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AHA News: Can Video Games Help You Level Up Your Health?

You might assume that portraying video games as bad for your health would be as easy as shooting ducks on an old Nintendo.

Even a professional gamer like Noah "Nifty" Francis, 22, admits players aren't known for having great habits. Francis, who plays Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for the Dallas-based Team Envy, knows people who play 14...

1 in 3 High School Seniors Who Misuse Prescription Opioids Turn to Heroin

Among high school seniors, nearly a third of those who misuse prescription opioids use heroin by age 35, a new study shows.

"It is a very timely study given the number of adolescents and young adults who were overprescribed opioids and who are now aging into adulthood," said study author Sean Esteban McCabe, director of the Center for...

Colon Cancer Screening Should Start at Age 45: Task Force

Average folks should start being screened at age 45 to prevent colon cancer, five years earlier than is now recommended, the nation's top preventive medicine panel says.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends that people aged 50 to 75 be regularly screened for colon cancer, one of a handful of cancers that can be ...

Will Expelled Droplets Spread COVID? Ventilation May Be Key

The tiny droplets that linger in the air after people talk, cough or sneeze aren't very efficient at spreading the new coronavirus, new research suggests.

Using laser technology, researchers measured the path of droplets released when people spoke or coughed.

If someone enters a room a few minutes after a person with mild CO...

Losing a Sibling a Common Tragedy in Poorer Nations, Study Finds

The loss of a sibling is all too common among young women in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new study.

The researchers found that roughly one-third of young women in those countries have experienced the death of a brother or sister by age 25. In several African nations, the rate is as high as 50%.

"There...

AHA News: Heart Attacks Linked to Pregnancy on the Rise, Most Often in Women 30 and Older

Pregnancy-related heart attacks — especially in the period after childbirth — are on the rise in women who are 30 or older, according to new research.

Although still considered uncommon, a study of nearly 11.3 million records for pregnancy, labor and postpartum cases showed that nearly three-fourths of the 913 women who had h...

People With Down Syndrome Face Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19

When adults with Down syndrome contract COVID-19, their risk of dying is much higher than the norm, a large, new study finds.

The researchers found that of over 8 million British adults, those with Down syndrome were four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and 10 times more likely to die due to the infection.

Spouses Share a Lot – Including Heart Health, Study Shows

Many married couples or domestic partners share a lot: the same house, bills, pets and maybe children. A new study found they often also share the same behaviors and risk factors that can lead to heart disease.

Researchers assessed heart disease risks and lifestyle behaviors of nearly 5,400 U.S. couples enrolled in an employee wellness p...

Patients With Worst COVID-19 May Be Best Plasma Donors: Study

Factors such as sex, age and severity of the disease may help identify COVID-19 survivors who have high levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease, a new study suggests.

"These were significant patient characteristics that not only predicted the amount of antibody but the quality of that antibody," said lead author Sabr...

Got Election Anxiety? Experts Have Coping Tips

It may be no surprise that this year's presidential election is taking a toll on the mental health of Americans.

In a new Harris Poll survey, conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association, 68% of U.S. adults said the 2020 election is a significant source of stress in their lives.

"The brain, body,...

Trial of Antibody Drug for COVID-19 Stopped for Lack of Effectiveness

Testing of Eli Lilly's antibody drug for hospitalized COVID-19 patients has been halted because the treatment doesn't help them recover from their infection.

Two weeks ago, enrollment in the study was paused because of a possible safety issue, the Associated Press reported. But the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectio...

Lockdowns Can Widen Kids' Waistlines – Here's How to Curb That

Stuck at home, bored. Fiddling with their phone or playing video games. Munching on snack foods to while away the time.

School-age children gaining excess pounds could be one lasting health problem caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with pediatricians and public health experts warning about a potentially dramatic increase in childhood ob...

Diet Drinks Don't Do Your Heart Any Favors

Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions may not be any healthier for the heart, a large, new study suggests.

French researchers found that people who regularly drank artificially sweetened beverages had a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, versus people who avoided those beverages. In fact, they were no less likely to develop ...

Psoriasis Meds Don't Raise Risk of Severe COVID-19: Study

Researchers in the United Kingdom have reassuring news for people with psoriasis based on the first analysis of a global registry of COVID-19 patients who also have the skin disease.

Moderate-to-severe cases of psoriasis are treated with drugs that suppress the immune system. This analysis of the international PsoProtect registry found...

Loss of Smell More Common in COVID-19 Than Thought

Loss of smell is common in COVID-19, but fewer people say they have this symptom than objective tests reveal, a new study finds.

In fact, about 77% of COVID-19 patients who were directly measured had smell loss, but only 44% said they did, researchers found.

Direct measures of smell involve having patients smell and...

Need to Pee? Scientists May Have Found the Gene for That

Scientists say they have spotted the gene responsible for telling you when it's time to pee.

The gene, called PIEZO2, may help at least two different types of cells sense when the bladder is full and needs to be emptied.

"Urination is essential for our health. It's one of the primary ways our bodies dispose of waste. W...

Mail-Order Prescriptions Delayed? Here's What to Do

Your mail-order prescriptions may be taking longer to get to you, but you can take steps to get your meds on time.

Recent U.S. Senate hearings found that average delivery times for prescriptions have recently increased 18% to 32%. These delays aren't only a matter of convenience -- many drugs are temperature-sensitive and pati...

Knee or Hip Replacements Cut People's Risk for Falls: Study

People who have total joint replacement, or total joint arthroplasty (TJA), experience fewer falls than those who don't undergo the surgery, a new study finds.

"Osteoarthritis (OA) is the degeneration of the cartilage in our joints over the years," said lead author Dr. Ran Schwarzkopf, an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Health in Ne...

AHA News: Study Highlights Heart-Health Issues for Adults Who Were Preemies

Erin Wegener was a tiny baby facing enormous challenges.

Born at 29 weeks' gestation, she weighed only 1 pound, 14 ounces. Her first three months were lived in the neonatal intensive care unit. Family photos show her covered in gauze, sustained by too many tubes to count. Her entire hand just about fit inside her father's wedding ring.

What Will It Take for People to Embrace a COVID Vaccine?

When scientists finish developing a COVID-19 vaccine, will people be willing to take it?

An international research team analyzed data from 19 countries hit hard by the new coronavirus and found that when confidence in government was low, hesitancy to accept a COVID-19 vaccine was higher.

Based on a previous survey of more tha...