Masks, handwashing, and social distancing are key combatants, fending off attack from the outside. But healthy eating strengthens the warriors that keep us safe within. It’s time to put nutrition on the frontline of the COVID-19 war, according to Manfred Eggersdorfer, PhD. “I think we have to … follow social distancing, and also wear masks,
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Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in “magic mushrooms,” rapidly improves symptoms and produces remission in as little as two sessions for patients with major depression, new research suggests. Results of a small randomized trial showed that treatment with psilocybin was associated with a greater than 50% reduction in depressive symptoms in 67% of study participants. In
The age of social media has led to a democratization of political discussion, with everyone from political pundits to celebrities to the average Joe broadcasting opinions about Election 2020 on social media. We’ve closely followed the discourse to identify common topics, and we’ve embedded tweets in this article as examples of what kind of posts
In order for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to shine compared with meds alone in patients with type-2 diabetes and stable coronary disease (CAD), it needs help from aggressive control of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, suggests a patient-level meta-analysis of three major randomized trials. Performing PCI in such patients with diabetes conferred further benefit over optimal
A prespecified circulating tumor cell count (CTC) threshold appeared to be reliable for selecting treatment with chemotherapy instead of hormone therapy in women with a certain metastatic breast cancer phenotype, a non-inferiority trial indicated. In the phase III STIC CTC trial, 755 women with hormone receptor-positive, ERBB2-negative metastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive
Women live longer than men. That’s a fact. And not just by a couple of years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women outlive men by a solid five years. A century ago that difference was 2.2 years – and even worse before 1920, because women died in childbirth. Today, for every
Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Most SARS-CoV-2 virus strains feature a specific mutation that makes them more transmissible, to the point that these strains now predominate globally, new evidence shows. In contrast to a greater variety of strains early in the pandemic, now 99.9% of circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains in
[ED.NOTE: Note the article has a hyperlink error below] “Oh, my aching back!” is a complaint heard worldwide. Backaches are a primary reason for doctor visits, since many people will feel that pain in their lifetime. In 2016, treating backache pain cost the US healthcare system $134.5 billion, more than any other condition. Chronic low back pain — not
It was an act of kindness: while overseeing a patient through a round of chemotherapy, an oncology fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, paid a modest amount of money (about $10) for that patient’s antiemetic medication and retrieved it from the center’s pharmacy. Co-fellow Arjun Gupta, MD, witnessed the
Last week, MedPage Today spoke with Elinore McCance-Katz, MD, PhD, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use — the top official at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — about her views on the nation’s response to the coronavirus, “health versus health,” and the country’s continuing problems with substance abuse
A child who can develop a comfortable, positive relationship with a teacher or two is likely, as an adult, to be healthier in body and mind than children who do not. This student-teacher relationship was found to be even more important than relationships with fellow students, according to a recent study published in the School Psychology
A predictive rule that can help triage drug overdose patients for the risk for cardiac arrest, shock, ventricular dysrhythmias, or myocardial injury has been validated in a large research cohort. “Cardiac events can complicate up to 16% of hospitalizations for acute drug overdose in the emergency department population,” Alex Manini, MD, Mount Sinai, New York
Election 2020. It dominates every conversation. is on the front page of every news site, across every social feed, and in almost every ad break. If you’re experiencing stress and anxiety or even losing sleep about the election results, many others can keep you company. We have asked the experts for advice to get you through
A new online tool aims to help patients with insulin-treated diabetes and their health care providers to identify the best diabetes technology based on individual needs and preferences. The “Device Finder” tool is a new feature of the DiabetesWise website, www.diabeteswise.org, which is funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust with no
Those expecting that the federal “Sunshine Act” would diminish industry efforts to buy influence with physicians will be disappointed by a pair of studies published Tuesday in JAMA. After the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented the national disclosing database Open Payments in 2013, the number of providers receiving industry payments declined 14% by
When they aren’t using it, most guys drop their cellphone into a front pocket of their pants. It’s convenient and, really, where else can you put it? But some research suggests that stashing your phone so close to particularly vital and valued organs may not be the safest place. Cellphones emit radio frequency (RF) waves that
The number of primary care providers is increasing per capita in the United States, but they are still disproportionately concentrated in urban centers, researchers say. The finding may provide some reassurance for those who have worried about a shortage of healthcare workers and whether they will be able to meet the nation’s growing burden of
People with diabetes or who are managing their weight may choose artificially sweetened drinks to limit their calories. These beverages satisfy the sweet tooth without the high number of calories in sugary drinks. However, artificially sweetened drinks may not be a healthy alternative and may even harmful to your heart health, according to a new
Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. People with a history of heart failure — no matter the type — face more complications and death than their peers without heart failure (HF) once hospitalized with COVID-19, a new observational study shows. A history of HF was associated with a
COVID-19 has created a telehealth boom, and it’s fantastic. The pandemic has pushed telehealth forward at least 10 years — no small feat, given healthcare lags about 10 years behind other industries in digital innovation. But, as is often the case with U.S. healthcare, we’re over-relying on the latest trend and ignoring the fact that
If you’re shopping for acetaminophen to help lower a fever or manage pain, the highest dose you’ll usually find in American and Canadian drugstores is 500 milligrams. That’s because acetaminophen may do a good job treating fever and pain, but it has a dark side. Too much of the drug can cause liver failure. In
State health departments were most likely to refer heterosexual adults for HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) appointments and least likely to refer transgender and Black adults, according to the results of a 12-city PrEP demonstration project. The project, Project PrIDE, was meant to close the PrEP gap between White and cisgender adults and their Black, Latinx,
CVS Health will offer rapid-result COVID-19 testing at almost 1,000 of their pharmacies by the end of 2020, according a recent news release. The rapid-result tests are available free to anyone who meets the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Faster identification of COVID-19 cases will help reduce the spread of the virus
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” The choice of the secretary general of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) to open with this quote was the first hint that the next presentation at the 2019 annual meeting would be anything but dull.
Portable ultrasound scans were more sensitive than x-rays at the preliminary detection of atypical pneumonia in patients who may have COVID-19, a researcher reported. In a study of possible COVID-19 patients who presented to the emergency department (ED), ultrasound sensitivity was 97.6% (95% CI 91.6-99.7) versus 69.9% (95% CI 58.8-79.5) for x-ray, reported Ryan C.
More than two-thirds of Americans worry about the chemicals in their food, and over 10% have little to no trust in the safety of the food they eat. These are the results of a 2020 survey by biotechnology company BioMérieux and food testing and safety company Merieux NutriSciences. This is the companies’ second international food
Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel received a detailed briefing on Friday about potential strategies for a future rollout of COVID vaccines and a possible strategy for monitoring adverse events from these new drugs. The Advisory Committee on
It’s a trend that began with sensor-equipped socks for people with diabetes, particularly those with nerve damage. This damage makes them more prone to foot ulcers that can lead to amputations. Now the smart technology woven into those socks is being tested in other designs, for the sole purpose of preventing injury: for people in wheelchairs, for