October 27, 2020

Trial of Antibody Drug for COVID-19 Stopped for Lack of Effectiveness

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Testing of Eli Lilly's antibody drug for hospitalized COVID-19 patients has been halted because the treatment doesn't help them recover from their infection.

Two weeks ago, enrollment in the study was paused because of a possible safety issue, the Associated Press reported. But the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which sponsored the Lilly study, pulled the plug on the trial Monday -- not because of any safety problem, but because there was only a slight chance that the drug would be effective, the AP said.

October 27, 2020

Lockdowns Can Widen Kids' Waistlines – Here's How to Curb That

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Stuck at home, bored. Fiddling with their phone or playing video games. Munching on snack foods to while away the time.

School-age children gaining excess pounds could be one lasting health problem caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with pediatricians and public health experts warning about a potentially dramatic increase in childhood obesity.

October 27, 2020

Diet Drinks Don't Do Your Heart Any Favors

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions may not be any healthier for the heart, a large, new study suggests.

French researchers found that people who regularly drank artificially sweetened beverages had a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, versus people who avoided those beverages. In fact, they were no less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who regularly downed sugary drinks.

October 27, 2020

Psoriasis Meds Don't Raise Risk of Severe COVID-19: Study

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Researchers in the United Kingdom have reassuring news for people with psoriasis based on the first analysis of a global registry of COVID-19 patients who also have the skin disease.

Moderate-to-severe cases of psoriasis are treated with drugs that suppress the immune system. This analysis of the international PsoProtect registry found that more than 90% of psoriasis patients survive infection with the new coronavirus.

October 27, 2020

Loss of Smell More Common in COVID-19 Than Thought

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Loss of smell is common in COVID-19, but fewer people say they have this symptom than objective tests reveal, a new study finds.

In fact, about 77% of COVID-19 patients who were directly measured had smell loss, but only 44% said they did, researchers found.

October 27, 2020

Colon Cancer Screening Should Start at Age 45: Task Force

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Average folks should start being screened at age 45 to prevent colon cancer, five years earlier than is now recommended, the nation's top preventive medicine panel says.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends that people aged 50 to 75 be regularly screened for colon cancer, one of a handful of cancers that can be prevented outright.

October 27, 2020

People With Down Syndrome Face Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- When adults with Down syndrome contract COVID-19, their risk of dying is much higher than the norm, a large, new study finds.

The researchers found that of over 8 million British adults, those with Down syndrome were four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and 10 times more likely to die due to the infection.

October 27, 2020

Will Expelled Droplets Spread COVID? Ventilation May Be Key

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- The tiny droplets that linger in the air after people talk, cough or sneeze aren't very efficient at spreading the new coronavirus, new research suggests.

Using laser technology, researchers measured the path of droplets released when people spoke or coughed.

October 27, 2020

Losing a Sibling a Common Tragedy in Poorer Nations, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2020 -- The loss of a sibling is all too common among young women in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new study.

The researchers found that roughly one-third of young women in those countries have experienced the death of a brother or sister by age 25. In several African nations, the rate is as high as 50%.

October 27, 2020

AHA News: Heart Attacks Linked to Pregnancy on the Rise, Most Often in Women 30 and Older

By Maria Elena Fernandez

American Heart Association News