All posts tagged: HealthDay

Study Finds Heart Damage in ‘Couch Potato’ Kids

Study Finds Heart Damage in ‘Couch Potato’ Kids

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Children and young adults who are couch potatoes could wind up with enlarged hearts, increasing their risk of heart attack, stroke and early death. Sedentary behavior contributed as much as 40% to the total increase in heart size between the ages of 17 and 24, researchers found. Further, a lack of movement helped enlarge teens’ hearts independent of other risk factors like obesity or high blood pressure, researchers found. Childhood and teenage sedentary behavior amounts to a “ticking time bomb,” researcher Andrew Agbaje said in a news release. He’s an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and child health at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. “There is growing evidence that childhood sedentariness is a health threat that needs to be taken seriously,” he said. On the other hand, children who regularly engaged in light physical activity reduced their increase in heart mass by 49%, researchers said. “Light physical activity is an effective antidote to sedentariness. It is easy to accumulate three …

Planters Peanut Products Under Recall Due to Listeria Risk

Planters Peanut Products Under Recall Due to Listeria Risk

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By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter HealthDay TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Planters peanut products sold at Publix and Dollar Tree in five states are being recalled due to the risk of Listeria contamination, maker Hormel announced. The products are Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts (4 ounces) and Planters Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts (8.75 ounces).   So far, there have been no reports of illness linked to the recalled products, the company said. “The products were shipped to Publix distribution warehouses in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree distribution warehouses in South Carolina and Georgia,” the company said in a statement posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website. Consumers in those states should look out for 4-ounce Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts with the UPC code of 2900002097 on the side of the can, and a “Best if Used By” date of 04 11 25 on the bottom of the can. For the recalled 8.75-ounce Planters Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts, the UPC code is 2900001621 and the “Best …

That ‘New Car Smell’ Could Be Toxic Carcinogens

That ‘New Car Smell’ Could Be Toxic Carcinogens

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — “New car smell” is a beloved benefit of buying a new vehicle. However, at least part of that scent could be due to toxic carcinogens released by flame retardants, a new study says. Flame retardant chemicals added to seat foam and other car components pollute the cabin air inside all personal vehicles, according to findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Further, these chemicals are added to meet an outdated federal flammability standard that actually holds no proven fire-safety benefit, researchers said. “Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant public health issue,” lead researcher Rebecca Hoehn, a doctoral student and toxicology scientist at Duke University, said in a news release. “It’s particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults.” The research team found flame retardants inside the cabins of 101 cars model year 2015 or newer from …

A Parent’s Watchful Eye Does Keep Kids From Drugs, Alcohol: Study

A Parent’s Watchful Eye Does Keep Kids From Drugs, Alcohol: Study

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Parents can be very effective buzzkills for their teens, just by letting kids know they’re being closely watched, a new study reports. What’s more, teens don’t need to be busted at least once by their parents to get on the straight and narrow, results show. Simple awareness that parents are monitoring their behavior wound up cutting teens’ use of alcohol or drugs by 40%, without any actual punishment being doled out, researchers found. “Some parents think drinking or using drugs is something that kids are just going to do, no matter what,” lead researcher William Pelham, an assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of California-San Diego, said in a news release. “But that’s not true. Parents can make a difference.” Previous studies have found that teens are less likely to use drugs, alcohol or tobacco if they have parents who remain aware of their activities, know their friends, and know their whereabouts when they aren’t home, researchers said. The assumption …

ERs Often Missing Epilepsy in Kids With ‘Non-Motor’ Seizures

ERs Often Missing Epilepsy in Kids With ‘Non-Motor’ Seizures

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By Lori Saxena HealthDay Reporter HealthDay MONDAY, May 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Two-thirds of kids who suffer a subtle type of epileptic seizure go undiagnosed when they seek emergency room treatment, new research shows. “We do not know how many people are walking around with seizures that they are unaware of, and we are unaware of,” said researcher Jacqueline French, a professor of neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “That number is absolutely unknown, but I suspect it’s larger than we would like to think.”  She and her team analyzed data from 83 preteens and teens being treated for epilepsy in 34 hospitals throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. Seventy percent sought emergency care before being diagnosed with the neurological disorder. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder in which groups of brain cells send out excessive bursts of electrical signals, triggering seizures. A patient is diagnosed with the condition if they experience two or more seizures with no apparent cause.  French’s team focused on non-motor seizures, a more subtle form of the disease in …

