Insomnia Symptoms Tied to Stroke a Decade Later
Insomnia symptoms were associated with an increased risk for stroke, according to a population-cohort study using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). People reporting less severe insomnia (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.33) and more severe insomnia (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.29-1.77) saw an increased risk of stroke over an average 9 years of […]
CDC: Children’s Brain Infections Rose Last Winter, But Remained Rare
Pediatric intracranial infections spiked recently and were associated with significant morbidity but remained rare, according to CDC researchers monitoring cases across the country. Hospitalization data through March 2023 from 37 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia showed a “higher-than-expected number” of pediatric intracranial infections, particularly those caused by Streptococcus bacteria, beginning in […]
No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
BALTIMORE — People with access to routine healthcare were more likely to have received human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination compared with those who did not have this access, a retrospective analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data suggested. Among participants ages 12 to 26, those with health insurance and a routine healthcare provider had […]
Chronic Pain Detected in the Brain for the First Time
Chronic pain was detected in the human brain for the first time, researchers reported. Data were collected over months from four participants with refractory neuropathic pain who had intracranial electrodes implanted, according to Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD, of the University of California San Francisco, and co-authors. Over 3 to 6 months, participants reported their pain […]
Does COVID Vaccination Really Lead to Wonky Periods?
Weak associations were observed between vaccination for COVID-19 and healthcare contacts related to menstrual disturbance or bleeding disorders in women before and after menopause, according to a Swedish register-based cohort study. Looking at over 2.5 million women who received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, the strongest association for menstrual disturbance observed was an […]
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Flop for Erectile Dysfunction in U.S. Study
CHICAGO — Intracavernosal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections were no better than placebo for treating mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction, a randomized, single-center trial found. At 1 month after the second round of injections, no significant difference was seen between the PRP and placebo groups for the study’s primary endpoint, the percentage of men attaining a minimum clinically […]
Medicare’s Policy on Alzheimer’s Drugs Comes Under Fire at House Hearing
WASHINGTON — House members on both sides of the aisle were in surprising agreement on a number of healthcare issues Wednesday, most notably the need for Medicare to reconsider its coverage decision on amyloid-inhibiting Alzheimer’s drugs such as aducanumab (Aduhelm) and lecanemab (Leqembi). “There’s been a lot of attention to a decision by CMS [the […]
Opinion | AI Offers Hope for Those With Alzheimer’s Disease
According to the CDC, as of 2020, approximately 5.8 million people in the U.S. were living with Alzheimer’s disease. The prevalence of this disease is expected to continue to rise as the population ages. The number of people living with the disease is projected to grow three-fold, to 14 million, by 2060. While there is […]
What Drives Alzheimer’s in Women?
Female sex, early age at menopause, and hormone therapy use each were associated with higher regional tau in cognitively normal people with elevated beta-amyloid, cross-sectional PET data showed. The highest levels of tau were seen in hormone therapy users who had a delay of more than 5 years between menopause onset and the start of […]
Cluster Headache, Migraine Linked to Circadian System
Cluster headache and migraine were linked to the circadian system, data from a meta-analysis and other research showed. Across 16 studies, cluster headache had a prominent circadian pattern of attacks in 70.5% of 4,953 participants, with a clear peak between 21:00 and 03:00 and circannual peaks in the spring and autumn, reported Mark Joseph Burish, […]