Fewer than 5% of well-child visits for privately insured young children included a recommended dental fluoride varnish application, despite mandatory insurance coverage for this service, according to a University of Massachusetts Amherst study. Fluoride varnish helps reduce tooth decay, which affects nearly 25% of 2- to 5-year-olds and more than…
Low blood flow in the brain may be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease
Patients who suffer from REM sleep behavior disorder have altered blood flow in the brain, which can lead to a lack of oxygen in the brain tissue. In the long term, this may cause symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This is shown by research from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital….
Men with low health literacy less likely to choose active surveillance for prostate cancer after tumor profiling
Tumor gene profiling is a tool that can help patients with a cancer diagnosis make informed decisions about treatment. In predominantly white populations, among men with early stage, favorable-risk prostate cancer, these tools have been shown to increase patient acceptance of active surveillance—a common, evidence-based approach to monitor the tumor…
Flu activity low in Southern Hemisphere in June to August 2020
(HealthDay)—There was very low influenza activity during June to August 2020 in the Southern Hemisphere, according to research published in the Sept. 18 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Sonja J. Olsen, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues note…
Dilated blood vessels in the lung may explain low oxygen levels in severe cases of COVID-19
A new pilot study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests that COVID-19 is causing significant dilation of the blood vessels of the lung, specifically the capillaries. This vasodilation is contributing to the very low oxygen levels seen in COVID-19 respiratory failure and also helps explain why…
Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again
The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs. A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be…
New virus deaths in Spain fall to two-month low under 100
Spain on Sunday reported 87 coronavirus deaths over a 24-hour period, the first time in two months that the daily toll has dropped below 100. The number came a day before Spain is to further relax lockdown measures across the country, but not in Madrid and Barcelona. “For the first…
Depression linked to low sports activity
From a friendly game of soccer to sweating it solo in the gym, most of us know that exercise is good for our health. But beyond the obvious physical benefits, research led by UniSA expert in sports sociology Dr. Katja Siefken shows that sport can also protect us from developing…
High blood pressure: Drinking one glass of this juice a day could lower your reading
High blood pressure puts a strain on your artery walls as blood thumps against them even harder when travelling through the body. After repeated exposure to high blood pressure, arteries can narrow and become stiff, increasing blood pressure even further. To help prevent this, there’s one juice you need to…
About one in three in ED for low back pain receive imaging
(HealthDay)—Imaging is obtained for about one in three patients with emergency department visits for low back pain, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Jina Pakpoor, M.D., from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the use of…
Low enrollment stymies completion of rare disease clinical trials
Rare diseases are anything but rare when taken together. In the United States alone, they affect nearly 30 million people. Yet clinical trials for rare diseases are frequently incomplete or go unpublished in the medical literature, finds a study published today in the journal PLOS Medicine. Analyzing 659 trials, researchers…