Booster Effectiveness Wanes After 4 Months, Study Shows

Feb. 14, 2022 Booster shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines lost some effectiveness after four months but still did a good job of keeping people out of the hospital during the Omicron surge, a study shows. During the time when the Omicron variant dominated, the vaccines provided 87% effectiveness against emergency room visits…

U.S. Suspends Avocado Imports From Mexico

Feb. 14, 2022 The United States has suspended avocado imports from Mexico because a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico was threatened, The Associated Press reported. The suspension started Saturday after the inspector was threatened in Michoacán, the only Mexican state authorized to export avocados to the United States.  “U.S. health authorities … made the…

What’s the Difference Between a Sociopath and a Psychopath?

You may have heard people call someone else a “psychopath” or a “sociopath.” But what do those words really mean? You won’t find the definitions in mental health’s official handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths. They use a different term instead: antisocial personality…

Why It’s Key to Overall Health

TUESDAY, Feb. 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Lovemaking isn’t just for the young — older people gain a lot of satisfaction from amorous relations as well. But things get complicated as people age, and many folks let this important part of life drift away rather than talk about sexual problems with either their partner…

Sound the Fiber Alarm! Most of Us Need More of It in Our Diet

By American Heart Association NewsHealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Jan. 27, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — There are a lot of health factors to keep in mind as we navigate through the dietary day: calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, vitamins and minerals, to name a few. Did you forget fiber? A lot of people do. “We’ve…

‘Magic Mushrooms’ Provide Fast, Long-lasting Depression Relief: Study

Feb. 18, 2022 — Treatment with psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” relieves major depression for up to a year, and perhaps longer, new research shows. In a study of adults with a long-term history of depression, two doses of psilocybin, combined with supportive “talk” therapy, led to large, stable, and enduring antidepressant…

Is It Time for Yet Another COVID Booster?

Feb. 18, 2022 — Will springtime be booster time — again? The first COVID-19 booster shot is now in the rearview mirror for millions of Americans — for the 28% who got it, at least — but new data finds it’s less effective after about 4 months. The CDC has already recommended a second booster…

Are Alternative Birthing Practices a Good Idea?

Feb. 18, 2022 — Can I eat my placenta? Is a water birth safe for my baby? These are a couple of the questions that more people have been asking Sarah Pachtman, MD, over the past couple of years amid a boom in alternative birthing practices. Pachtman, an obstetrics and gynecology doctor and a…

Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence Common in Middle-Aged Women

Dec. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in five Japanese women report urinary incontinence related to overactive bladder (OAB) or stress urinary incontinence, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in Menopause. Kazue Nagai, Ph.D., from Gunma University in Japan, and colleagues investigated the prevalence and factors associated with urinary symptoms in women….

Third Transplant Patient Cured of HIV Marks Important Firsts

Feb. 16, 2022 — This week’s news that a third person has been “cured” of HIV through a unique transplant of stem cells has given hope for a larger-scale way to beat back the HIV epidemic that has plagued the world for decades. But while this case is certainly cause for celebration, experts involved in…