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Did Your Gene Screen Turn Up Dangerous DNA? Study Finds Real Risk Is Low

THURSDAY, Jan. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Most gene variants that have been labeled "pathogenic" may make only a small difference in a person's risk of actually developing disease, a new study suggests.

Scouring genetic data on more than 72,000 individuals, researchers found that most of the gene variants believed to c...

Hospital Defends Decision to Deny Heart Transplant to Unvaccinated Man

In response to claims that a man was denied a heart transplant because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said Wednesday that its transplant policies mirror those used across the United States.

In a crowdfunding appeal for 31-year-old D.J. Ferguson, a father of two, his family said the hos...

Months After Moderna Booster, Antibodies Decline Faster With Omicron

An initial surge in antibody levels against the Omicron variant after a booster dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine wanes within six months, but the antibodies remained effective against it in lab tests, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed antibody levels in volunteers who received the booster after two doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine....

AHA News: Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, the 'Father of Preventive Cardiology,' Dies at 102

Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, a trailblazing cardiologist who helped people understand the critical connection between healthy lifestyle and heart health – and who continued his passionate work well beyond his 100th birthday – died early Wednesday.

Stamler, known as "the father of preventive cardiology," was 102. He died at his home in Sag Har...

AHA News: Sound the Fiber Alarm! Most of Us Need More of It in Our Diet

There are a lot of health factors to keep in mind as we navigate through the dietary day: calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, vitamins and minerals, to name a few.

Did you forget fiber? A lot of people do.

"We've known this forever, and it has to get rediscovered all the time," said Joanne Slavin, professor of food scien...

More Berries, Red Wine in Diet Might Slow Parkinson's

THURSDAY, Jan. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Red wine may be a guilty pleasure, but new research shows it might also be a powerful weapon against the ravages of Parkinson's disease.

Why? The antioxidants in red wine, and fruit such as berries for that matter, might slow progression of the movement disorder, a new study su...

Scientists Watch, Worry About New 'Stealth' Version of Omicron Variant

A "stealthier" version of the Omicron variant that has been spotted in the United States and dozens of other countries is being closely monitored by health officials and scientists.

The variant, called BA.2, has genetic traits that make it somewhat more difficult to detect, and some experts fear it may also be more contagious than that ori...

Vitamin D Supplements Might Cut Your Odds for Autoimmune Diseases

THURSDAY, Jan. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Taking vitamin D supplements may help stave off psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, a new study suggests.

Previous research has hinted at this connection, but the new study is the first randomized controlled trial to look at wh...

Newer Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Might Raise Heart, Cancer Risks

THURSDAY, Jan. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Finding the right medication for rheumatoid arthritis isn't easy, and a newer pill against the disease carries higher risks of heart attack, stroke and cancer than older RA drugs, a new clinical trial confirms.

The study was mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aft...

Moderna Begins Testing Booster Shot Aimed at Omicron

Moderna Inc. announced Wednesday that it has launched a trial that will study the power of a redesigned booster shot -- one that hones in on the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The news comes just one day after Pfizer announced that it has started testing its own Omicron-specific shot.

In announcing its trial, Moderna also explain...

Any Change to Menstrual Cycle After COVID Vaccine Is Minor, Temporary: Studies

They've gotten some media headlines recently, but potential menstrual changes associated with getting a COVID vaccine are typically minor and temporary, two new international studies confirm.

That's great news for women, said an expert in fertility and reproductive health.

"The studies coming from the UK, US and Norway provide us wit...

Almost 1 in 10 U.S. Lung Transplants Now Due to COVID

COVID-19 is changing medicine in yet another way: A new study finds that patients with COVID-related lung damage now account for nearly one in 10 lung transplants in the United States.

The researchers analyzed data on more than 3,000 lung transplants nationwide between Aug. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. They found that 7% of them were perf...

Scientists Regrow Frog's Lost Leg: Could Human Amputees Someday Do the Same?

It sounds like the stuff sci-fi films are made of, but the successful regrowth of lost limbs in frogs could point the way to helping human amputees, researchers say.

Some creatures -- including salamanders, starfish, crabs and lizards -- can fully regenerate at least some lost limbs. But like humans, adult frogs don't have that ability.

Genes Could Help Drive Febrile Convulsions in Kids

It's frightening to see your child have a fever-related (febrile) seizure, but researchers are learning more about who's more susceptible.

An international study has identified seven new genes associated with febrile seizures, or febrile convulsions, in young children.

Febrile seizures are defined as seizures in children younger t...

Common Gout Drug Is Safe in Patients With Kidney Issues

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Allopurinol, a frequently used gout medication, does not appear to drive up the risk for dying among gout patients who also struggle with chronic kidney disease, new research shows.

The finding is based on an analysis of two decades worth of British health records. And it may ...

Fat Injections Might Ease Pain of Plantar Fasciitis

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Belly fat is usually unwelcome, but new research suggests it may actually be good for something: relief from foot pain.

A small pilot study suggests that an injection of a patient's own fat cells can help ease the often-excruciating heel pain brought on by a condition known as...

AHA News: Statistics Report Offers Snapshot of the Nation's Brain Health – And a Guide to Protecting It

Brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, are closely connected to heart health. They are affected by everyday actions and rank among the nation's leading causes of death.

That's the portrait of brain health that emerges from the American Heart Association's "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2022 Upd...

Omicron Batters Already Strained U.S. Hospitals

U.S. hospitals continue to reel from the pressure posed by the ongoing pandemic, facing critical workforce shortages and rising labor costs that amount to a "national emergency," hospital executives say.

Nearly 1,400 hospitals — 31% of the nation's total — are on the verge of critical staffing shortages, according to the American Hospi...

Survivors of Severe COVID Face Higher Odds for Another Hospitalization Soon After

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People hospitalized for COVID-19 are not necessarily out of the woods once they're discharged: Many land in the hospital again in the months afterward, a large U.K. study finds.

The researchers found that in the 10 months after leaving the hospital, COVID-19 patients were more...

Biden Administration Withdraws Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers

The Biden Administration on Tuesday withdrew an emergency COVID-19 vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large companies following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling against the requirement.

The mandate, which required businesses with 100 or more staff to ensure their employees were either vaccinated or were tested weekly and wore mas...