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Women have heard for decades that cranberry products help prevent urinary tract infections. A new study appears to confirm that longstanding advice. About 60% of women over age 18 will suffer one or more urinary tract infections in their lifetime. About 30% will have recurrent UTIs, averaging two to three episodes a year, according to background notes with the study. A review of 50 randomized controlled trials found that taking cranberry supplements or drinking the juice reduced the risk of having repeat symptoms for a UTI by more than 25%. In children, cranberry products reduced these infections by more than 50%. People who were susceptible to a repeat infection after medical treatment such as antibiotics or probiotics saw a 53% reduction. “For the first time, we have consensus that cranberry products (concentrated liquid, capsules or tablets) work for some groups of people; specifically, people who experience recurrent UTI, children and people susceptible to UTI because of medical intervention,” said study author Jacqueline Stephens, senior lecturer in public health in the College of Medicine & Public Health at Flinders University in Australia. This updated review of research from around the world included nearly 9,000 people. Randomized controlled trials are considered the “gold standard” of research studies. “The inclusion of the totality of the global evidence and the rigorous review process means we are confident of the…  read on >  read on >

Children are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows. Climate change can affect learning, physical health and housing security, which can last throughout the child’s life, according to the report. “Understanding health risks to children is critical for developing effective and equitable strategies that will protect our current and future generations,” EPA administrator Michael Regan, said in an agency news release. “Today’s report will help further efforts being taken by the Biden administration across the federal government to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.” The report, released Tuesday, looks at health effects associated with extreme heat, air quality, changing seasons, flooding and infectious diseases. The analysis also considers the extent that these health effects may disproportionately impact children who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, low income, without health insurance and/or have limited English proficiency. “EPA’s new report offers a clear, compelling overview of how climate change impacts our children’s health. Its findings underscore the necessity of considering children’s well-being in every climate policy — and the moral urgency of taking effective action to stop climate pollution on behalf of younger and future generations,” Moms Clean Air Force senior policy analyst Elizabeth Bechard said in the EPA news release. “We know that children are especially vulnerable to nearly all of…  read on >  read on >

Could golfing be good medicine for arthritis? Yes, according to researchers who found that for people with osteoarthritis, golfing lowered psychological distress and improved general health when compared with the general population. “Golf is a health-enhancing source of physical activity, particularly for older adults,” said lead researcher Brad Stenner, an occupational therapist at the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity at the University of South Australia, in Adelaide. “Golf is fun, affordable and a sport for life, with clear physical and mental health benefits.” For people with osteoarthritis (often called the “wear and tear” form of arthritis), golf helps maintain joint range of motion, strength and endurance, and contributes to mental health and well-being. Playing golf is also associated with lower levels of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease, Stenner said. “We found that golfers both with and without osteoarthritis had higher quality of life and, significantly, lower levels of psychological distress, which is an indicator of anxiety and depression,” he noted. “Golf appears to help improve well-being via a number of factors, including exercise, community, friendship and a sense of belonging.” Many people with arthritis stop playing sports altogether, but the impact of arthritis on playing golf is unknown, Stenner said. “Our study looked at benefits for those with arthritis, not factors that may be barriers. It would appear…  read on >  read on >

A significant number of patients take far longer to recover from a concussion than expected, and they may not be getting the care they need, according to a new study. Researchers from the United Kingdom who studied concussion patients found that almost half had changes in how regions of the brain communicate with each other. This may cause long-term symptoms, including fatigue, and impaired thinking and memory. Mild traumatic brain injury can happen in a fall, a sports incident, or from a cycling accident or car crash. Although called “mild,” it is commonly linked with persistent symptoms including depression, cognitive impairment, headaches and fatigue, as well as incomplete recovery. The researchers said only about half of people who suffer a concussion are fully recovered within six months, far less than the 90% some other recent studies have predicted. A CT scan or an MRI scan looks for signs of structural damage, such as inflammation or bruising after a concussion. In this study, researchers used an fMRI, or functional MRI, which looked at how different areas of the brain coordinate with each other. “Worldwide, we’re seeing an increase in the number of cases of mild traumatic brain injury, particularly from falls in our aging population and rising numbers of road traffic collisions in low- and middle-income countries,” said study co-author Emmanuel Stamatakis, leader of the Cognition…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new drug for people who have a rare, inherited type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The medication, toferson (Qalsody), targets a mutation in the SOD1-ALS gene. ALS attacks and kills nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. With ALS, patients lose nerve cells that affect chewing, walking, breathing and talking. The muscles weaken, and that leads to paralysis. The newly approved medication is made by the company Biogen, which is based in Cambridge, Mass. The FDA approved the drug based on evidence of a reduction in plasma neurofilament light, a blood-based biomarker of nerve injury and neurodegeneration. It did not show that the drug slowed the disease, the Associated Press reported. Still, “the findings are reasonably likely to predict a clinical benefit in patients,” the FDA said in a statement. “Since SOD1 mutations were first identified as a cause of ALS 30 years ago, the familial ALS community has been searching for genetically targeted treatments,” Jean Swidler, chair of Genetic ALS & FTD: End the Legacy, said in a Biogen news release. “Qalsody offers families who have lost generation after generation in the prime of their life to this devastating disease a therapy targeting the underlying cause of SOD1-ALS. Today marks an important moment in ALS research…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to get tougher on Salmonella bacteria found in breaded, stuffed raw chicken products, the agency announced Tuesday. About 1.35 million people are infected with Salmonella bacteria each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost a quarter of the nation’s Salmonella infections are caused by eating poultry. “USDA is taking science-based, decisive action to drive down Salmonella illnesses linked to poultry products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a USDA news release. “Today’s proposal represents the first step in a broader effort to control Salmonella contamination in all poultry products, as well as a continued commitment to protecting American consumers from foodborne illness.” The agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service proposed declaring Salmonella an “adulterant” if the amount in the product exceeds a very low level. The chicken products under scrutiny can appear to be cooked because they are pre-browned and heat treated. Yet the chicken is raw, often cooked from frozen. Home cooks may not be cooking it for long enough to raise the internal temperature to a level that will kill the bacteria, the agency noted in a news release. The products may be stuffed with raw vegetables, butter, cheese or meat, and these ingredients may cook at different rates than the chicken. These continue to be linked to Salmonella…  read on >  read on >

