood behaves in the absence of gravity.

When you're standing up on Earth, gravity pulls bloo...

Sudden Death More Common Than Thought in Very Young With Epilepsy

Sudden, epilepsy-related death is more common than thought in infants and children, a new study suggests.

It also found that Black and multiracial youngsters are at higher risk for what's known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

It occurs in otherwise healthy people with epilepsy, most often when they're asleep or restin...

Young Epilepsy Patients May Benefit From Mental Health Screening

Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are more common in children and teens with epilepsy than previously known, and they should be screened for such problems, researchers report.

They assessed 119 children and teens, aged 9 to18, with epilepsy. None had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts (suicidality).

...

Biden Will Ask Americans to Wear Masks for 100 Days

FRIDAY, Dec. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) – President-elect Joseph Biden said Thursday that on his first day in office he would ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days, and that Dr. Anthony Fauci will play a pivotal role in his administration's fight to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"On the first day I'm inaugurated, I'm going to ask the ...

Health Highlights, Dec. 4, 2020

Below are newsworthy items compiled by HealthDay staff.

Baby Girl Born From Embryo Frozen for 27 Years

A baby girl born in Tennessee from a 27-year frozen embryo broke the record for the longest-frozen embryo to result in a live birth, which was held by her older sister, Emma.

Molly Gibson was 6 pounds...

How Safe Are the New COVID Vaccines?

Two COVID-19 vaccines are on the verge of approval in the United States, with pharmaceutical companies promising that millions of doses will be available to the first wave of recipients within a matter of weeks.

Creating two vaccines in less than a year is an astonishing achievement, experts say, but the next task could prove even more dif...

Study Gauges Mental, Physical Toll of Divorce

FRIDAY, Dec. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Couples going through a divorce may see their mental well-being deteriorate -- especially if they are having angry exchanges and other conflicts, a new study shows.

The findings are no surprise, experts said. But the study appears to be the first to capture how married people fare...

Smile When You Get That COVID Vaccine, It'll Hurt Less

Could a genuine smile be the key to getting a less-painful vaccination? Researchers from University of California, Irvine, say yes.

That genuine smile, which brings up the corners of the mouth and creates crow's feet around the eyes, can reduce the pain of a needle injection by up to 40%, and also blunt a stressful needle-related physiolog...

High Blood Sugar Ups COVID Risks, Even in Non-Diabetics

COVID-19 patients with abnormally high blood sugar are at increased risk for serious illness and death, even if they don't have diabetes, new research shows.

The study included more than 11,300 non-critically ill adults with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in Spain between March and the end of May 2020. Of those, 19% were previously diagnos...

Radiation Rx for Prostate Cancer Can Cause Financial Pain: Study

People diagnosed with cancer often have many concerns, including "financial toxicity," the hardship and stress associated with the cost of treatment.

New research found that for men with early-stage prostate cancer, choices about initial treatments can be a source of stress. And the cost is a big reason why.

"Cost of treatment and th...

Birth Defects Tied to Rise in Lifelong Cancer Risk

Major birth defects are associated with an increased, lifelong risk of cancer, researchers say.

It has been known that people with major birth defects have a greater risk of developing cancer as children and teens, but it wasn't clear whether the risk extends into adulthood.

To find out, Norwegian researchers compared more than 62,00...

Cancers in U.S. Teens, Young Adults Have Risen by 30% Since 1970s: Study

Cancer cases among U.S. teens and young adults have shot up 30% since the 1970s, new research reveals.

Kidney cancer has risen at the greatest rate, increasing more than threefold among young men and women, according to the researchers. Breast cancers were the most common cancers among women and testicul...

Americans With Asthma Get First Updated Guidelines in Over a Decade

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has updated guidelines for treating asthma.

The update is the first in 13 years and takes into account new medications and other advances in asthma care. It focuses on treatment tailored for different age groups and severity of disease.

But better asthma care won't come from new guidelines alone...

Pandemic Is Driving U.S. Surge in Cardiac Arrests Tied to Overdose

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Blame it on the pandemic: For people struggling with drug addiction, 2020 has triggered a big rise in emergency room visits for cardiac arrest tied to d...

Youth Vaping Rates Have Plunged During Lockdown: Study

Vaping among teens and young adults has decreased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, with two-thirds of e-cigarette users reporting that they've either cut back or quit, a new study says.

About 32% of e-cigarette users said they quit this year and another 35% reported cutting back, according to survey results published Dec. 3 in

Years Before Diagnosis, People With Alzheimer's Lose Financial Acumen

Even before signs of Alzheimer's disease or dementia appear, people are prone to make poor financial decisions, a new study finds.

Older people diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's were more likely to miss credit card payments as early as six years before their diagnosis, compared with similar people withou...

AHA News: After 3 Strokes, This Young Pop and R&B Singer Is at Work Again

Chelsea Keenan began singing in church when she was 7, and it was clear from the beginning she had a gift.

Indeed, shortly after her family relocated to California when she was 14, she signed with an independent record label and began booking gigs. She performed at AIDS Walk L.A., at the Relay for Life and in front of 4,000 people at the L...

AHA News: Heart Disease, Stroke More Deadly in 'Socially Vulnerable' Counties

Your chances of dying from heart disease or stroke are higher if you live in a county considered socially vulnerable due to factors such as poverty, crowded housing and poor access to transportation, new research shows.

"The findings confirm what we might have imagined – that social and place-based factors play a key role in cardiovascul...