The Austin Times

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Flu vaccine is 48% effective this season, CDC says

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The flu shot has been reducing the risk of infections in the United States by about half this season, according to reports issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the season is expected to continue for several more weeks. The predominant virus strain this season is influenza A (H3N2) strain; the estimated effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing illness caused by that strain was 43%. The vaccine's estimated effectiveness against the influenza B virus was 73%. … [Read more...]

Food insecurity has impact on school readiness, performance

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Researchers from Georgetown University and the University of Virginia have found young children who experience food insecurity have difficulties in learning and performance in kindergarten. Food insecurity refers to a lack of food or sufficient quantities or quality of food necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Children living in poverty often experience food insecurity in their homes. The study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort and analyzed 3,700 low-income … [Read more...]

Study finds energy drinks, alcohol increase injury risk

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Researchers at the University of Victoria's Center for Addictions Research of British Columbia, or CARBC, found combining energy drinks and alcohol can increase a person's risk of injury from falls and other accidents. The team analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles on alcohol and energy drinks from 1981 to 2016 and found a link between the use of alcohol mixed with energy drinks, or AmED, and an increased risk of injury compared with drinking alcohol alone. "The stimulant effects of … [Read more...]

House GOP health bill would cut women’s services

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Women seeking abortions and some basic health services, including prenatal care, contraception and cancer screenings, would face restrictions and struggle to pay for some of that medical care under the House Republicans' proposed bill. The legislation, which would replace much of former President Barack Obama's health law, was approved by two House committees on Thursday. Republicans are hoping to move quickly to pass it, despite unified opposition from Democrats, criticism from some … [Read more...]

Republicans set low expectations for health bill cost study

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Republicans pushing a plan to dismantle Barack Obama's health care law are bracing for a Congressional Budget Office analysis widely expected to conclude that fewer Americans will have health coverage under the proposal, despite President Donald Trump's promise of "insurance for everybody." House Speaker Paul Ryan said he fully expects the CBO analysis, set to be released as early as Monday, to find less coverage since the GOP plan eliminates the government requirement to be insured. But … [Read more...]

Fewer heavy Americans are trying to lose weight, study finds

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Fewer overweight Americans have been trying to lose weight in recent years, and researchers wonder if fat acceptance could be among the reasons. The trend found in a new study occurred at the same time obesity rates climbed. "Socially accepted normal body weight is shifting toward heavier weight. As more people around us are getting heavier, we simply believe we are fine, and no need to do anything with it," said lead author Dr. Jian Zhang, a public health researcher at Georgia Southern … [Read more...]

Study finds ‘fasting-mimicking’ diet has major health benefits

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Researchers at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology showed a periodic fasting diet can reduce cardiovascular risk factors, among other health benefits. The study consisted of 100 adults ages 20 to 70 who were placed on three cycles of a low-calorie, fasting-mimicking diet from April 2013 to July 2015. Participants were separated into two groups, a control group eating a normal diet and a group placed on the three-month cycle of fasting-mimicking diet. … [Read more...]

U.S. heart failure rates on the rise

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Heart failure rates are going up in the United States, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. The same report also said that heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, even as the death rate from heart disease is heading down. The number of American adults with heart failure -- in which the heart is too weak to pump blood throughout the body -- rose by 800,000 over five years, the American Heart Association (AHA) said in the report … [Read more...]

Plant-based diets good for healthy weight loss

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If you've resolved to eat healthy and lose weight in 2017, a new report suggests the DASH diet may be your best bet. For the seventh year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has named the plant-based eating plan as the best choice overall, followed by the Mediterranean diet, up from fourth place last year. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, but its benefits go beyond preventing high blood pressure, the report found. The DASH and the Mediterranean diets, as well as … [Read more...]

A little daily alcohol may cut stroke risk

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Light or moderate drinking may reduce the risk of one type of stroke but not another, while heavy drinking increases the risk of both types, a new study suggests. A research team from England and Sweden reviewed 25 studies as well as national data from Sweden. The investigators reported that consumption of up to two drinks a day was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke (blocked blood flow to the brain), but appeared to have no effect on the risk of bleeding (hemorrhagic) … [Read more...]

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