This Season's Flu Vaccine Cuts Risk of Hospitalization by Almost 35%

THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024, HealthDay News -- The Southern Hemisphere's flu season is winding down, and new data shows this year's flu shot was 34.5% effective in keeping folks there who got influenza from needing hospital care.

Most (68.3%) of those sent to hospital had the A(H3N2) strain of flu, according to the report from the U.S. Centers ...

Stem Cell Therapy Might Repair Vision-Robbing Holes in Retinas

Japanese researchers have successfully used a transplant of human stem cells to close a hole in a key part of a monkey's retina.

They say the achievement could pave the way for better treatment of small gaps that form in the macula, the central part of the eye's retina.

These macular holes can cause distorted or blurred vision, maki...

CDC Warns of Fake Drug Dangers From Online Pharmacies

Americans who turn to online pharmacies to find cheaper versions of expensive prescription medications, especially opioids, may instead be buying themselves dangerous drugs that could trigger an overdose, U.S. health officials warned Wednesday.

The warning, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, follows a federal in...

Record Rate of U.S. Kindergartners Failed to Get Recommended Vaccines

In yet another sign that childhood vaccinations can't be taken for granted, new government data shows that a record number of kindergartners were exempted from the required shots during the last school year.

That leaves more than 125,000 new students without the protection of at least one childhood vaccine, even as measles vaccination rat...

Sitting Less Helps Prevent Back Pain From Getting Worse

Avoiding couches and chairs might be a good way of keeping your back pain from getting worse, new research suggests.

Finnish researchers found that when people with back pain sat even a little less each day, their pain was less like to progress over the next six months.

“If you have a tendency for back pain or excessive sitting...

Antibodies in Mom's Breast Milk Are Protecting Babies

THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- Moms-to-be have long known about breast milk's multiple benefits. Now, a global study confirms that antibodies passed from to baby in breast milk can indeed shield against disease.

Immune system antibodies against one common infection, rotavirus, were especially protective, said a team from the Uni...

Could Lithium Supplements Ease the Brain Fog of Long COVID?

A small dose of the nutritional supplement lithium asparate may not ease the fatigue and brain fog of Long COVID, a small, new trial involving 52 patients has found.

Still, it's possible that a larger dose of the mood-enhancing supplement might work, researchers said.

Importantly, the supplement contains much lower amounts of lithiu...

Good Friendships Crucial to Young Adults' Happiness, Study Finds

If you're a 20-something who is unattached, having good friends is a key to happiness, new research shows. 

"The quality of your friendships is a key factor for your well-being, especially if you're single," a team led by Lisa Walsh, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported Oct. 2 in the...

Most Americans Struggle With Poor Sleep, Daytime Drowsiness: Survey

Nearly 8 in 10 Americans go through the day in a fog that interferes with their jobs, their moods and their relationships.

Chalk it up to sleepiness: A new survey shows that 54% of Americans think they just don't get enough sleep.

"Daytime sleepiness is more than just an inconvenience -- it can affect our ability to function our best...

Reading to Your 1- and 2-Year Old Boosts Their Vocabulary, Study Finds

Sharing a book with your baby will build her vocabulary fast, but time with screens likely won't, Norwegian researchers report. 

Their new study on shared reading and vocabulary size dovetails with a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics that urges parents to read books to their little ones.

A team at th...

Air Pollution Could Be Changing Children's Brains

Even air pollution levels considered safe by U.S. standards appear to cause differences in the brains of growing children, a new review suggests.

"We're seeing differences in brain outcomes between children with higher levels of pollution exposure versus lower levels of pollution exposure," said corresponding author Camelia Hostinar, an as...

Science Finds Link Between Excessive Sweating, Sensitive Skin

If  you sweat excessively, you're likely to have sensitive skin as well, with new research confirming the two go hand-in-hand.

A team led by Adam Friedman of George Washington University and Linqing Zhang of Virginia Tech used machine learning models to examine survey data from more than 600 people who sweat excessively.

It unco...

So Fly: Scientists Complete Map of Adult Fruit Fly Brain

The head of a Princeton team that mapped the brain of an adult fruit fly -- a watershed step in understanding the human brain -- explains the feat in a way that belies its complexity.

"Just like you wouldn't want to drive to a new place without Google Maps, you don't want to explore the brain without a map," explained lead author Sven Dork...

Deadly Legacy of Storms Like Helene Can Linger for Over a Decade

As the southeastern United States begins to recover from Helene's devastation, a new study suggests the health impact of major storms can linger for over a decade.

So far, more than 120 people across six states have already been confirmed dead in Helene's aftermath, although that number could rise much higher as rescue efforts continue. <...

Scientists Get Closer to Stopping Macular Degeneration

Scientists say they've discovered a protein that seems crucial to the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of blindness in older people.

The research is in its very early stages, but it might help lead to the first effective therapy against the vision-robbing illness, which affects up to 15 million Americans.

Restrictive State Laws Tied to Higher Suicide Risk for Trans Youth

In a finding that illustrates the damage that laws targeting transgender people can cause, new research shows that trans and nonbinary youth in states with such laws are more likely to attempt suicide.

How much more likely? The study authors found the laws triggered up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts in the past year.

“Th...

George the Frenchie's Cancer Journey May Help Other Dogs and Even Children

The short but much-loved life of a French bulldog named George leaves a legacy of learning for those who care for animals and humans.

George's owner Louis Tavares, of Windemere, Fla., brought him to doctors at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine’s Small Animal Hospital in late 2023, with what appeared to b...

Coffee, Water, Soda: Which Raise Your Odds for Stroke?

Want to keep a stroke a bay? Drink water, nothing fizzy and skip fruit drinks.

That's the key takeaway from a global review that also raises a red flag for people who drink more than four cups of coffee a day.

"While [high blood pressure] is the most important risk factor, our stroke risk can also be lowered through healthy lifestyle...

1 in 14 U.S. Hospital Patients Fall Victim to Harmful Diagnostic Errors

One in 14 hospital patients may be the victim of damaging diagnostic mistakes, new research suggests.

The finding is from a study of 675 patients admitted to one large hospital in Boston at various periods between July 2019 and September 2021. The patients were randomly selected from more than 9,000 hospitalized during that time.

"Th...

Six in 10 Americans Have Unhealthy Pro-Inflammatory Diets

Most Americans are eating their way to inflammation that puts them at risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious health problems, a new study shows.

"Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income," said lead study ...