You had a rough day at work and got stuck in traffic on the way home, and suddenly your head starts pounding. Stress headaches can be debilitating in the moment, but you don’t have to suffer indefinitely. If you’re struggling with stress, you’re not alone. More than one-quarter of adults in the United States reported they’re too stressed out to function, according to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association. Can stress cause headaches? Yes, in fact the most common type of primary headache is a tension headache, also referred to as a muscle tension headache or stress headache, according to Harvard Health. Tension headaches may be episodic, meaning that they occur less than 15 days a month; if they occur more than 15 days a month for more than three months in a row, they are called chronic tension headaches, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Here, experts break down how to relieve a stress headache and how to help prevent one from happening in the first place. How does stress cause headaches? Stress triggers the “fight-or-flight” response that then stimulates physical changes that can contribute to headaches. These include the following: Neck, shoulder, scalp, face and jaw muscles tensing Teeth grinding Problems with sleeping Meal skipping that imbalances blood sugar levels Emotional stressors like depression and anxiety, as well as physical stressors, like…  read on >  read on >

A gel applied directly into the brain could offer new hope for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. The gel cured 100% of lab mice with glioblastoma when it was applied to the tumor cavity following surgery to remove the cancer, said senior researcher Honggang Cui, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The gel provides a workaround to some special challenges inherent in the treatment of brain cancer. The blood-brain barrier hampers the ability of cancer drugs to get into the brain, and immune response to brain tumors tends to be blunted, the researchers noted. Surgical removal of tumors is the standard of care for glioblastoma, but “the surgeon cannot remove all the tumor cells,” Cui said. “Some are left behind, and the cancer may come back.” The experimental gel fills in tiny grooves and irregular surfaces left in the brain after a tumor is removed, reaching areas that surgery might miss to kill lingering cancer cells. Glioblastomas are the fastest-growing brain tumors, and they are nearly always advanced when detected. Five-year survival rates are 22% for people ages 20 to 44, 9% for adults ages 45 to 54 and 6% for those ages 55 to 64, according to the American Cancer Society. The hydrogel is made of paclitaxel, a chemotherapy…  read on >  read on >

When U.S. health officials reported a 500% spike in the number of poison center calls involving kids eating melatonin gummies last year, Harvard researchers decided to take a closer look at the sleep supplements and discovered a disturbing fact: They contained up to 347% more melatonin than the label stated. What’s more, five of the products also contained CBD in higher amounts than the label indicated. And the mislabeling was more common than one might think: The scientists found that across the 25 brands of melatonin gummies they tested, 22 were wrongly labeled. One product did not contain melatonin at all, but the much more common problem was excessive amounts. It’s not clear what, if any, health consequences that could have for people who use the gummies as directed. But lead researcher Dr. Pieter Cohen pointed to the bigger picture: U.S. children and teenagers are more vulnerable to accidental ingestions and overdoses of the supplements than adults are. Fortunately, last year’s study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found most kids suffered no serious problems. Still, nearly 4,100 had to be hospitalized, 287 required intensive care and two died, the CDC found. “I was really surprised by that report,” said Cohen, a physician with the Cambridge Health Alliance and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “There’s always been a…  read on >  read on >

Each year, about 140 kids in the United States are diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma, a typically non-cancerous brain tumor that develops near the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Doctors treat craniopharyngiomas with surgery to remove the entire tumor or a less aggressive surgery followed by radiation to kill any remaining cells. Now, a new study suggests that using proton therapy, a more targeted form of radiation, after surgery may stave off potential learning issues in the future — without compromising the already high survival rates seen in kids with these tumors. “Proton radiotherapy reduces exposure of normal brain tissue in children treated for brain tumors,” said study author Heather Conklin, chief of the neuropsychology section in the psychology department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. “For children undergoing treatment for craniopharyngioma, this reduced exposure results in reduced doses to the temporal lobes of the brain, which theoretically should result in less cognitive problems following treatment.” With conventional radiation or photon therapy, X-rays pass through the tumor to parts of the brain that are responsible for learning. By contrast, proton therapy stops within the tumor, sparing normal brain tissue and reducing collateral damage, such as learning issues. For the new study, the researchers compared how the two therapies stacked up in 94 kids treated for craniopharyngioma. Kids who received proton…  read on >  read on >