1 in 4 U.S. Women Will Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

1 in 4 U.S. Women Will Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

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By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter HealthDay TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — As the battle over abortion continues to rage in the courts and American politics, a new report estimates that one in every four U.S. women will undergo the procedure during their lifetime. The study was issued by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports access to abortion.  Researchers there surveyed nearly 6,700 U.S. women who accessed clinical abortion care at 56 non-hospital facilities in 21 states between June 2021 and July 2022. That’s just prior to the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Using that and other data, the Guttmacher researchers found that 20- to 24-year old women had the highest rate of abortions (32.7 abortions per 1,000). This survey did not include women who managed their abortions outside of the formal health care system. The statistic showing that a quarter of women will undergo an abortion “confirms what we already know: Abortion is a normal part of the reproductive lives of people with …

Pandemic Had Only Minor Effect on Young Kids’ Development

Pandemic Had Only Minor Effect on Young Kids’ Development

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay MONDAY, April 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The pandemic caused only “modest” delays in developmental milestones for infants and toddlers, a new study has found. Previous research has reported that pandemic-related lockdowns disrupted the lives of many people, including families with young children. Day-to-day life was upended as schools and child care centers closed, many people worked from home and the number of play dates and social contacts shrunk. But an analysis of more than 50,000 children aged 5 and younger found the pandemic put only a minor dent in their development, researchers reported April 22 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. “We found, overall, that while there are some changes, the sky is not falling, and that is a really important and reassuring finding,” said researcher Sara Johnson, director of the Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. The children all underwent a caregiver-completed measure of child development routinely collected as part of pediatric care. Researchers compared toddlers’ scores before …

Check Your Fridge for Trader Joe’s Fresh Basil, Linked to Salmonella

Check Your Fridge for Trader Joe’s Fresh Basil, Linked to Salmonella

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By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter HealthDay THURSDAY, April 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Fresh organic basil tainted with salmonella and sold by Trader Joe’s in 29 states has sickened at least 12 people, according to an alert issued Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person was so ill that hospitalization was required. “Throw away any Infinite Herbs organic basil purchased from Trader Joe’s,” the agency said, and wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with the herbs. The CDC noted that “Trader Joe’s ceased shipments of Infinite Herbs organic basil on April 12, 2024, and no product remains in stores.” The product was sold in 2.5 ounce clamshell-style containers. Infinite Herbs is cooperating with CDC investigators, the agency said. So far, four cases of salmonella illness linked to the recalled basil have been reported in Minnesota, three in Florida, and one each in Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Salmonella can be a serious illness, especially for young children, the immunocompromised or the frail …

Many Seniors Are Overmedicated, But ChatGPT Might Prevent That

Many Seniors Are Overmedicated, But ChatGPT Might Prevent That

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay THURSDAY, April 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — AI could help doctors cut back on the bewildering variety of medications that seniors frequently are prescribed, a new study suggests. More than 40% of seniors are prescribed five or more meds, and this increases a person’s risk of adverse drug interactions, researchers said. When asked to evaluate faux medication lists of seniors, the OpenAI program ChatGPT consistently recommended dropping potentially unnecessary drugs, according to findings published April 18 in the Journal of Medical Systems. “Our findings suggest that AI-based tools can play an important role in ensuring safe medication practices for older adults,” said lead researcher Arya Rao, a student at Harvard Medical School. “It is imperative that we continue to refine these tools to account for the complexities of medical decision-making.” For the study, researchers asked AI to analyze different clinical scenarios featuring the same elderly patient taking a mixture of medications. The scenarios included variations in history of heart disease and the degree to which people are impaired in …

Why Healthy Eating Is Key for Breast Cancer Survivors

Why Healthy Eating Is Key for Breast Cancer Survivors

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter HealthDay WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Eating healthy can lower the risk of heart disease in breast cancer survivors, a new study has found. Heart disease is a top cause of death in women who’ve survived breast cancer, likely due to the toxic effects of chemo, radiation and targeted cancer therapy on the heart, researchers said. Breast cancer and heart disease also share some common risk factors, including aging, lack of exercise and smoking. But following a heart-healthy DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet appears to blunt this risk, according to findings published April 17 in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum. “Our findings suggest that we need to begin talking to breast cancer survivors about the potential heart benefits of the DASH diet,” lead researcher Isaac Ergas, a staff scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said in a journal news release. For the study, researchers analyzed data for more than 3,400 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between 2005 and …