Health

June 15, 2023 – A panel of advisers to the FDA unanimously agreed today that the next COVID-19 vaccines should target the XBB variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus now in circulation in the United States, but questioned whether the population as a whole needs booster shots and how often they should be given.The Vaccines and… […]

Wondering if marijuana might have a soothing effect on your atrial fibrillation? Studies show that medical marijuana can help with symptoms of some conditions like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and HIV/AIDS.But for atrial fibrillation, the effects are more of a mixed bag. And experts advise against smoking marijuana (assuming that it’s legal in your area) if… […]

June 15, 2023 – A drug that targets specific genes that help cancer cells thrive, when combined with hormonal therapy, may help women with a specific kind of early-stage breast cancer, new research says. The targeted-therapy drug showed success for women with hormone-receptor positive/HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer, according to research presented at the 2023 American Society… […]

June 15, 2023 – Sometimes less may be more, and researchers are increasingly looking at ways that cancer therapy can be safely “de-escalated,” making a patient’s care less aggressive without affecting their odds of survival. One new study shows women with HER2-positive early breast cancer were able to be successfully treated without chemotherapy thus avoiding… […]

Since the 1990s, prostate cancer death rates have dropped for all men — most of all for Black men. That’s progress,  but it’s not the full picture.Black men have a greater risk of getting prostate cancer — and a more aggressive type — than White men, says Brandon A. Mahal, MD, a radiation oncologist with… […]

June 13, 2023 – In 1993, Lynne Matallana was living a “wonderful life.” Newly married, the 38-year-old Californian was a partner in an advertising agency. But her life was upended after surgery for endometriosis. “I actually woke up during the surgery, and the next day, I developed excruciating pain – beyond excruciating – and became bedridden,”… […]

June 13, 2023 – Could the class of new weight loss drugs including semaglutide – approved as Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes and Wegovy to treat obesity – also curb addictions and compulsive behaviors?As demand for semaglutide for weight loss grew after Wegovy was approved by the FDA in June 2021, personal accounts of unexpected added… […]

June 13, 2023 – If you want to see the future of health care, just peek at your wrist. As smartwatches and fitness trackers get more popular – some one in five Americans wear one – scientists are investigating how to use their data for a variety of health applications. Studies suggest that smartwatches could detect infections like COVID-19,… […]

June 12, 2023 – Johnna Mendenall had never been “the skinny friend,” she said, but the demands of motherhood – along with a sedentary desk job – made weight management even more difficult. Worried that family type 2 diabetes would catch up with her, she decided to start Wegovy shots for weight loss.She was nervous… […]

If you have diabetes and obesity, you may hear your combined conditions referred to as “diabesity.”In the WebMD webinar “Diabesity: When You Have Diabetes and Obesity,” Robert F. Kushner, MD, explained what diabesity is, what raises your risk, and how weight loss, lifestyle changes, and medications can help. Kushner is medical director of Northwestern Center for… […]