As more Americans try to stay healthier and to beat the pains of commuting by car, bus, or light rail systems, many (including yours truly) have turned to bicycling. But as a result, non-fatal bike injuries have skyrocketed—especially for men and for riders older than 45—and two-wheel collision treatment has become expensive: The annual cost….
Continue ReadingBrain Injury
Fla. justices reject keystones of partisans’ plan to undercut patients’ rights
As congressional Republicans pursue their counter factual campaign this week to strip patients of their rights to pursue legal redress for harms they suffer while seeking medical services, the Florida Supreme Court has sent a powerful message to federal lawmakers about the wrongheadedness of some of their key notions. The justices in Tallahassee have repudiated….
Continue ReadingAs summer softball gets into full swing, a caution on players getting beaned
Although fans may fret when pros like the Nationals’ Bryce Harper get hit by a pitcher—and brawls ensue—some amateur athletes are the most likely to be struck and hurt: Ball-contact injuries are highest among female softball players, followed by women who play field hockey. That’s according to new research on thousands of college athletes that….
Continue ReadingNHL goes low with anti-science blows as it battles players concussion suit
Do the leaders of professional hockey need to spend some time in the penalty box? It might seem so based on a report in the New York Times that the National Hockey League, as it battles its own players in court over the harms caused by repetitive head injuries, is adopting the dubious legal playbook….
Continue ReadingHealth care takes some good steps forward
Yes, there can be progressive steps in health care—and with all the controversy and change going on in the sector it’s worth spotlighting some of these: Patients should get access to own health records, researchers say Three researchers—Dr. Harlan Krumholz of Yale Medical School (photo right), Connecticut lawyer Jennifer L. Cox, and Yale student Austin….
Continue ReadingCongress weighs approval for sweeping, $6.3 billion 21st Century Cures Act
It’s almost 1,000 pages, culminates at least three years of work, and provides a $6.3 billion boost for an array of health-related agencies and initiatives. Will the U.S. Senate join the House in bipartisan passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, a sweeping measure that some say could affect American health care as much….
Continue ReadingWomen need better care, research on head trauma, advocates say
It may sound macabre. But advocates say a critical step to address important gender disparities in the care and research on concussions’ harms may rest in convincing more women to donate their brains to science. This has already helped to prove the debilitating and deadly effects of head trauma among men in pro sports. In….
Continue ReadingDementia rates are dropping, but a key Alzheimer’s drug fails
There’s more encouraging news about dementia rates, which a new study has found fell 24 percent between 2000 and 2012, decreasing among Americans 65 and older from 11.6 percent to 8.8 percent. The experts aren’t sure why the rates declined. But it means that 1.5 million or so seniors will be spared the severe cognitive….
Continue ReadingThe eyes have it: Young athletes may need more protection against eye injury
Basketball legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy donned them, as did pro football superstar Eric Dickerson, and onetime Reds third-baseman Chris Sabo. Goggles may make athletes look goofy, but new research suggests that young players and their parents and coaches might want to give these and other protective eye-wear a second look. That’s because caregivers….
Continue ReadingA gentle reminder to grown-ups: sports are supposed to be fun and safe for kids
Now that the Labor Day holiday has passed, it’s a perfect time to remind youngsters and their parents: Sports are supposed to be leisure and pleasure activities. And they need to be safe. Ryan Basen, a tutor to kids and a medical writer, has put together a pointed piece in the Washington Post about youngsters….
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