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☆ As China moves away from zero-Covid, health experts warn of dark days ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Across the country, however, some parts of residential communities and buildings designated high risk by authorities are still locked down. A QR code for Covid-19 contact tracing displayed at the entrance to a subway station in Shanghai, China, on Monday. Top health officials on November 28 announced a new plan to bolster elderly vaccination rates, but such measures will take time, as will other preparations for a surge. Minimizing the worst outcomes in a transition out of zero-Covid depends on that preparation, according to Cowling. From that perspective, he said, “it doesn’t look like it would be a good time to relax the policies.”

☆ Flu vaccine appears to be a very good match to circulating strains, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. Flu vaccinations for children are down about 5% compared with where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, Walensky said. The good news is that looks like it is a very good match,” Walensky said of the early start to the respiratory virus season. She noted that the CDC would have more definitive data later in the season but that the data is encouraging. It’s not very good at interrupting transmission, and it is not very good at preventing milder infection,” he said.

☆ Pain relief from marijuana may come from believing it helps, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A 2020 study, for example, found using marijuana before entering the hospital for a surgical procedure made pain during recovery significantly worse. In fact, the optimistic attitude generated by a placebo can be powerful enough to affect study results dramatically. A unique part of the study looked at the role of news and social media for the placebo effect in cannabis clinical trials, Jensen said. Researchers found positive media coverage after each of the cannabis clinical trials, even when the study results were less than spectacular, she said. “I don’t think you can explain the placebo effect or blame it on social media.

The words some doctors use are often misunderstood by patients and their families, leaving them feeling confused and vulnerable, according to researchers. "You could be the smartest doctor in the world, yet you're useless if your patients don't understand what you are saying," Pitt said. An 'impressive' chest X-rayTake the word "impressive." But when doctors say a patient's chest X-ray is "impressive," they really mean, "This worries me." "If somebody is using medical jargon, a phrase that you don't understand, feel free to say, 'Excuse me, I don't understand what you're trying to say.

So far this season, an estimated 6.2 million flu illnesses have been logged, according to the latest CDC data. Of the samples reported to the CDC this season, about 76% are the H3N2 strain of influenza A. With the early start to the flu season this year, many people were infected before they had a chance to get vaccinated, making it easier for the virus to spread. “It’s a pretty safe bet that flu activity is going to continue on for several more weeks or months,” said Brammer. “Then the floodgates opened.”Now, 30% to 40% of Rice’s patients in need of the most intensive care have the flu.

☆ Improve memory as you age by eating more flavonols, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Eating more flavonols, antioxidants found in many vegetables, fruits, tea and wine, may slow your rate of memory loss, a new study finds. The cognitive score of people in the study who ate the most flavonols declined 0.4 units per decade more slowly than those who ate the fewest flavonols. One of the most common flavonols, quercetin, has shown promise in reducing the onset of colorectal cancer and other cancers, according to studies. (For comparison, the average flavonol intake in US adults is about 16 to 20 milligrams per day, according to the study.) The study looked at the impact of the four major flavonols — kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin and isorhamnetin — on the rate of cognitive decline over the seven years.

☆ Daylight Saving Time debate sheds light on growing racial inequities in sleep health
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep Research Society and other medical groups have advocated for ending the practice, calling for the adoption of a permanent standard time that would not involve shifting forward each spring and falling back each autumn. She authored a paper, published in September in the journal Sleep, detailing the potential health benefits of adopting a permanent standard time. Now, some sleep researchers worry about the potential effects that continuing to change standard time twice each year may have on sleep health inequities. “Fortunately, sleep health is largely modifiable.”As for the inequities seen in sleep health, it’s not that White adults don’t also experience a lack of sleep and its health consequences – but people of color appear to disproportionately experience them more, and that’s believed to be largely due to social systems in the United States. Improving sleep health has been a national objective in the federal government’s past two Healthy People programs, noted Caraballo-Cordovez, who is not involved in the programs.

Most of the worst of respiratory illnesses remain concentrated in Southern states like Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. There are signs that flu is ramping up in other areas such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, according to the CDC. Such widespread flu activity this early in the typical flu season hasn't been recorded in the U.S. in more than a decade. "We don't have any," a pharmacist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told NBC News, adding that the drug is on backorder, at least at her pharmacy. North Carolina's flu activity remains "very high" according to the latest CDC report.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

The analysis by Canadian researchers, published Tuesday in Radiology, compared the chest scans of marijuana smokers and tobacco-only smokers who were matched according to age. Unlike cigarettes, joints aren’t filtered, and marijuana smokers inhale more deeply and longer than cigarette smokers do. The marijuana smokers were identified by a search through the Ottawa Hospital records, using the terms “marijuana” and “cannabis.” Then Revah and her colleagues determined which of the marijuana smokers had had the chest scan. They then searched for nonsmokers and the cigarette smokers who had received chest scans to compare to the marijuana smokers. The marijuana smokers were ages 20 to 73, the nonsmokers were ages 19 to 75, and the tobacco-only smokers were ages 50 to 71.

