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Dry Cleaning Chemical Linked To Liver Scarring

Liver disease is usually caused by alcohol, fat buildup or hepatitis B and C.

But a widely used chemical might also contribute to liver scarring, researchers recently reported in the journal Liver International.

Exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) might triple the risk of significant liver fibrosis — an excessive amo...

Donor Eggs Essential For Successful IVF After 40, Study Finds

Want to have successful IVF? If you’re an older woman, find some donor eggs.

Most successful fertility treatments for women 43 and older rely on donor eggs, researchers report in the journal Population Studies.

Success rates in that age group remain below 5% when using a woman’s own eggs (not previously frozen), ...

Gene Test Might Spare Biopsy Surgery For Some Melanoma Patients

An already-available genetic test might spare some melanoma patients from a surgical procedure to see whether their cancer has spread to their lymph nodes.

About 93% of people classified as low risk by the genetic test had no cancer in their lymph nodes, researchers recently reported in JAMA Surgery.

These folks — repr...

This Common Cholesterol Drug Might Protect Against 'Chemo Brain'

The most common cholesterol drug around might help protect cancer patients from “chemo brain.”

Statins appeared to protect breast and lymphoma cancer patients’ brain function for up to two years after their cancer treatment, researchers recently reported in JAMA Network Open.

“Cancer treatment can be ...

Too Tired to Drive? Experts Warn It’s Just as Risky as Drinking

Nearly half of U.S. adults have driven while so tired it affected their ability to stay safe behind the wheel, a new survey finds, taking a risk that can be just as deadly as drunken driving.

In an American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) survey, 41% of adults admitted they’ve been so drowsy while driving that it impaired their perf...

It’s Not the Pain, It’s How You Handle It, Research Shows

People with chronic pain who stay active may have one key advantage: Resilience.

A new study from the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. found that one’s ability to cope with pain, also known as pain resilience, plays a bigger role in maintaining physical activity than the amount of pain they experience.

"What we found is tha...

Could COVID mRNA Vaccines Boost Effectiveness of Cancer Immunotherapy?

The mRNA technology powering some COVID vaccines may hold a surprising benefit for advanced cancer patients: a potential ability to "rev up" the immune system to better use immunotherapy medicines to attack tumors.

Preliminary research published Oct. 22 in the journal Nature found that patients with advanced lung or skin cancer wh...

U.S. Family Health Insurance Hits $27,000 Per Year as Costs Soar

The cost of employer-provided health insurance has surged for a third straight year, with the annual cost of a family plan approaching $27,000, according to a new survey from the nonprofit KFF.

That’s the average one-year premium cost shared by one family and employer.

Zoom out: This year’s 6% cost jump f...

What Kim Kardashian’s Diagnosis Reveals About Brain Aneurysms

Reality TV star, actress and mom Kim Kardashian, 45, disclosed in the season premiere of “The Kardashians” that a small aneurysm was detected in her brain.

An aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel wall weakens and stretches, creating a balloon or bubble. While aneurysms can appear anywhere, those in the brain, known as cerebral a...

Bad Sleep Could Be A Warning Sign For Suicide Among Teens

Lousy sleep might be an early warning sign for suicide risk among teenagers, a new study says.

Teenagers who didn’t get enough sleep on school nights or suffered from interrupted sleep had a significantly higher risk of suicide, researchers reported Oct. 23 in the journal Sleep Advances.

“Adolescents who experien...

Fitness Apps Undermine Motivation For Some Users, Experts Say

Fitness and calorie counting apps are meant to boost people’s spirits, helping them become healthier by tracking their progress.

But many find them to be a complete downer and an utter detriment, a new study says.

Some experience a sense of shame, disappointment, frustration and futility when using these apps, undermining their...

Divorce, Separation Might Increase Kids' Risk Of Psoriasis

A family riven by divorce or separation could triple the risk of a child developing psoriasis later in life, a new study says.

The severe stress caused by such family upheaval might tax a child’s immune system in ways that increase their chances of this autoimmune skin disease marked by rapid cell growth that causes scaly, itchy rash...

AI Outperforms Human Experts In Detecting Glaucoma

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to help doctors make glaucoma screening widely available, a new study says.

A trained AI program correctly identified patients with glaucoma 88% to 90% of the time, compared with 79% to 81% for human graders, researchers reported Saturday at a meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)...

LASIK Armed With 3D Eye Model Provides Better Vision Correction

An advanced form of LASIK eye surgery that uses a virtual 3D model of a person’s eye appears to offer patients better vision, a new study says.

About 98% of eyes treated with the “wavelight plus” form of LASIK gained improved vision, compared to 82% of eyes treated with a competing process called SMILE Pro, researchers re...

Online Program Increases Lung Cancer Screening Rates

More folks might get screened for lung cancer if they’re given the tools to educate themselves and make their own decisions, a new study says.

An online education program led to increased lung cancer screenings among a group of current and former smokers, researchers reported Oct. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Associa...