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HPV Infection Tied to Higher Odds of Premature Delivery

MONDAY, Sept. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women infected with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may have a heightened risk of preterm birth, a new study suggests.

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts. Most of the time, the immune system clears the infection. But some st...

AHA News: Clot-Removing Procedure Appears Safe for Pregnant Stroke Patients

Physically removing a blood clot in the brain is a safe and effective treatment for pregnant women having a stroke, a new study suggests.

Stroke during pregnancy remains rare, but the risk increases during pregnancy and for up to 12 weeks after giving birth, or postpartum.

The most common type is ischemic stroke, where a clot blocks ...

Lower Dose of Pfizer COVID Vaccine Works Well in Young Children, Company Says

A smaller dose of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine safely triggers a strong immune response in children as young as 5, the company announced Monday morning.

"Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by th...

Delta Variant Now Fueling 99% of U.S. COVID Cases

If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States right now, it's almost certainly caused by the Delta variant.

The highly transmissible variant, which caused crippling surges in India and Britain this past spring and fueled case spikes in the United States this summer, is now responsible for over 99% of all cases tracked in this...

Review of Booster Shots for Moderna, J&J Vaccines Just Weeks Away: Fauci

MONDAY, Sept. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) – If Americans who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines are dismayed by the lack of information on booster shots for them, their wait should end soon.

Data on booster shots for those vaccines is only a few weeks away from a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ...

Study Spots People at High Risk of Severe Breakthrough COVID

A study of millions of people vaccinated against COVID-19 has identified those at greatest risk of hospitalization and death after breakthrough infection.

The most vulnerable are those who are immunosuppressed from chemotherapy, a recent bone marrow or solid organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS. Also at risk are people with neurological disorde...

Opioid Use Disorder Is as Deadly as Heart Attack: Study

Hospitalized opioid addicts die at a rate similar to people who have a heart attack after leaving the hospital.

Nearly 8% of patients addicted to opioids died within 12 months of hospital discharge, according to researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

"We need systems that can address comprehensive needs of peopl...

Depression During Menopause: How to Spot It and Treat It

Emotional changes in the run-up to menopause can sometimes lead to depression.

It can be important to see a doctor to help determine whether you're just feeling stressed or "blue" -- or whether you might have clinical or major depression, a condition associated with a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Changing hormones during perimeno...

Using a Hair Removal Gel or Cream? Here's How to Do It Safely

When hair sprouts where you don't want it, you can always shave, but other ways to remove unwanted body hair can last longer.

The downside: Chemical hair removers can cause burning, itching or redness.

"Hair removal creams, lotions and gels are quick and easy to use, but they can sometimes irritate the skin," dermatologist Dr. Andre...

FDA Panel OKs Pfizer Booster Shot for  People 65 or Older, But Not Younger

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday recommended a third Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine booster shot for all Americans aged 65 or older, as well as for those deemed to be at high risk for severe illness.

According to The New York Times, that vote came after a near unanimous decision (16 to 2...

Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Still Offer Good Protection Against Severe COVID: Study

FRIDAY, Sept. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- With a special advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration meeting Friday to decide on the need for COVID vaccine booster shots, new data shows Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines maintaining strong levels of protection against severe illness.

The data tracked the c...

What Helps Your Heart More, Losing Fat or Gaining Muscle?

FRIDAY, Sept. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Shedding excess weight does much more for the long-term heart health of young people than building muscle, new research suggests.

It's not that gaining muscle while young proved to be a cardiovascular problem. It's just that losing fat offered bigger heart benefits.

"We a...

Pfizer Recalls All Lots of Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix Due to Potential Carcinogen

Pfizer is expanding the recall of its anti-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline), the company announced Friday.

The nationwide recall of all Chantix 0.5 mg and 1 mg tablets was prompted because they may contain levels of a nitrosamine, N-nitroso-varenicline, that are at or above levels approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

...

Long-Haul COVID in Kids Typically Ends Within 3 Months: Study

In kids and teens, symptoms of long COVID rarely last more than 12 weeks, a new international study reports.

The researchers also found that exposure to the highly contagious Delta variant did not result in more serious disease in children compared to earlier variants, and that most cases of COVID-19 were asymptomatic or mild.

Despit...

AHA News: Fitness Didn't Keep Him From Heart Problems or COVID-19, But It Did Help Him Recover

About a month into the COVID-19 pandemic, LeCount Holmes saw on television that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was within a mile of his house for a big announcement.

Because Prince George's County was one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus, a former regional hospital was being reopened earlier than planned to provide treatment to anoth...

FDA Advisory Panel to Meet on COVID Booster Shots

U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisors will meet Friday to consider whether it is safe and effective for Americans to receive a third "booster" dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA posted the materials it intends to use in the review on Wednesday. The advisory panel will review a variety of evidence, including new da...

Child Obesity Rose Sharply During Pandemic

Childhood obesity was a worrisome issue before the pandemic, and now it's alarmingly worse, new data shows.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found a "profound increase in weight gain for kids" that is "substantial and alarming," Dr. Alyson Goodman, one of the study's authors, told the Associated Press.