Poison control centers in the U.S. have seen an increase in reports of children ingesting a type of prescription cough medicine, a study published Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration found. From 2010 through 2018, reports of pediatric poisonings involving the drug, benzonatate, increased each year, the study found. The reports included children who were unintentionally exposed to the drug, as well as children who abused or misused it intentionally. As non-narcotic drugs become more common in homes, "the likelihood of errors is going to increase," Creech said. Still, the study reminds doctors to provide good counsel about when and how to use the medication, Creech said.

☆ Mindfulness and medication work equally well to curb anxiety, a new study found
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A mindfulness meditation course may be as effective at reducing anxiety as a common medication, according to a new study. And starting meditation could also be a first step for people who have untreated anxiety and are wary of medication. Arpaia says that he has worked to find less time-intensive mindfulness methods to help patients manage their anxiety. How mindfulness worksThe patients assigned to the meditation group participated in a specific program called mindfulness-based stress reduction, first developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. Patients shouldn’t expect meditation – or medication – to completely eliminate their anxiety, according to Hoge.

☆ Dolly Parton receives $100 million Courage and Civility Award from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Chloe Melas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dolly Parton is the latest recipient of the Bezos Courage and Civility Award. “We can’t wait to see all the good that you’re going to do with this $100 million award, @DollyParton.”Parton, who has donated to various causes for decades, publicly thanked Bezos and Sanchez on Twitter. I will do my best to do good things with this money,” Parton tweeted. Among her philanthropic efforts in her home state of Tennessee, Parton also created the Dolly Parton Scholarship, which provides $15,000 to recipients towards a college education. Last year, Bezos awarded $100 million each to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef José Andrés.

☆ Flu season already hitting hard across half of the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —About half of the US – 22 states, along with Washington, DC, New York City and Puerto Rico – is reporting high or very high respiratory illness activity, as flu season sweeps through the country weeks earlier than usual. “Among the people who study flu, there’s a little saying: ‘If you’ve seen one flu season, well, you’ve seen one flu season,’ ” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Although the numbers are especially high for this time of year, experts say the trends are otherwise following an expected pattern, and the early arrival of flu season doesn’t necessarily mean it will last longer or be more severe. It’s not like we’re seeing a lot of hospitalizations without a lot of illness.”Flu activity has been highest in the South, CDC data shows. And millions fewer flu vaccines have been distributed this season than at this point in previous years.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

The first study ever to directly compare medication to meditation for anxiety finds the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. Just one side effect, increased anxiety, was reported in the mindfulness group, by about 15% of the participants. It's unclear why so many meditation participants appeared to drop off, she said. The time commitment to mindfulness throughout the study, however, was important for people to learn the proper techniques, Hoge said. The thinking behind mindfulness, Hoge said, is that it can make the thoughts that fuel anxiety less powerful.

☆ Mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety as much as a common antidepressant drug, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mindfulness meditation is as effective at reducing anxiety as a commonly prescribed antidepressant, according to a study published in a major journal on Wednesday. The study, led by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, is the first randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation with the antidepressant escitalopram. There were 102 patients in the mindfulness group and 106 in the antidepressant group. Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, lead author on the study, said the findings support physicians recommending mindfulness meditation as an alternative to antidepressants for some patients. Hoge, who is director of Georgetown University's Anxiety Disorders Research Program, said the study also provides evidence for insurers to cover mindfulness meditation as a treatment for anxiety.

☆ Factbox: No consensus in Congress on making daylight saving time permanent
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Clocks in the United States will return to standard time at 2 a.m. EDT on Sunday with no consensus on the matter. The current system of daylight saving is good for business, energy efficiency, and the prevention of vehicle accidents." There's some strong science behind it that is now showing and making people aware of the harm that clock switching has. Congress created Daylight Saving decades ago as a wartime effort, now it is well past time to lock the clock and end this experiment." Permanent, year-round Standard Time is the best match for our biological sleep-wake cycle."

