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Snow Shoveling, Slips on Ice Bring Cold Weather Dangers

Clearing away snow can be hazardous to your health, experts warn.

Shoveling snow causes 100 deaths a year in the United States, and injuries due to improper use of snowblowers are common.

"Cold weather will cause the body to constrict blood vessels to maintain warmth, which can then raise blood pressure and the risk for heart attack...

How Moving the Homeless to Hotels During the Pandemic Helps Everyone

Giving homeless COVID-19 patients a free hotel room for their quarantine and recovery pays huge health dividends for the entire community, according to a new study out of San Francisco.

Only 4% of homeless folks transferred from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to a participating hotel wound up back in the hospital with worsened C...

With 3 COVID Vaccines Approved, Is There a 'Best' Shot?

Americans love to have choices, and now there are three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States.

But infectious disease experts say that all three protect strongly against severe COVID-19, so there is only one criteria to use in deciding which vaccine is the best.

"There is a single best vaccine. It's the one that's a...

It's Too Soon to Lift COVID Restrictions: Fauci

FRIDAY, March 5, 2021 (Healthday News) -- Coronavirus restrictions should not be lifted until the daily toll of new U.S. cases falls below 10,000, "and maybe even considerably less than that," Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.

The last time the United States saw that low a number was almost a year ago. The daily case count hasn't falle...

AHA News: Why Did Yankees Manager Get a Pacemaker, and How Does It Work?

With each beat of your heart, the muscle squeezes, feeding blood to the rest of your body. The squeeze is triggered by an electrical impulse.

Sometimes, though, a glitch slows that impulse. This can cause lightheadedness, low energy and shortness of breath.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone felt those symptoms. Doctors traced them...

When Facebook, Twitter Flag Posts as 'Unverified,' Readers Listen

Readers pay attention when social media sites label an article as "unverified" or "suspicious," a new study suggests.

But how an article is presented -- including author credentials and writing style -- doesn't affect readers' views about its credibility.

The findings show that big tech companies such as Facebook and Twitter have a r...

Lockdowns Tied to Temporary Drops in Illicit Drug Seizures

Seizures of illegal drugs fell sharply in the United States during early COVID-19 lockdowns, but spiked once stay-at-home orders eased.

Researchers studied seizures of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in five locations between March 2019 (a year before the pandemic began in the United States) through September 2020,...

Formaldehyde in Hair Straighteners Prompts FDA Warning

You might decide your frizzy locks aren't so bad after all, given a new warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that most hair straightening/smoothing products release formaldehyde gas, a human carcinogen.

Being exposed to formaldehyde for longer periods of time and at higher concentrations increases the health risks, according...

Big Paychecks Pay Off in Self-Confidence, Study Finds

Can money buy you happiness? Maybe not, but a new study suggests it's linked to greater feelings of confidence and pride.

Researchers analyzed five past studies that included a survey of more than 1.6 million people in 162 countries.

They found that higher income predicted whether people felt good about themselves, including feelings...

Opioid Use (and Overuse) for Knee Arthritis Takes Big Financial Toll

Opioids and arthritic knees are a costly mix, new research claims.

"These data offer new evidence of the magnitude of the societal burden generated by opioid use and misuse, and could be used to educate health care providers and health policy decision makers on the best alternatives to opiate use," said lead investigator Elena Losina. She'...

A Vaccine Against UTIs? New Mouse Study Brings Shot Closer

Many women suffer through countless urinary tract infections (UTIs), but a new study in mice offers hope that a vaccine could one day bring their nightmares to an end.

"Although several vaccines against UTIs have been investigated in clinical trials, they have so far had limited success," said senior study author Soman Abraham, a professor...

Reassuring News for Women Taking Epilepsy Meds While Pregnant

Toddlers whose mothers took certain epilepsy drugs during pregnancy are unlikely to have development delays, researchers say. The study may help clear up lingering doubts about use of the drugs by moms-to-be.

Controlling seizures is crucial, of course.

"Having a seizure during pregnancy may not only harm the mother but possibly the ...

More Data Suggests New Coronavirus Variants Weaken Vaccines, Treatments

There's new evidence that fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccines.

Researchers assessed variants first identified in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil and found that they can evade antibodies that work well against the original version of the coronavir...

Moderna COVID Vaccine Can Sometimes Trigger Delayed Skin Reactions

Some people given the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may develop a reaction at the injection site that can first appear more than a week after they get the shot, research shows.

A minority of patients may experience a large, red, sometimes raised, itchy or painful skin reaction, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in...

American Indians Face the Highest Odds for Stroke

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- While strokes strike many Americans, a new study shows the risk is particularly high among American Indians.

Researchers already knew that American Indians had the highest risk of atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat ("arrhythmia") that can increase the risk of ...

COVID Leaves Most Pro Athletes With No Lasting Heart Damage: Study

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In some reassuring news for professional athletes, a new study finds very few develop inflammatory heart disease after being infected with COVID-19, and most can safely return to play.

In fact, of nearly 800 professional athletes who had tested positive, less than 1% were barre...

AHA News: Bypass Surgery Turned Doctor From Couch Potato Into Mountain Climber

Because of the lack of oxygen at such lofty altitudes, Dr. Akil Taherbhai needed four hours to climb the last mile to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

Savoring the sense of triumph as he finally reached the summit, the family physician who is known as Dr. Taher to his patients in Gadsden, Alaba...

U.S. Hispanics at High Heart Disease Risk and Many Go Untreated: Report

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Even after suffering a stroke, many Hispanic Americans still have uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure or other conditions that raise their risk of a repeat one, a new study finds.

The study involved 404 Hispanic adults with a history of stroke or "mini-stroke," which is ...

Catnip Might Be Your Next Mosquito Repellent

A common herb that makes your favorite feline high may hold the key to a mosquito-free summer in your backyard.

Researchers say catnip is as effective as synthetic insect repellents, including DEET, and they report why this common member of the mint family drives bugs positively buggy.

The active ingredient in catnip -- nepetalacton...

COVID Death Rates 10 Times Higher in Countries Where Most Are Overweight: Report

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (Healthday News) -- In a finding that suggests overweight people should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines, a new report released Thursday shows the risk of death from coronavirus infection is about 10 times higher in countries where most of the population is overweight.

The World Obesity Federation report fo...