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Only Half of Veterans with Hepatitis B Cirrhosis Are on Treatment
A little over half of veterans with liver cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B are receiving antiviral therapy, according to study findings published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. People who identified as non-Asian, those with heavy alcohol consumption and those living in rural areas had lower treatment rates. Around 2 million...
Over $12M in Grants to Improve HIV Prevention and Care Among Black Women and Girls
A group of organizations dedicated to improving HIV prevention and care for Black girls and women was awarded $12.6 million in grants through a new initiative by pharma giant Gilead Sciences. Setting the P.A.C.E. (Prevention, Arts and Advocacy, Community, Education), a three-year initiative, will support 19 organizations in their efforts...
FDA’s Plan to Ban Hair Relaxer Chemical Called Too Little, Too Late
In April, a dozen years after a federal agency classified formaldehyde a human carcinogen, the Food and Drug Administration is tentatively scheduled to unveil a proposal to consider banning the chemical in hair-straightening products. The move comes at a time of rising alarm among researchers over the health effects of...
Smoking Cannabis Associated With Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke
Frequent cannabis smoking may significantly increase a person’s risk for heart attack and stroke, according to an observational study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, uses data from nearly 435,000 American adults, and is among the largest ever to explore the relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular events.
Older Adults Can Now Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine
On February 28, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness.
People With Incarceration History Less Likely to Receive Health Care, Including Cancer Screening
A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows people with an incarceration history had worse access to and receipt of health care, including physical exams, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol tests, as well as dental check-ups and breast and colorectal cancer screenings compared with people without incarceration history in the United States. The findings are published February 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Health Forum.
U.S. HIV Guidelines Recommend Statins to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has updated its antiretroviral treatment guidelines to recommend statins for people living with HIV who are ages 40 to 75 and have a low to intermediate risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The updated guidance is supported by findings from the REPRIEVE trial,...
Ketamine Therapy for Mental Health a ‘Wild West’ for Doctors and Patients
In late 2022, Sarah Gutilla’s treatment-resistant depression had grown so severe, she was actively contemplating suicide. Raised in foster care, the 34-year-old’s childhood was marked by physical violence, sexual abuse, and drug use, leaving her with life-threatening mental scars. Out of desperation, her husband scraped together $600 for...
‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled by Fentanyl and Meth
The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation’s drug problem. These waves, according to a report out today [February 21]...
SARS-CoV-2 Fragments May Cause Problems After Infection
Most COVID-19 cases are mild, but many still lead to life-threatening complications. Severe cases feature an overactive immune response that causes dangerous inflammation. This inflammation affects many different tissues and cell types, including uninfected ones, and resembles that seen in some autoimmune diseases. It’s not clear why SARS-CoV-2 can cause such inflammation while other coronaviruses responsible for common colds don’t.
Women May Realize Health Benefits of Regular Exercise More Than Men
Women who exercise regularly have a significantly lower risk of an early death or fatal cardiovascular event than men who exercise regularly, even when women put in less effort, according to a National Institutes of Health-supported study. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, are based on a prospective analysis of data from more than 400,000 U.S. adults ages 27-61 which showed that over two decades, women were 24% less likely than those who do not exercise to experience death from any cause, while men were 15% less likely. Women also had a 36% reduced risk for a fatal heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event, while men had a 14% reduced risk.
HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day 2024
Wednesday, February 28, marks the third annual HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day (#HINACDay; #HIVIsNotACrime). “This awareness day is an opportunity to amplify the voices of those who have been criminalized based on their HIV status” and is also “a day to support advocates mobilizing to change laws during their legislative session that target people living with HIV,” note the event organizers via Facebook posts on their HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day page.
Should More People Be Treated for Hepatitis B?
Although current U.S. and global guidelines say that many people with chronic hepatitis B do not need treatment, a growing number of clinicians and advocates are calling for simplified recommendations and expanded eligibility to prevent disease progression and, ultimately, to eliminate hepatitis B as a public health threat. Around 2...
Black Men Have Higher Prostate Cancer Risk at Same PSA Levels
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is meant to help detect prostate cancer at an early stage and lower the risk of death. Research has shown that Black men are more likely than white men to develop and die of prostate cancer. Now, study results published in Cancer suggest that Black men are at greater risk even when they have PSA levels similar to those of their white counterparts.
Breast Cancer Risk Is Higher After False-Positive Mammography
While women with a false-positive mammogram have a greater risk of developing breast cancer than those with normal screening, the odds depend on various factors, according to study findings published in JAMA Oncology. “This study suggests that the risk of developing breast cancer after a false-positive mammography result differs by...
Cancer Advocates Call for Two Measures to Advance Equitable Care
Two new measurements have been added to the Health Equity Report Card (HERC)—a tool for improving the quality and equity of cancer care. The new measures were put forth by a multi-disciplinary working group of experts in community oncology and agreed to by the original Elevating Cancer Equity working group members who drafted the original HERC. This expansion is part of ongoing efforts to address the impact of structural and interpersonal racism as a cause of disparities in cancer outcomes in the United States. The HERC was created by the Elevating Cancer Equity collaboration of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF).
Healthy Recipe: Baked Falafel
Perhaps you have already tried falafel or at least heard of it. These herby balls are packed with protein from chickpeas, plus fresh garlic and onion to support the immune system. Many chefs deep fry them, but we decided to bake them for a more nutrient-dense version. The results are crisp and flavorful falafels without the extra oil — or the mess from deep frying!
Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say ‘Yes’
States are plowing billions of dollars into a high-stakes health care experiment that’s exploding around the country: using scarce public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans. California is going the biggest, pumping $12 billion into an ambitious Medicaid initiative largely to help homeless...
PolyBio Announces $15 Million in Long COVID Research Funding
PolyBio Research Foundation, a leading organization in supporting research for long COVID and related chronic diseases, announced a new round of funding focused on identifying potential long COVID treatments on Thursday. The research projects, which received a total of $15 million in funding, plan to study the potential biological underpinnings of long COVID and begin testing promising therapies.
Obesity Disrupts Mitochondria, Reduces Fat-Burning
Adipose tissue, or body fat, plays a key role in maintaining our health. It helps to store and supply energy, regulate body temperature, and send hormone signals that affect many body functions. But when a person develops obesity, it leads to expansion of a type of fat called white adipose tissue, along with increased inflammation and metabolic changes.
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Real Health is the leading health magazine for African Americans in the United States. Launched in 2004, the goal of Real Health is to help African Americans of all ages achieve optimum health and wellness—physically, mentally and emotionally—by offering readers current, accurate information based on the latest science through well-researched stories that educate, entertain, uplift and motivate members of the community at large to be their best selves.
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