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British Experts Recommend Statins for All HIV-Positive People 40 and Older
The British HIV Association (BHIVA) now recommends that all people living with HIV who are ages 40 and older should be offered a statin medication to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as part of a holistic heart-healthy lifestyle that includes smoking cessation, a healthy diet and exercise. The...
Could Long COVID ‘Brain Fog’ Be an Acquired Form of ADHD?
In May, I was invited to take part in a survey by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to better delineate how long COVID is described and diagnosed as part of The National Research Action Plan on Long COVID. The survey had several questions around definitions and criteria to include, such as “brain fog” often experienced by those with long COVID.
Could Very Early Treatment Cure Babies Born With HIV?
Infants born with HIV who start antiretroviral therapy (ART) within two days after birth may be able to maintain viral suppression after stopping treatment, according to study results published in The Lancet HIV. These findings confirm prior research suggesting that very early treatment limits the size of the viral reservoir,...
Impact of COVID-19 Infections and Vaccines on Preterm Birth
A healthy human pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks. Preterm birth—birth occurring before 37 weeks—increases the risk of infant death and many lasting health problems. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) during the third trimester of pregnancy has been linked with an increased risk of preterm birth. Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to be safe and effective during pregnancy. However, whether they reduce the risk of preterm birth hasn’t been clear.
Fruit and Vegetables Help Improve Kidney Health in Black Adults
A recent study found that Black Americans with early-stage chronic kidney disease responded well when provided with a diet that included cooking instructions for fruit and vegetable consumption, Medical News reports. About 33% of American adults are at risk for kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Black adults...
Depression and Anxiety Not Linked to Increased Cancer Risk
Depression and anxiety are not linked to a greater overall risk of cancer, though researchers did see an association with lung cancer and smoking-related cancers, according to study findings published in the journal Cancer. “Our results may come as a relief to many patients with cancer who believe their diagnosis...
A Night of “Joy and Pride” as Playwrights With HIV Debut New Works
After a 10-week virtual workshop, participants in the the fourth annual Write It Out! playwriting program for people living with HIV debuted new works at a December 2 event at the LGBT Community Center in New York in honor of World AIDS Day, marked annually each December 1. Write It...
Post-Transplant Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C Offers Long-Term Benefits
People successfully treated with direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C after a liver transplant experienced long-term improvements in fibrosis, liver function and survival, according to study findings published in the journal Viruses. Over time, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to serious complications, including cirrhosis and liver failure...
ASH Studies Uncover Drivers of Health Disparities and Opportunities to Enhance Equity
Four studies presented during the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition examine how demographics and other characteristics of patients and researchers play into inequities in health outcomes in the context of blood cancers. Several of the studies suggest opportunities to proactively address these issues and potentially improve health equity.
Research Reveals Opportunities to Better Address Blood Disorders Early in Life
Researchers report significant progress toward improving access to effective interventions to address blood disorders and promote healthy blood cell functioning in four studies presented during the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. The studies suggest new opportunities to act early in life to achieve lifelong benefits, including in children born with challenging disorders such as sickle cell disease (SCD) and hemophilia.
Inclusion of New Risk Factors Improves Prediction of Invasive Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women – with the exception of skin cancer – accounting for 31% of all new female cancer diagnoses in 2022. Yet, determining who is most at risk of breast cancer is still a challenge for the medical community. Physicians use risk assessment models to determine when to start screening, frequency of screening and need for primary prevention.
Home Test to Treat Program Extends Nationwide
The federal government has expanded the Home Test to Treat program, an entirely virtual community health program that offers free COVID-19 health services: at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions and at-home treatments, to eligible participants nationwide. Home Test to Treat, which is a collaboration among the National Institutes of Health, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched as a pilot in select locations earlier this year.
Many Autoimmune Disease Patients Struggle With Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care
After years of debilitating bouts of fatigue, Beth VanOrden finally thought she had an answer to her problems in 2016 when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder. For her and millions of other Americans, that’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism, a condition in which the...
New Orleans Marks a Year of Bouncing to End HIV
For New Orleans, 2023 has been a year of bouncing and twerking toward zero new HIV cases, zero stigma and improved awareness, testing and prevention. The “Bounce to Zero” campaign launched in conjunction with last year’s World AIDS Day, December 1. A year later, the campaign celebrates its successes and redoubles its efforts to “reduce new HIV cases by 95% by 2030 and create a world with zero new HIV infections and zero people out of care.”
HIV May Increase the Risk of Long Covid. Why Aren’t Major Advocacy Groups Addressing It?
At the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Philip Shubin went to the emergency room when he was infected with COVID-19. At the hospital, he said he was treated like a pariah and went home expecting to die. The visit reminded him of being hospitalized in 1996 with an AIDS-related lung cancer called pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma, which led to the loss of his right lung. The arrival of antiviral medications saved him from dying of AIDS-related complications, but he lost his entire social circle during the crisis.
Many People of Color Worry Good Health Care Is Tied to Their Appearance
Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups brace themselves for insults and judgments before medical appointments, according to a new survey of patients that reaffirms the prevalence of racial discrimination in the U.S. health system. The KFF survey of nearly 6,300 patients who have had care in the past...
Exercise May Boost Quality of Life for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Among patients with metastatic breast cancer, those who took part in a nine-month structured exercise program reported less fatigue and an improved quality of life compared to those who did not undergo the exercise program, according to results from the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5-9, 2023.
Breast Cancer Patients May Use Assisted Reproduction Without Increased Recurrence Risk
Patients with HR-positive Breast Cancer May Use Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technologies Without Increased Risk of Recurrence. Using fertility preservation and/or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) did not adversely impact three-year cancer recurrence rates among patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer who paused endocrine therapy to become pregnant, according to results from the POSITIVE trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5-9, 2023.
From Hospital to Hospitality: Spin Doctors Brand Getting Sick as an Adventure. It’s Not.
The last time I stepped on a plane for vacation, for fun, was more than three years ago. I haven’t been able to visit California, whose coast I adore. Nor Rome, where my husband and I lived for some time. And yet, I’m told, I’ve been on a journey....
Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Makes Other Public Assistance Harder to Get
An hour before sunrise, Shelly Brost walked a mile in freezing rain to the public assistance office. She was running out of time to prove she still qualified for food aid after being stymied by a backlogged state call center. Twice, she’d tried to use Montana’s public assistance help line...
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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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