THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Children who need to take oral steroids for chronic or life-threatening conditions can experience serious side effects, according to new research. Children with autoimmune disorders such as juvenile arthritis, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease are often prescribed a steroid to keep the illnessContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a spotlight on disparities in the U.S. health care system. But the issues are longstanding, and — as one large study illustrates — extend into a common elective surgery. Researchers found that when hip replacement surgery is doneContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — People with lupus aren’t at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 due to steroidal medications they take to reduce immune system activity, a new study finds. And a related study found that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis — such as rheumatoid arthritisContinue Reading

SATURDAY, Aug. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Injuries can continue to plague rugby players long after they retire, a new study finds. Researchers examined injuries suffered by 254 retired elite and amateur rugby players and competitors in non-contact sports, such as cricket. The athletes were 21 to 82 years ofContinue Reading

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A simple blood test may predict which COVID-19 patients are likely to get worse and die, a new study suggests. “When we first started treating COVID-19 patients, we watched them get better or get worse, but we didn’t know why,” said researcher Dr.Continue Reading

THURSDAY, July 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a small study from France, an immune-dampening drug used by people battling rheumatoid arthritis showed promise in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. The drug, called anakinra, targets pro-inflammatory responses that kick into high gear in advanced COVID-19 — the so-called “cytokine storm.”Continue Reading

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Kids as young as age 8 can show signs of being at increased risk for diabetes in adulthood, a British study finds. Researchers analyzed blood samples collected from more than 4,000 participants at ages 8, 16, 18 and 25, looking for patterns specificContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There’s new evidence that a 2,000-year-old medicine might offer hope against a modern scourge: COVID-19. The medication, called colchicine, is an anti-inflammatory taken as a pill. It’s long been prescribed for gout, a form of arthritis, and its history goes back centuries. TheContinue Reading

THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There’s been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds. The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures atContinue Reading