Doctor's Advice Can Reduce Opioids Taken After Surgery

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 28, 2025
• Full Page

Some wise counsel in advance can reduce the amount of opioid painkillers a patient takes after orthopedic surgery, new clinic trial results show.

Knee surgery patients were much less likely to take oxycodone if they were counseled to pop the pills as a “last resort...

COVID Vaccines Saved More Than 2.5 Million Lives, Mostly Seniors

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 28, 2025
• Full Page

More than 2.5 million deaths were prevented worldwide by the cutting-edge vaccines developed for COVID-19, mainly among seniors, a new analysis says.

Essentially, one death was averted for every 5,400 doses administered between the introduction of the vaccines up to Octo...

Palliative Care or Hospice? What's the Distinction?

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• July 26, 2025
• Full Page

If a doctor diagnoses you with a serious illness and suggests palliative care, don’t jump to conclusions.

It doesn’t mean you have mere months to live, NIH News in Health emphasizes.

Palliative care, which is focused on comfort care and symptom...

Number Of Family Caregivers Has Skyrocketed in The U.S.

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

The number of Americans caring for an older or disabled family member has risen dramatically during the past 10 years, according to a new AARP policy report.

There’s been a 45% increase in the number of family caregivers between 2015 and 2025, with 63 million Ameri...

Vitamin D Might Offer Protection Against COVID-19

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

Low vitamin D levels might increase a person’s odds of a severe bout with COVID-19, a new study says.

People with a vitamin D deficiency are 36% more likely to require hospitalization from a COVID infection, researchers report in the journal PLOS One.

African Psychedelic Might Help Combat Vets Recover From Traumatic Brain Injury

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

Veterans who receive traumatic brain injuries in combat often experience crippling post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, leaving them hopeless and potentially suicidal.

But help might be on the way from an unlikely source – a psychedelic drug call...

Heavy Grief Nearly Doubles Bereaved's Risk Of Early Death

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

People intensely grieving a loved one are nearly twice as likely to die within a decade of their loss, a new study says.

Those whose grief remained persistently high in the first years following a loss have 88% increased odds of dying within 10 years of their loved one&r...

Many Young Vapers Make Potentially Dangerous Tweaks To Their Devices

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

Most teens and young adults who vape tinker with their devices, often in potentially dangerous ways, a new study says.

More than 4 out of 5 young e-cigarette users have modified their device in some way – swapping batteries, replacing heating coils, tweaking the e-...

For the Win: College Student Powerlifts Past Breast Cancer

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2025
• Full Page

LaShae Rolle, 27, is a competitive powerlifter capable of squatting 441 pounds, benching 292 pounds and deadlifting 497 pounds.

Last year, breast cancer tried to derail Rolle's dreams of going up against the best of the best.

But Rolle steamrolled her cancer, keepi...

Insulin Nasal Spray Reaches Alzheimer's Targets, Brain Scans Show

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 24, 2025
• Full Page

Insulin delivered by nasal spray might be a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says.

An insulin nasal spray effectively reached key memory regions in the brains of a small group of older adults, researchers reported July 23 in the journal ...