Health & Fitness

With the Omicron subvariant BA.2 spreading across Europe and Asia, experts warn a surge is expected in the U.S. "Even though I know the likelihood is all of us are going to be exposed to some extent, all of our actions play a role in making sure that wave is not quite as high as it might be if we were throwing total caution to the wind," says Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D, UC San Francisco COVID-19 Community Public Health Initiative head and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF. "We all still have a responsibility to do all we can. To put our little brick in the wall, to create some wall to protect those people for whom, no matter what happens, they will continue to be at risk. The only thing we can do as a community is to try to r...

Since the 1940s, studies have linked the wide use of artificial sweeteners to cancer in lab mice. In the 1970s, this led the U.S. to put cigarette package-like warning labels on anything containing saccharin. But in recent decades, scientists have mostly written off mice studies as inconclusive. Research on rodents cannot say anything definitive about to the risk for people. Now a new study, published Thursday in PLOS Medicine, presents some troubling data from humans. What’s New — Researchers combed through more than a decade of health data from 102,865 French volunteers. They found that consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with an increased risk of cancer. Specifically, the researchers found that those who consumed any kind of artificial sweetener had a 13-to-14 percent ...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Different variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, may give rise to different long COVID symptoms, according to a study that will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022) in Lisbon next month.  Italian researchers suggested that individuals who were infected with the alpha variant of the virus displayed different emotional and neurological symptoms compared to those who were infected with the original form of SARS-CoV-2, an early release from the ECCMID regarding the study.  FILE - In this April 20, 2020, file photo, resident physician Leslie Bottrell stands outside a room at an Intensive Care Unit as a nurse suctions the lungs of a COVID-19 patient at St....

Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, puts you at an elevated risk of heart disease and stroke—two of the leading causes of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly half of American adults, or roughly 116 million people, are living with the condition, and only one in four of them has it under control. A change in lifestyle habits is often the first line of defense against high blood pressure, but if that doesn't do the trick, medication is usually the next step. Unfortunately, some people who have been diagnosed with hypertension find that nothing seems to bring those numbers down, and an estimated 20 to 30 percent of high blood pressure patients develop what doctors term "resistant hypertension." ...

So when Stanford University neuroscientist Michelle Monje began studies on long covid, she was fascinated to find similar changes among patients in both groups, in specialized brain cells that serve as the organ’s surveillance and defense system. “It was really quite striking,” Monje said. In cancer patients undergoing treatment, a malfunction in those same cells, known as microglia, are believed to be a cause of the fuzzy thinking that many describe. Scientists have also theorized that in Alzheimer’s disease, these cells may be impeded, making it difficult for them to counteract the cellular wear and tear of aging. Story continues below advertisement Monje’s project is part of a crucial and growing body of research that suggests similarities in the mechanisms of post-covid cognitive...

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Animal Services is urging dog owners to keep a watch on their pets out in public as a new highly contagious disease spreads across South Florida. It’s called Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC). READ MORE: BSO Deputy Injured Assisting FBI, Boca Police After TD Bank Robbery“Canine infectious respiratory disease complex is like a canine flu or canine cold. It’s multiple viruses that affect the respiratory tract and causes respiratory symptoms. Sneezing, coughing, and hacking,” said Dr. Maria Serrano, a veterinarian at Animal Services. Animal Services said there have been many cases of CIRDC reported throughout South Florida. They urge dog owners to help protect their pets by keeping them current on routine vaccines and away from places with mu...

The number of COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals has climbed by 23 people to 373, departing from the recent trend that’s seen the total fall from over 4,800 in mid-January, according to the latest state figures out Saturday, March 26. The number of those patients in intensive care was 56, down by three from Friday’s total. The latest numbers came as the county reported 789 new positive COVID tests and 22 additional deaths associated with the virus, bringing the county’s cumulative totals to 2,830,048 cases and 31,594 deaths, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The health department has said that the vast majority of people who die of COVID complications have underlying conditions, mainly hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. ...

If you spend time outside, especially in a grassy area or have pets, it's important to be aware of ticks. Although the insect is tiny, they can cause serious health issues like lyme disease–a condition that affects an estimated 476,000 Americans and can cause a rash, joint pain and neurological problems. Eat This, Not That! Health talked with experts who explained everything to know about lyme disease. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID. ShutterstockDr. Andres Romero, MD, infectious disease specialist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA shares, "Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness, that means a human host acquires the infection after a bite from a tic...

Over the last few weeks, the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 has caused COVID cases to skyrocket in Europe. BA.2 has now found its way over to the U.S. and accounts for a little more than one-third of cases. Does this mean the U.S. is headed for another COVID wave? On the latest episode of his podcast, epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm looked at various trends and warned that one is "setting the U.S. up for a potentially dangerous situation." Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID. iStockLike most health experts, Osterholm is having trouble predicting how BA.2 might affect the U.S. in the coming weeks. "Right now, we're looking pretty good, but I can'...

Scientists say Omicron appears to have a clear lab origin Future lab releases of Covid-19 variants are “likely” When Omicron emerged, many scientists were bowled over by the lightning speed with which it spread. Although public health officials had warned that the original Covid-19 was highly contagious and fast-moving— it looked like it was standing still next to the Omicron variant. Watch video at link: https://rumble.com/vyd9jl-experts-omicron-likely-came-from-a-lab-too.html?mref=7gabl&mc=5lg0g Now, some scientists examining the virus have concluded “vast” genetic mutations that likely occurred in a lab setting are what makes Omicron spread so quickly. Omicron was first detected in Botswana, South Africa, reported to have been brought by a foreign d...