Young People of Color Lag in Getting COVID Boosters

March 8, 2022 Young people of color are not getting COVID vaccine booster shots at the same rate as young white people, USA Today reported. That alarms federal health authorities. In an attempt to close the gap, the Biden administration plans to turn to churches and community health centers for help, USA Today said. “We…

Home Blood Pressure Testing Better Than at Clinics: Study

March 8, 2022 — Everyone’s been there. You’ve arrived for your scheduled doctor’s office visit and the first order of real business is the reunion with the blood pressure cuff. The first reading might be high. A second reading looks a bit better — or maybe a bit worse. Which one’s right? The answer: Perhaps…

Blood Pressure Meds May Prolong Life in Pancreatic Cancer

March 7, 2022 — Popular blood pressure medications may add years to the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer, a notoriously tough-to-treat cancer with low survival rates, new research suggests. These drugs, known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), lower blood pressure by relaxing veins and arteries and allowing the…

For Millions, the Pandemic Isn’t Over: ‘We Are Indeed Stuck’

March 7, 2022 — As many people in the country prepare to ditch their masks, mingle more closely, and return to “normal,” not everyone can board that train. People who live with diseases or take medications that make their immune systems not work as well to protect them from infections are still at risk from…

Games Unlock Relief for People With Chronic Pain

By Jess Erion I can’t tell you how many times I‘ve heard the iconic opening line: “Hey you, you’re finally awake,” as my TV screen filled with a view of Skyrim’s massive Nordic landscape. My high school English teacher was the first one to get me into digital RPGs (role-playing games) when he introduced me…

Tips to Cut Back Without a Fight

When you were a kid, did you camp out on the couch with your siblings and fight over what show you’d watch on the family TV? Today, your kids have decidedly fewer limits when it comes to controlling a screen. They can watch many at once, and carry them wherever they go. As amazing as…

Black MDs Shatter Stereotypes, Promote Diversity on Instagram

Mar. 4, 2022 — Many applaud social media for connecting the world with the touch of a button. Others cite the opportunity to grow businesses without heavy marketing costs. But for a group of Black doctors, social media marks the chance to celebrate the ability to narrow racial disparities in medicine. “You’re a young adult…

‘Walkable’ Neighborhoods Linked to Less Obesity, Diabetes

March 4, 2022 — People who live in neighborhoods that are more walkable are much more physically active and less likely to gain weight or get type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, researchers concluded after reviewing the results of dozens of previous studies. Gillian L. Booth, MD, and Nicholas A. Howell, MD, both…

A Call to Address Health Inequities Now, Before Next Pandemic

March 4, 2022 — With new cases of COVID-19 continuing to fall, this could be the time to focus on making sure everyone has equal access to vaccines and other drugs before the next public health emergency. The coronavirus pandemic, now in its third year, saw major issues develop around equal access to diagnosis, care,…

Nonprofit Plans to Make Affordable Generic Insulin

March 4, 2022 — Everyone knows that insulin prices in the United States are ridiculously high and unaffordable to many people with diabetes, but nobody has done anything about it — until now. Civica Inc., a nonprofit organization governed by health systems and philanthropies, announced Thursday that it plans to manufacture and sell generic insulin…