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Clinical trials underway across the US are exploring the use of robotic surgical devices for nipple-sparing mastectomy, but are either not collecting cancer outcomes or not doing so as a primary measure — despite a stiff warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that those outcomes are important.     The FDA warning was

The pace of acute therapy and vaccine development for COVID have been dizzying. But even as we hope a route to bringing the pandemic under control is within sight, we’re now facing the possibility of another urgent public health emergency thanks to what’s known as long COVID, a group of symptoms that last long after

At a recent town hall meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, President Joe Biden was asked about COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths rising in response to the Delta variant. Touting the importance of vaccination, he said “We have a pandemic for those who haven’t gotten a vaccination. It’s that basic, that simple,” Biden said at the event,

TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. This week’s topics include COVID vaccine efficacy in a VA

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, has announced that 40% of people admitted to hospital with COVID in the UK have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine. At first glance, this rings very serious alarm bells, but it shouldn’t. The vaccines are still working very well. There are several factors at play

A meta-analysis by Australian researchers found no link between childhood vaccinations and an increase in allergies and asthma. In fact, children who received the BCG vaccine actually had a lesser incidence of eczema than other children, but there was no difference shown in any of the allergies or asthma. The researchers, in a report published

Is wine good for you? Turns out, it is. According to research, drinking wine in moderation may be good for your health. Its benefits include better heart health, lower risk of developing diseases and long life. Read on to learn about wine’s health benefits along with the best wine brands you can get online. 1. Keeps your heart strong Red wine

A study from Japan suggests that a history of cardiovascular (CV) events in a spouse may elevate risk for future CV events in the other partner, with one caveat. Men in the cohort study were at increased risk if their wives had such a history, but the association was only one way. The risk of

Antibiotic dalbavancin (Dalvance), previously approved to treat bacterial skin infections in adults, received FDA approval for the pediatric population from birth, manufacturer AbbVie said in a press release on Friday. Dalbavancin was described as the first single-dose option given as a 30-minute intravenous infusion to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) caused

With the highly infectious delta coronavirus variant spreading at an alarming rate, the World Health Organization in late June 2021 urged people to again wear masks indoors – even those who are fully vaccinated. And on July 15, Los Angeles County, California, announced that it would again require masking up in public indoor spaces, regardless

A large population-based study provides further evidence that hearing loss is a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. The new study moves the field forward in that it used a measure of hearing impairment to assess an individual’s ability to hear speech in the presence of background noise. Results of the study were similar to

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, recently announced that the delta variant is no longer of concern because it now comprises 98% of new cases in the country and is therefore “the normal variant”. This virus has spread to at least 90 countries and is 50% more transmissible than the alpha variant (the

People age 40 and younger living with HIV have a higher risk for heart disease than even their over-40 peers living with HIV — and that risk was 54% higher than the general public. And this was among people without traditional heart disease risks, such as smoking and obesity. “What’s surprising is that not only

The American Hospital Association (AHA) — which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals and healthcare systems in the U.S. — publicly affirmed its support for COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers in a statement released on Wednesday. The announcement comes only a few days after a federal judge decided that Indiana University’s vaccine requirements will remain in

Imogen, a night club owner from London, hopes that COVID-19 “passports” could help with the return of customers to her venue. But the 42-year-old told us she is not happy about subjecting her customers to additional checks, and has concerns over a lack of clear guidance on their use. Imogen is just one of many

Damon Diessner tried for years to slim down from his weight of more than 400 pounds, partly because his size embarrassed his wife but even more because his doctors told him he was at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. His hemoglobin A1c level, a blood sugar marker, was 6.3%, just below the diabetes range

A good BBQ cookout is always something to be excited about. But did you know that aside from being a delicious way to enjoy your food, grilling also has surprising health benefits?  Aside from being a healthier way to cook your food, it can also help you lose weight. BBQ and Weight Loss: An Unlikely Combination We know what you’re

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. The drugmaker Pfizer recently announced that vaccinated people are likely to need a booster shot to be effectively protected against new variants of covid-19 and that the company would apply for Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for the shot.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) was associated with a significantly increased risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization and death in adults, U.K. researchers found. Their cohort study showed that having SCD quadrupled a person’s risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization (HR 4.11, 95% CI 2.98-5.66), and more than doubled the risk of death (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.36-4.75), reported Ashley

After an incredible start, the UK’s vaccination programme is now slowing down. Over 80 million doses have been administered, but more than 10% of the UK adult population still hasn’t been vaccinated. With COVID-19 cases once again rising, the question of how to boost vaccine uptake among the hesitant is a pressing concern. Previous research

A small study conducted in rhesus macaques found a 10-fold reduction in HIV viral load when the monkeys received immunotherapy to block programmed cell death protein–1 (PD-1) and the cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). Additionally, 8 of 10 monkeys in the study experienced HIV-like simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) levels of <1000 copies for up to 12 weeks.

While wireless earbuds make taking calls, watching videos and listening to music on the go more convenient, can these earbuds be bad for your hearing? Here’s what you need to know.  The Rise of Wireless Earbuds Since its launch, Apple has sold 100+ million AirPods, making it the most popular wireless earbuds globally. In the years that

Catherine O’Neal, MD, an infectious disease physician, took to the podium of the Louisiana governor’s press conference on July 16 and did not mince words. “The delta variant is not last year’s virus, and it’s become incredibly apparent to healthcare workers that we are dealing with a different beast,” she said. Louisiana has one of

The FDA approved intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG; Octagam 10%) for treating adults with dermatomyositis, a rare chronic autoimmune disease, drugmaker Octapharma announced on Tuesday. Support for the indication was based on findings from ProDERM, a phase III placebo-controlled trial of 95 adults with dermatomyositis. Responses with IVIG treatment (2 g/kg) every 4 weeks more than doubled

While the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S. have been proved to be safe and effective, recent reports of rare adverse events, or side effects, have raised concerns. On July 12, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved an update to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet to include an increased risk

Headache was the most common adverse event (AE) people experienced in 72 weeks of taking the once-daily investigational two-drug HIV treatment islatravir (ISL; Merck) plus doravirine (DOR; Merck), and those AEs were short-lived and mild, according to a safety analysis presented at the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference 2021. That finding, combined with other data

The relative risk of death or myocardial infarction (MI) went down with statin therapy in a cohort study of patients with either nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) or no CAD at computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The absolute benefit of statins was directly proportional to CAD burden at imaging. The findings speak to the effectiveness of

Palomar Health, a public healthcare district with two hospitals in North San Diego County, is under fire — from both its own staff and North County residents — after its board privately negotiated new contracts with two physician staffing companies. A spokesperson for Palomar Health confirmed that their CEO, Diane Hansen, signed three contracts with