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Kidneys From Deceased Diabetics Might Ease Organ Shortage: Study

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Kidneys from deceased diabetic donors can save the lives of patients on the transplant wait-list, researchers say.

For the study, investigators compared U.S. data from more than 8,100 recipients of kidneys from deceased diabetic donors with data from people on the kidney transplant wait-list. ...

Alzheimer's Deaths Jump 55 Percent: CDC

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- As more baby boomers age, deaths from Alzheimer's disease have jumped 55 percent, and in a quarter of those cases the heavy burden of caregiving has fallen on loved ones, U.S. health officials report.

"Alzheimer's disease is a public health problem that affects not only people with Alzheimer'...

New Cholesterol Fighting Meds Target Key Gene

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- New gene-based therapies appear to significantly decrease cholesterol levels in people, and could even cut down on arterial plaque, according to results from two early drug trials.

Both treatments improve the body's ability to break down cholesterol by targeting a specific gene that inhibits t...

Stroke Risk Can Rise With Pregnancy-Linked High Blood Pressure

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Several factors raise the risk of pregnancy-related stroke in women with preeclampsia, a new study suggests.

Preeclampsia is a condition marked by high blood pressure and protein in a pregnant woman's urine. It affects between 3 percent and 8 percent of pregnancies. Women with preeclampsia are...

Special Diets, Supplements for Autism Still a Question Mark

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Parents of children with autism often try diet changes or supplements to ease symptoms of the disorder, but a new review concludes there's no solid evidence that any work.

After analyzing 19 clinical trials, researchers found little proof that dietary tactics -- from gluten-free foods to fish ...

Eye Problems May Be Tied to Zika, Lab Study Suggests

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists exploring how the Zika virus passes from pregnant monkeys to their fetuses believe the infection may be more dangerous to human pregnancies than previously believed.

"The results we're seeing in monkey pregnancies make us think that, as they grow, more human babies might develop Zi...

Autism's 'Worryingly' High Suicide Rates Spur Conference

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- High rates of suicide among people with autism are drawing specialists to a conference this week in England.

"What relatively little we know about suicidality in autism points to a worryingly high prevalence of people with the condition contemplating and attempting to take their own life," sai...

U.S. Moms-to-Be Often Victims of Assault

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Violence is common in pregnancy, with mothers-to-be in the United States at greater risk for assault-related injuries and death than women who aren't expecting, a new study finds.

"The striking results of our study suggest that widespread screening for violence and trauma during pregnancy may ...

Teasing Teens About Weight May Do Lasting Harm

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who are taunted about their weight may be more likely to become obese adults who struggle with poor body image, a new study finds.

Researchers also found that teens who are bullied about their weight are more likely to become emotional eaters. Teen bullies often target peers' weight, but...

Do Daughters Bring Out a Dad's 'Softer Side'?

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Mom, it's not all in your head: Dad does respond to toddler daughters and sons differently. Brain scans and random recordings of their times together prove it.

Fathers are not only more attentive to little girls, a new study finds, they're also more accepting of their feelings. Dads sin...

Haywire Immune Cells May Help Cause Baldness

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Faulty immune cells may play a role in hair loss, a new study suggests.

In experiments with mice, researchers found that regulatory T-cells ("Tregs") -- a type of immune cell that helps control inflammation -- trigger stem cells in the skin to promote hair growth.

If Tregs are missin...

Are All Those 'Fidget Spinners' Really Helping Kids?

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Fidget spinners may be the latest must-have kids' toy, but claims that the gizmos help students pay attention aren't backed by science, experts say.

Some retailers market the devices as a way to help kids with anxiety, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) keep themselves c...

Supercharging Exercise With Interval Training

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If your exercise routine isn't producing lower numbers on the scale, consider kicking it up a notch with high-intensity interval training.

The concept is simple: alternate bursts of high-intensity activity with intervals of less strenuous movement.

Doing high-intensity exercise, eve...

Hospitals Vary in Moving Stroke Patients to Comfort or Hospice Care

THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. hospitals differ greatly in how often they move new stroke patients from treatment to comfort or hospice care, researchers report.

Comfort care refers to medical care designed to ease suffering for a patient near death.

"End-of-life and palliative care plays an important role wi...

CBO: 23 Million Would Lose Health Insurance Under House Health Care Bill

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The Republican-led bill to repeal and replace Obamacare that passed the House this month would result in 23 million Americans losing their health insurance coverage, according to a much-anticipated report released Wednesday.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that a to...

Compound in Pot Eases Severe Form of Epilepsy

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A landmark clinical trial has shown that a compound in marijuana can ease life-threatening seizures in children with a rare and devastating form of epilepsy.

Cannabidiol -- a non-intoxicating chemical -- reduced seizure frequency by 39 percent in patients with Dravet Syndrome, researchers rep...

Sleepless Nights Could Pose Heart Risk Dangers

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Getting less than six hours of sleep a night may double the odds of dying from heart disease or stroke for people who already have risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, new research suggests.

Known as metabolic syndrome, this cluster of risk factors can include high blood pressure, hig...

2 Doses of HPV Shot Enough to Prevent Genital Warts: Study

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- New research supports the recent U.S. recommendation for two, rather than three, doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect against genital warts in preteens and teens.

Investigators at Boston University Medical Center found that two HPV vaccine doses are just as effective as ...

Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer Shows Early Promise

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists say they've developed a new blood test for identifying pancreatic cancer -- a step that might eventually allow earlier diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is a particularly deadly type of tumor because it's often detected too late for effective treatment.

The still-experimental...

Zika Arrived in Florida at Least Four Different Ways

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The 2016 Zika outbreak in Florida wasn't due to a single introduction and spread of the virus, but rather at least four separate events, researchers report.

By analyzing the genetic material of Zika viruses found in people and mosquitoes in Florida, the scientists also concluded that local tr...