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CPAP Machines May Lower Heart Risk Among People with Prediabetes and Sleep Apnea People with prediabetes who use a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure) for obstructive sleep apnea may have a lower risk of heart disease, said a small study out of Montreal, Canada. Researchers studied 39 people who had both obstructive sleep apnea and prediabetes.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved combination nivolumab (Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb) and ipilimumab (Yervoy, Bristol-Myers Squibb) to be used as first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is the first drug regimen to receive regulatory approval for mesothelioma in 16 years and only the second systemic therapy to

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges everyone, including children over 6 months of age, to get the annual influenza, or flu, vaccine. The flu vaccine is even more important during the 2020-2021 flu season to prevent the healthcare system – busy with the coronavirus epidemic — from becoming overwhelmed. Two-thirds of almost

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. President Donald J. Trump will be treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the “next few days,” according to the White House, following the breaking news early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for infection

Note that some links may require registration or subscription. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announced they both tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently quarantining together. (MedPage Today) Trump’s announcement on Twitter came just a few hours after one of his closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive as well. (Bloomberg) However, Vice President

There is no question that being involved in athletics can take a toll on the body. Over time, athletes may need to find forms of relief, whether it is from pain, inflammation, stress or anything else. If you are a professional athlete or active person seeking relief, you may have heard about the potential therapeutic

The FreeStyle Libre 3 glucose monitoring system (Abbott) has been granted a CE mark for use by people with diabetes in the countries of the European Union (EU). The next-generation FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor, worn on the back of the upper arm for 14 days, is 70% thinner than the Libre 2. Glucose readings are

There are a multitude of CBD products on the market these days, and topical options are one of the fastest emerging fields. From salves and ointments to lotions and balms, the CBD topical options are wide ranging and growing every day. The use of topicals has become popular for all skin types, but specifically among

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) appears safe and effective as a treatment for most Clostridioides difficile infections as it is currently being administered, researchers say. “We actually didn’t see any infections that were definitely transmissible via fecal transplant,” Colleen Kelly, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, told Medscape Medical

Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Hospitals in Wisconsin have been forced to waitlist or transfer patients to other facilities as COVID-19 cases surge. The state recently had 17 COVID-19 deaths in one day, the most since May. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal) Nevertheless, President Trump has yet to cancel campaign

Studies from Finland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States are featured in today’s news round-up: Yes, COVID-19 Is Literally a Nightmare It’s one thing to say that COVID-19 is a nightmare when describing what the pandemic has done to the world, but it’s also a literal nightmare, according to researchers in Finland

As voters today sort the candidates’ visions from the vitriol throughout last night’s presidential debate, a Medscape poll sheds light on what clinicians think about both candidates’ healthcare platforms and how that could affect the election. What is clear is that agreement with a candidate’s healthcare policies will play a key role in how physicians

“Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex.”  You’ve probably heard this line as a medical disclaimer on TV or the butt of a joke. But there really is a strong connection between heart health and sex. Recent research shows that the question isn’t just whether your heart is strong enough for

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. A psychiatric diagnosis for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is linked to a significantly increased risk for death, new research shows. Investigators found that patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and who had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder had a 1.5-fold

Regeneron’s antibody cocktail lowered viral levels and reduced symptoms faster than placebo in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, early data indicated. More than 3,000 Brigham and Women’s nurses called for improved safety measures as the Boston hospital’s cluster of nosocomial COVID-19 cases continues to grow. (Becker’s Hospital Review) In a Washington Post op-ed, seven former FDA chiefs,

While too much alcohol can lead to addiction and other problems, decades of research have connected low and moderate drinking to health benefits, from heart fitness to better cognition. Let’s revisit some of the most common positive effects attributed to alcohol over the years and check whether they’re still supported by hard data. Cognitive health

Samson Pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 28. The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden took place here Tuesday, September 29. President Donald J. Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took the stage in Cleveland on Tuesday night in the first of three debates, talking

It shouldn’t need saying, but dentists are warning people not to operate on their own teeth, after a video of someone filing her teeth went viral. A 19-year-old woman from Florida decided to use a nail file to even out her front teeth – and thousands of viewers watched. If this had been a one-off

Most men who undergo radical prostatectomy can skip adjuvant radiotherapy and can be followed with observation alone. They can undergo early salvage radiotherapy if the disease shows sign of progressing, say experts reporting results from three similar clinical trials. This approach would allow most men to avoid radiotherapy and its side effects altogether, the investigators

It can be difficult to balance the needs to work as efficiently as possible while also addressing the healthcare requirements of the patients we see every day. Managing a busy radiology department requires finesse and an astute ability to balance resources, including personnel and the equipment they rely on to accomplish their radiology tasks. For

With body aches, headaches, chills and nausea, coming down with the flu can make you lose all appetite for food. This is especially worrisome for moms and dads, who wonder how to get their sick kids to eat even the tiniest bite of chicken noodle soup. First, know that this is not uncommon. “Expect a

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to get an influenza vaccine this year, yet only 1 in 3 parents know this, a survey found. In addition, fewer than half of parents said their child’s usual

Alcohol use during pregnancy causes problems with the baby’s brain as it develops, according to a recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. The study looked at almost 10,000 children between the ages of 9 and 10, with a follow-up done 1 year later. Children whose mothers drank even small amounts of alcohol

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the indication for mepolizumab (Nucala, GlaxoSmithKline) to include patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Mepolizumab is indicated for adults and children aged 12 years and older with HES for 6 months or longer without an identifiable nonhematologic secondary cause. “[This] approval marks the first time in over

Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Remember that $300-million HHS advertising campaign to help “defeat despair” about COVID-19? Apparently it was paid for with money Congress appropriated to the CDC. (Politico) As of 8:00 a.m. ET Monday, the estimated U.S. COVID-19 toll included 7,116,456 cases and 204,762 deaths. That’s up an average

Pomegranate Consulting, LLC, started selling an at-home “COVID Test Package” in Spring 2020. According to its advertising, “COVID-19 Home Testing . . . Whether you are currently ill and wondering, or you were ill but recovered, or suspect you have been exposed to someone who is sick, this FDA-registered test can put your mind at

Rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continue to rise in the United States, but unevenly so given how the incidence has become highest in the Hispanic population, which is reflected in increased rates in the southern and western states, Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, said in a virtual presentation at the

The hero of this story spent most of the interview lying on the ground. In fact, he didn’t say a word. Toby is a working dog at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center (WDC), run out of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia. “A dog’s sense of smell is excellent,” said