July 10, 2020

'Aerosol Boxes' Meant to Protect COVID Health Teams Might Harm Them: Study

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Aerosol boxes meant to protect health care workers when they intubate COVID-19 patients may actually increase their exposure to airborne virus particles, an Australian study warns.

Intubation is done when patients are placed on a ventilator.

July 9, 2020

Marijuana, E-Cigarettes Enticing More Young Adults

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- E-cigarettes and pot may go hand in hand when it comes to young Americans, a new report suggests.

There's been a sharp rise in the use of both among young adults in California, and many of them are underage, the new analysis finds.

July 9, 2020

Pandemic Is Changing Addiction Care, for Better and Worse

WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up America's approach to addiction treatment, but the fallout hasn't been all bad, experts say.

In-person support meetings either aren't happening or have been severely curtailed, and addiction centers are facing financial ruin because folks are too afraid of the coronavirus to seek treatment.

July 9, 2020

Trump Threatens School Funding Cuts, New U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 59,000

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- With President Donald Trump threatening to cut federal funding for schools that do not fully reopen in the fall, the United States set yet another record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with more than 59,000 new infections reported.

It was the fifth national record in nine days, according to The New York Times. At least five states -- Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia -- also set single-day records for new cases on Wednesday.

July 9, 2020

Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Lower Smoking Rates?

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Want to make smoking less attractive to young people? Try taking menthol cigarettes off the market, a new analysis suggests.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned flavors in cigarettes in 2009 because flavors appeal to youth and young adults, and the agency recently announced that it also intends to ban menthol in cigarettes.

July 9, 2020

Upping Fruit, Veggies, Grain Intake Can Cut Your Diabetes Risk by 25%

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods could lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, two new studies suggest.

In one study, researchers looked at more than 9,700 people who developed type 2 diabetes and over 13,600 who didn't. Participants were from eight European countries and part of a long-term cancer and nutrition study.

July 9, 2020

Coronavirus Fears Kept Many Essential Workers at Home in April: Study

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Many more American workers caring for children, the sick or aged, as well as bus drivers, subway workers and those involved in food production took time off work in April -- probably due to fears of contracting COVID-19, a new government report finds.

In an analysis of federal employment data on work absenteeism from October 2019 until the end of April 2020, researchers found that absenteeism for American workers overall didn't change as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

July 9, 2020

'Broken Heart Syndrome' Has Risen During Pandemic: Study

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Doctors at one Ohio hospital system have discovered yet another possible consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: More cases of "broken heart syndrome."

The condition -- which doctors call stress cardiomyopathy -- appears similar to a heart attack, with symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness. But its cause is different: Experts believe it reflects a temporary weakness in the heart muscle owing to a surge in stress hormones.

July 9, 2020

In Many Cases, Hip Replacement Also Eases Back Pain

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- If you have a bad hip and lower back pain, a new study suggests that hip replacement surgery may solve both issues at once.

Researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City focused on 500 patients who underwent hip replacement surgery and followed up with them one year after the operation.

July 9, 2020

5 Years, No Fatal ODs: Study Finds 'Safe Injection Sites' Can Save Lives

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- Safe injection sites for users of illicit drugs such as heroin: They've been tried and legalized in countries such as Canada and the Netherlands, and a new study suggests they might save American lives, too.

In the study, published online July 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed five years of data (2014 to 2019) from an unsanctioned safe drug consumption site in the United States. It's location was not disclosed for privacy reasons.