Conch Blowing Could Be Effective Treatment For Sleep Apnea

Want to ease your sleep apnea and get a better night’s sleep?

Blow through a conch shell, a new pilot clinical trial says.

Regularly blowing through a conch shell (shankh) for six months, like Disney princess Moana or Anchorman legend Ron Burgundy, significantly improved sleep among a small group of people with sleep apnea.

Boar’s Head Plant To Reopen After Deadly Listeria Outbreak, but Concerns Remain

A Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia that was linked to a deadly listeria outbreak last year will reopen soon, federal officials say. But recent inspections show similar sanitation problems at other company sites.

The Jarratt, Va., facility was closed down in September 2023 after U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors ...

How Confidence and Positivity May Ease Fear of Childbirth

Up to 60% of women feel some level of fear about giving birth, but a new study suggests that a strong sense of mental well-being could make a difference.

Researchers from Robert Gordon University in Scotland and the University of South Australia (UniSA) surveyed 88 women in their third trimester before they attended prenatal classes in nor...

Vinay Prasad Returns to FDA After Being Ousted

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s top vaccine regulator is returning to his post less than two weeks after the White House had him ousted.

Dr. Vinay Prasad will again head the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees vaccines and complex treatments for serious diseases, the U.S. Department ...

Stalking Victims At Higher Risk For Future Heart Problems

Victims of stalkers appear to have an increased risk of heart disease, a new study says.

Women who had been stalked or had obtained a restraining order were more likely to develop heart problems later in life, researchers reported in the journal Circulation.

“Stalking is often seen as a form of violence that does not i...

More ER Patients Waiting Hours, Days For A Hospital Bed

An increasing number of Americans are languishing in ERs for hours or even days, waiting for a hospital bed to open for them, a new study says.

More than 25% of ER patients who require admission for hospital treatment wind up “boarded” – biding four or more hours in spare rooms or busy hallways until a bed becomes availab...

Nearly 9 in 10 ER Patients Aren't Fully Vaccinated

Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who land in an ER haven't been fully vaccinated, a new study says.

People who came to an emergency department for treatment of minor injuries or illnesses were often unaware of the vaccines available to them, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U....

Improved Calculator Predicts Stroke Risk For A-Fib Patients

A newly refined test can help detect which people with abnormal heart rhythms need treatment for an increased risk of stroke, researchers report.

Adding blood tests to an existing risk calculator can help doctors suss out which patients with atrial fibrillation would most benefit from blood thinners, according to findings published Aug. 6 ...

Implant Protects Against Vision-Destroying Eye Disease

A newly approved implant appears to slow vision loss from a rare and previously untreatable eye disease, researchers report.

The eye implant, called ENCELTO, gradually releases proteins that protect light-sensing nerve cells against macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2, researchers recently reported in the journal NEJM Evidence....

What You Should Know About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disease affecting specialized nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). It can lead to severe physical disability, paralysis and life-threatening respiratory complications. 

These specialized nerve cells...

New Study Links Apes' Fermented Fruit Habit to Human Alcohol Metabolism

Scientists suspect African apes’ historic fondness for noshing on fermented fruit from the forest floor triggered a genetic change that helps explain why modern-day humans digest alcohol so well.

But they never had a name for it, so it didn’t get the focus that it deserved, said Nathaniel Dominy, a professor of anthropology at ...

Chewable Dog Medication Sends Two Cats Into Kidney Failure

Two cats were rushed to a North Carolina veterinary hospital after eating dog allergy medication and suffering serious kidney damage.

Both cats recovered with dialysis, but experts now warn that chewable Apoquel, a drug meant for dogs, could be dangerous — even deadly — to cats.

Dr. Tyler Johnson, a fellow in advanced eme...

Tiny Traces of Lithium May Help Protect the Brain From Alzheimer’s

Tiny amounts of lithium — a natural metal — may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s and signs of aging, new research shows.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Rush University found that when mice were fed a low-lithium diet, their brains developed more inflammation and signs of aging accelerated.

The findi...

CDC Warns Travelers After 8,000+ Chikungunya Cases Reported in China

Health officials in China are reporting more than 8,000 cases of chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquitoes that can cause fever and painful joints.

The outbreak is centered in Foshan, a city in the southeastern province of Guangdong with nearly 10 million people. Hong Kong, Macao and Hunan province — more than 400 miles north —...