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Do e-cigarettes help or harm? Report says not clear

WASHINGTON (AP) — Electronic cigarettes could be a boon to public health or a major liability, depending on whether they help Americans quit smoking or encourage more young people to try traditional cigarettes, a new report concludes. The report wrestles with the potential benefits and harms of the vapor-emitting devices which have been sold in the U.S. for more than a decade. But those effects may not be known for decades, in part, because of how slowly illnesses caused by smoking emerge. “In some circumstances, such as their use by non-smoking adolescents and young adults, ...

New report details misuse of antipsychotics in nursing homes

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. nursing homes have significantly reduced the use of powerful antipsychotic drugs among their elderly residents, responding to pressure from many directions. Yet advocacy groups insist that overmedication remains a major problem, and want the pressure to intensify. According to the latest data from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, known as CMS, the percentage of long-term nursing home residents being given antipsychotic drugs dropped from about 24 percent in late 2011 to under 16 percent last year. Decreases were reported in all 50 states, with ...

No time for the gym? At-home workouts offer cheap option

By Kelli Kennedy Associated Press Between bomb cyclones and deep freezes, it’s hard to find the motivation to leave your toasty home for a sweat session. Or maybe you’re just too cash-strapped after the holidays to fork over $25 for your usual barre classes. We’ve rounded some at-home workouts at all price points that deliver challenging routines with easy to follow instructions so there are no excuses. You can even train just like the celebrities with some streaming services that feature the same routines being taught in New York studios. FREE Fitness Blender — This ...

Century after pandemic, science takes its best shot at flu

WASHINGTON (AP) — The descriptions are haunting. Some victims felt fine in the morning and were dead by night. Faces turned blue as patients coughed up blood. Stacked bodies outnumbered coffins. A century after one of history’s most catastrophic disease outbreaks, scientists are rethinking how to guard against another super-flu like the 1918 influenza that killed tens of millions as it swept the globe. There’s no way to predict what strain of the shape-shifting flu virus could trigger another pandemic or, given modern medical tools, how bad it might be. But researchers hope ...

Walmart offers way to turn leftover opioids into useless gel

By Tom Murphy AP Health Writer Walmart is helping customers get rid of leftover opioids by giving them packets that turn the addictive painkillers into a useless gel. The retail giant announced Wednesday that it will provide the packets free with opioid prescriptions filled at its 4,700 U.S. pharmacies. The small packets, made by DisposeRX, contain a powder that is poured into prescription bottles. When mixed with warm water, the powder turns the pills into a biodegradable gel that can be thrown in the trash. It works on other prescription drugs and for pills, tablets, capsules, ...

Has flu season reached its height?

NEW YORK (AP) — Flu is now widespread in every state except Hawaii, but the good news is the season appears to already be peaking. It’s been a rough few weeks: Hospitals have set up tents to handle patient overflow. Doctors are putting in double and triple shifts. Ambulances have been sidelined while paramedics waited to drop off patients. “This morning, I couldn’t stand up. I was really weak,” said Margaret Shafer, who went to a Seattle emergency room this week after a bout with the flu was followed by pneumonia. But an update out Friday from the Centers for Disease ...