Alcohol-related deaths rose by 26% from 2019 to 2020, a new report published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. From 2000 through 2018, age-adjusted alcohol-related deaths rose yearly, but never at a rate higher than 7%. Overall, alcohol-related death rates are higher among men than women; in 2020, there were 19.2 deaths per 100,000 men, compared with 7.5 per 100,000 women. The researchers found that alcohol-related deaths were most common among middle-aged adults. Overall, alcohol deaths among women rose by 27% from 2019 to 2020.

Hours later, his firm — Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrickhe — releases its own statement alleging Murdaugh had misappropriated company funds. Jan. 21, 2022A grand jury indicts Murdaugh on 23 new charges, including breach of trust with fraudulent intent and computer crimes. Jan. 24, 2022A legal claim is filed against the estates of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh by the mother of Mallory Beach, 19, who was killed in a boat crash in 2019. May 4, 2022Prosecutors announce that Murdaugh is facing four new charges related to financial crimes also involving Fleming and others. July 14, 2022A grand jury announces an indictment against Murdaugh on double murder charges in the deaths of Margaret and Paul.

☆ Terry Bradshaw reveals why he waited a year to go public with cancer diagnoses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Ariana Brockington | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A week later, on Oct. 2, the legendary Steelers quarterback revealed on the show that he had been diagnosed with two forms of cancer in the past year — bladder cancer and a rare, aggressive type of skin cancer called a Merkel cell tumor. I got cancer.’”Despite his health problems, the four-time Super Bowl champion said he “never was scared.”“I don’t think cancer cares,” he quipped. “Cancer shows no favoritism.”After receiving his diagnosis, Bradshaw said his Christian faith helped him maintain an attitude of “Well, if I go, I’m OK. If I stay, I’m OK.”As the Fox Sports co-host said on television in October, he received treatment at the Yale University Medical Center for his bladder cancer and became cancer free. While his skin cancer diagnosis ended up being more serious than the bladder cancer, it was still successfully removed at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

☆ New U.S. cancer drug prices rise 53% in five years -report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I do think there is a possibility we see launch prices go up," she said. Reuters GraphicsPorter, who championed inflation-based caps on drug prices, is calling for additional national legislation to link launch prices to how well a drug works. The report found that the average launch price of a self-administered cancer drug, after adjusting for inflation, rose by nearly 26% to $238,000 between 2017 and 2021. By 2022, six out of the eight newly-launched oral cancer drugs had prices over $200,000 per year. Based on current trends, the report calculated that by 2026, when Medicare will first be able to negotiate drug prices, the average self-administered cancer drug launch price will be nearly $325,000 per year and over $525,000 for pills and biologics.

SKIP AHEAD Best scalp acne treatments | Common causes of scalp acne and how to treat itBest and worst ingredients for scalp acneClarifying shampoos help to remove buildup on your scalp, said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jessie Cheung, MD, and look out for ingredients like salicylic acid. Regardless of which product you use, Cheung noted that you may notice a drying effect “immediately,” but scalp acne can take a few days to heal. Witch hazel and peppermint oil help soothe the scalp and remove excess oil, according to Zeichner, which can improve both flakes and scalp acne. Scalp acne: Common causes and how to treat itTucked under your hair, scalp acne might not be as glaring as a huge zit on your nose, but it’s still a nuisance. The bad news is that if your scalp acne is genetic or hormonal, it's a bit trickier to remedy.

☆ Over 200,000 trans people could face voting restrictions because of state ID laws
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Seaton showed his state ID. “So I expect that we’re going to hear more stories of trans people being harassed, whether by voters, poll workers, poll monitors or other folks who are present during the election.”Impact of voter ID laws on trans votersVoter identification laws differ widely by state. Eight of those states have strict photo ID laws. Since the 2020 election, 12 states have enacted new or stricter voter ID laws, according to VoteRiders, a nonpartisan voting rights organization. In the 15 states without ID laws, voters’ identities are usually verified by checking them against their voter registration information, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

☆ RSV vaccine for kids: Pfizer shot for pregnant women protects infants from severe illness
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

An experimental RSV vaccine for pregnant women from Pfizer is effective at protecting newborns against severe illness for at least six months, the company said in a press release Tuesday. The vaccine was also about 70% effective against severe infections through the first six months of life. Pfizer said in a statement that it is currently not conducting an RSV vaccine trial in infants. Pfizer's RSV vaccine could be "a major step forward so that we can attack this last really bad communicable disease of the neonatal period," Schaffner said. Aside from pregnant women, Pfizer is testing its vaccine in older adults, who are also at risk for severe RSV infections.

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