Архив рубрики: Health

Although it’s been more than five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting vaccine hesitancy still lingers to this day — something Professor Margie Danchin is committed to helping solve.
A pediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, Danchin is also a vaccine expert at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), also in Melbourne.
Her biggest focus, she told Fox News Digital, is fighting the erosion of vaccine confidence at a time when technology is advancing — and when the need for these advances to fight emerging (and re-emerging) childhood diseases is growing.
CDC COMMITTEE MOVES TO PHASE OUT CONTROVERSIAL MERCURY INGREDIENT FROM FLU VACCINES
One prime example of this technology, according to Danchin, is the new maternal vaccination against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the RSV monoclonal antibody treatment for newborns, called nirsevimab.
These are new and effective weapons against an illness that is a leading global c..

U.S. health agencies are targeting a threat to Americans that is readily available nationwide.
7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH, is a concentrated form of kratom, a plant-derived substance that has been commonly used for pain relief and as a stimulant.
The concentrated byproduct has been linked to opioid receptors in the body, triggering the potential for abuse and various drug-related symptoms.
HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE AVAILABLE IN STORES ACROSS THE NATION
The substance, which is considered a «synthetic opioid,» has been bottled into drinks, powders and tablets that are sold at vape shops, gas stations and other stores across the country.
An uptick in 7-OH-related medical events has led the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on sellers of these products.
In a Tuesday press release, the HHS announced that the FDA is recommending a scheduling action to control these products under the Control..

After Hall of Fame athlete Deion Sanders’ announcement that he battled bladder cancer, doctors are sharing warning signs to monitor.
Sanders, who is currently head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder, spoke about his medical struggles during a Monday press conference held at Folsom Field in Boulder.
The former NFL and MLB star, 57, appeared alongside his care team and representatives from University of Colorado Health (UC Health) and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Anschutz).
MAN'S DEADLY BRAIN CANCER TUMOR DISAPPEARS AFTER EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TRIAL
Sanders was diagnosed with «very high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer,» but is now cancer-free, according to a statement from his oncologist.
«We removed the tumor. It was very high-grade and invading through the bladder wall,» said Dr. Janet Kukreja, urological oncology director at CU Anshutz. «I am pleased to report that the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer.»
The..

Health officials are taking action against a substance that some are calling «gas station heroin.» The FDA is recommending that 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH) — a byproduct of the plant kratom — be classified as a Schedule I drug.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary emphasized the importance of getting ahead of yet another wave of addiction before it can sweep across the country. Makary compared the distribution of 7-OH to the early days of opioid prescriptions, before doctors understood the addictive nature of painkillers.
MEDICAL GROUPS URGE KENNEDY, FDA TO REEXAMINE BROAD APPROVAL OF ABORTION DRUGS
«Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,» Makary said in an FDA statement. «7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent ano..

Lyme disease is prevalent this time of year, especially in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper-Midwest regions of the U.S. — though there have been reports of cases in expanding areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial infection that causes Lyme disease, is transmitted to humans through the bite of a black-legged (deer) tick, per the above source.
Deer ticks the size of a poppy seed can inject a numbing chemical when they bite, allowing the infection to go undetected until symptoms begin to show weeks later.
TICKS SPREAD TO NEW REGIONS ACROSS AMERICA, BRINGING DANGEROUS DISEASES AND NEED FOR VIGILANCE
The infection can lead to severe muscle and joint pain, Lyme arthritis, cardiac complications and neurological conditions, experts told Fox News Digital.
A telltale sign of Lyme disease is a red circular bull’s-eye rash or multiple rashes on the skin, especially in tick-endemic regions.
Between 60% and 80% of patients..

