CDC Officially Drops 5-Day Isolation Time For COVID-19
LOADINGERROR LOADING NEW YORK (AP) — Americans who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, U.S. health officials announced Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance, saying that people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving […]
AI Transparency Rule Has Benefits, but Is Limited, Experts Suggest
The final rule from HHS on transparency in artificial intelligence (AI) has some positive points, but it won’t solve all the challenges posed by this new technology, according to a legal expert. “I’m glad to see that there is rulemaking that is timely,” Meghan O’Connor, JD, a partner in the Quarles & Brady law firm […]
CPAP Turns in Mixed Results for Patients With Diabetic Eye Disease
Long-term use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) slowed the progression of eye disease in sleep apnea patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, a small randomized study showed, but patients who adhered to the intervention ended up with more retinal microhemorrhages. In the single-center trial, the group assigned to a year of CPAP atop usual care […]
Positive Airway Pressure Linked to Less Late-Night Heart Burn Problems
Positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was linked to reduced respiratory symptoms and nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER), an Icelandic study found. After 2 years, full PAP users reported a decrease in both nGER (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.40-0.86) and wheezing (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.88) compared with non-users, […]
What Happens When Patients Learn About Their Alzheimer’s Status?
Learning about a positive amyloid-PET result was associated with psychological changes among people with subjective cognitive decline, but those changes did not reach a threshold for clinical concern. In the prospective AMYPAD consortium study, people who received news about a positive amyloid scan showed small increases in distress, anxiety, or depression scores compared with peers […]
Biden Tests Positive for COVID a Second Time, But Is Asymptomatic
WASHINGTON — President Biden tested positive a second time for COVID-19 on Saturday, a little over 2 days after announcing he had tested negative following his first brief bout with COVID. “Acknowledging the potential for so-called ‘rebound’ COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid [the antiviral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir], the president increased […]
Study: Not Sticking to Schedule Shouldn’t Block PAP Machines for Kids With OSA
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Positive airway pressure (PAP) machines were helpful enough that pediatric patients could have symptoms improve even without being compliant, according to researchers advocating for greater access to this therapy for this population. At one center’s sleep clinic, 172 out of 221 children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) reported improved symptoms approximately 3 […]
Can Trained Dogs Sniff Out COVID-Positive Travelers?
Four trained dogs detected people who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 with similar accuracy to PCR tests, according to a randomized trial and real-life study at a busy international airport earlier in the pandemic. In the validation trial, the dogs had 92% accuracy, with 92% sensitivity (95% CI 89-94) and 91% specificity (95% CI 89-93) compared […]
Good Vibrations: The Transition from Sex Toy to Medical Device
NEW ORLEANS — Formal medical studies of vibrators have revealed positive effects on multiple sexual and urinary outcomes in women, a review of published literature showed. Though limited in number, the studies induced favorable changes in blood flow and muscle tone of genital tissues, improved multiple aspects of sexual arousal and satisfaction, increased orgasmic response, […]
Positive parenting can reduce the risk that children develop obesity
New research from Penn State found that children with positive, early interactions with their care givers — characterized by warmth, responsiveness, and a sitmulating home environment — were at reduced risk of childhood obesity. “A lot of the discussion around childhood obesity and other health risks focuses on identifying and studying the exposure to risk,” […]