Some patients taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss have been forced to switch to a different medication due to a change in insurance coverage — and they’re not happy about it.
As of July 1, CVS Caremark — one of the biggest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S. — dropped Zepbound (tirzepatide) from its preferred drug list, replacing it with Wegovy (semaglutide).
Zepbound — along with its counterpart diabetes medication, Mounjaro — is made by Eli Lilly, while Wegovy is produced by Novo Nordisk, which also makes Ozempic.
CVS CAREMARK DROPS COVERAGE OF POPULAR WEIGHT LOSS DRUG
CVS Caremark blamed rising costs for the change. In a June 27 statement on its website, the company noted that «drug manufacturers are solely responsible for setting the price of drugs and have priced these medications at a high cost, making it difficult for many people to access them.»
In an effort to «lower out-of-pocket drug prices,» CVS Caremark said it partnered with Novo Nordisk to «significantly increase access..

Recent fitness trends, like «Zone 2» training and hitting 10,000 steps a day, are driving the conversation around the «best» method of exercise, and what it means to stay fit without intense workouts.
Japanese walking is one of the latest of these trends, although this form of exercise is not exactly new.
Decades ago, researchers from Japan compared the benefits of interval walking (switching between fast and slow paces) to keeping the same speed the entire time.
SIMPLE DAILY ACTIVITY COULD REDUCE RISK OF LOWER BACK PAIN, STUDY FINDS
Their findings indicated that moderate-intensity interval walking could protect against certain «age-associated» effects, including increases in blood pressure, weakening of thigh muscles and a reduced ability to exercise in the first place.
«You may be familiar with HIIT (high-intensity interval training) as a means to get an intense workout in a shorter period of time,» Dr. Alexa Mieses Malchuk, a primary care physician based in Chapel Hill, North Caroli..

Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have reached one of the highest numbers ever recorded in Minnesota during the month of July, and authorities caution citizens to stay inside at dusk and dawn.
The blood-sucking bugs in all seven counties of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area tested positive for the disease, according to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD).
MMCD ecologists processed nearly 200 mosquito pools and found Culex tarsalis mosquitoes, the species most blamed for spreading the West Nile virus, were «active in some of the highest numbers» ever recorded, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
US MEASLES CASES HIT HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 30 YEARS, CDC DATA SHOWS
Of 133 pools tested, 34 tested positive for the virus, showing a rate of more than 25% positivity, MMCD reported.
The rate is one of the highest recorded in the month of July, more in line with numbers seen in late August, when mosquito populations wind down.
CDC DECLARES BIRD FLU EMERG..

A new wearable sensor could help people avoid the dangers of dehydration by alerting them when their bodies need more water.
Developed by researchers at the University of Texas, the non-invasive device continuously measures hydration levels in real time and wirelessly transmits the data to a smartphone, according to an SWNS report.
«Dehydration is a silent threat that affects millions of people every day,» said Professor Nanshu Lu of the University of Texas at Austin, who led the study.
CLINT EASTWOOD'S LONGTIME SECRETS OF GOOD HEALTH AND LONGEVITY REVEALED
«Our wearable sensor provides a simple, effective way to monitor hydration levels in real time, empowering individuals to take proactive steps to stay healthy and perform at their best,» she added, per SWNS.
The sensor uses a method called bioimpedance, which sends a small, safe electrical current through the body via strategically placed electrodes.
The current's flow depends on how hydrated the tissues are — hydrated t..

A 90-year-old amateur golfer is celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime moment as he hit his very first hole-in-one just a day after his milestone birthday. (See the video at the top of this article.)
John Payne, who said he's been playing golf for three decades, achieved the feat on July 18 at a local golf course in the U.K.
The longtime player nailed the shot on the sixth hole, a 200-yard par three, despite dealing with deteriorating eyesight.
CLINT EASTWOOD'S LONGTIME SECRETS OF GOOD HEALTH AND LONGEVITY REVEALED
«I didn’t realize that it had gone in,» Payne told news agency SWNS.
«It’s 200 yards from the tee to the hole. I never imagined I’d get it in one.»
Payne said he hit the ball using his driver, and watched as it struck the downslope of a bunker before rolling straight into the cup.
«When I was told I’d hit the perfect shot, I felt magic,» he said. «It is a once-in-a-lifetime shot.»
Payne had been playing that same course for 30 years without ever scoring an ace, SWNS ..