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Health News Results - 28
Few People Get Infected Heart Devices Removed, Despite Benefit
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- April 8, 2022
- Full Page
When implanted heart devices get infected, doctors recommend surgery to remove them, but many patients ignore that advice, a new study reveals.
Computer Helps 'Locked-In' ALS Patients Communicate, Shop Online
- Dennis Thompson
- March 30, 2022
- Full Page
A handful of "locked-in" amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients can now work a laptop computer using their brain waves, thanks to an implant lodged in a major vein inside their skull.
T...
Brain Implant for Adults With Epilepsy Can Help Kids, Too
- Adam Meyer HealthDay Reporter
- January 24, 2022
- Full Page
A brain implant that helps control severe epilepsy in adults may do the same for children who suffer from unrelenting seizures, new research suggests.
Could Cochlear Implants Cause Harm to Hearing Over Time?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- December 8, 2021
- Full Page
People who get cochlear implants to treat severe hearing loss may develop new bone growth in the ear -- and it may lessen any hearing they have left, a new study hints.
The researchers found that among 100-plus adults with cochlear implants, two-thirds showed evidence of...
Getting a Pacemaker Can Raise Odds for Opioid Abuse
- Robert Preidt
- December 1, 2021
- Full Page
People who are prescribed opioid painkillers after receiving a heart pacemaker or defibrillator may be at risk for opioid abuse -- and the higher the initial dose, the greater the risk, according to a new study.
“The significance of this study is to make other electrop...
Coming Soon: A Wearable Device to Predict Epileptic Seizures
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 17, 2021
- Full Page
Claire Wiedmaier experiences epileptic seizures so bad that she's broken teeth while in their grip.
"I have some fake teeth. I broke my two bottom front teeth," said Wiedmaier, 23, of Ankeny, Iowa, who these days can expect to have at least four seizures a month.
K...
Could Nose Cartilage Help Repair Worn-Out Knees?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 2, 2021
- Full Page
When people have knee arthritis, cartilage cushioning the joint progressively breaks down. Now an early study hints at a possible solution: replacing it with cartilage from the nose.
Researchers tested the approach in just two patients with knee arthritis, and said much ...
FDA Approves First Nerve-Stimulation Device to Aid Stroke Recovery
- Robert Preidt and Ernie Mundell
- August 27, 2021
- Full Page
A first-of-a-kind nerve stimulation treatment for people who have problems moving their arms after a stroke has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"People who have lost mobility in their hands and arms due to ischemic stroke are often limited in thei...
Could Electrode 'Pulses' Cut Back, Leg Pain Without Drugs?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- August 26, 2021
- Full Page
A new approach to spinal cord stimulation may drastically reduce chronic back pain, a small pilot study suggests.
The study, of 20 patients with stubborn low back pain, tested the effects of implanting electrodes near the spinal cord to stimulate it with "ultra-low" freq...
Smart Phones, Watches Can Mess With Implanted Pacemakers
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
- August 26, 2021
- Full Page
Do you have an implanted defibrillator or pacemaker? Try keeping your smart watch or smart phone a few inches away from them.
New research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finds that your phone or watch could interfere with implanted heart devices.
B...
Exercise Boosts Survival for People With Implanted Defibrillators
- Robert Preidt
- July 21, 2021
- Full Page
Just small amounts of exercise can benefit people with implanted heart defibrillators, new research shows.
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a battery-powered device placed under the skin to detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to ...
Coming Soon: An Implanted Pacemaker That Dissolves Away After Use
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- June 28, 2021
- Full Page
Researchers are reporting early success with a temporary heart pacemaker that simply dissolves when it's no longer needed.
So far the work has been limited to animals and human heart tissue studied in the lab. But experts said the early findings are "exciting" and could ...
His Implanted Microchip Could Help Save Him From a Stroke
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- June 9, 2021
- Full Page
Norman Mayer, 86, walks around with a computer chip in his chest and doesn't think a thing about it.
Doctors implanted a tiny heart monitor chip in Mayer's chest after he suffered a mini-stroke in late 2015, to track his heartbeat and potentially detect an irregular hear...
Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy May Help Parkinson's Patients Long Term
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- June 3, 2021
- Full Page
Parkinson's disease patients can get symptom relief with deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy that lasts over the long term, a new study shows.
Over 15 years, patients who received DBS, which requires surgical implantation, had significant improvement in motor symptoms a...
What Type of Stent Did I Get, Where? Most Heart Patients Don't Know
- Cara Murez
- May 19, 2021
- Full Page
When someone comes in for a new heart stent, it's critical that the medical team doing the procedure knows several key facts about previous stents the patient has had.
But fewer than half of patients receiving a stent were still carrying the stent card that has those de...
Magnets in Cellphones, Smartwatches Might Affect Pacemakers, FDA Warns
- Steven Reinberg
- May 14, 2021
- Full Page
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that strong magnets in some cellphones and smartwatches can interfere with pacemakers and other implanted medical devices.
Studies have shown that these high-strength magnets may cause some implants to switch to "magnet mo...
Worry, Depression Can Plague Folks Who Get Implanted Defibrillators
- Robert Preidt
- April 26, 2021
- Full Page
An implanted heart defibrillator is a life changer in more ways than one. More than one in 10 patients who receive the device also developed anxiety or depression, a new study reveals.
The findings highlight the need for regular screening of patients who receive an impla...
Implant May Improve Lives of Those With Serious Balance Disorder
- February 10, 2021
- Full Page
An inner-ear implant may help people with a debilitating balance disorder get steady on their feet again, an early study suggests.
The study involved eight patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). The disorder arises from a problem in the balance system of...
Dislocation Risk After Hip Replacement Higher Than Thought: Study
- Robert Preidt
- December 28, 2020
- Full Page
Hip dislocations are much more common in people who've had total hip replacements than previously reported, Danish researchers say.
The investigators analyzed data from Denmark and found that the rate of hip dislocations within two years after total hip replacement was 3...
MRIs Might Be Safe for Patients With Implanted Heart Devices
- Amy Norton
- October 26, 2020
- Full Page
For years, people with implanted heart devices have been told they can't undergo MRI scans. But a new study adds to evidence that, with certain measures in place, the procedure is safe.
The study focused on patients with older pacemakers and implantable defibrillator...
FDA May Put Strong Warning on Breast Implants
- Robert Preidt
- October 23, 2019
- Full Page
Before receiving breast implants, women should be told of the possible risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says in a draft proposal.
The agency suggests a boxed warning and a checklist outlining potential harms, such as pain, fatigue and further surgery.
Next-Gen Artificial Pancreas Boosts Blood Sugar Control
- Serena Gordon
- October 16, 2019
- Full Page
The latest version of the so-called artificial pancreas system helped people with type 1 diabetes gain even better control of their blood sugar levels than current technology does, a new study reports.
The device combines an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monito...
Deep Brain Stimulation May Relieve Ringing in the Ears: Study
- Steven Reinberg
- October 7, 2019
- Full Page
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) can make life miserable, but a brain implant may help, preliminary research suggests.
In a phase 1 trial of five patients whose severe tinnitus did not respond to other treatments, deep brain stimulation (DBS) diminished the ringing in...
Pacemakers, Insulin Pumps Could Be Hacking Targets: FDA
- Steven Reinberg
- October 1, 2019
- Full Page
Medical devices that can connect to the internet might be at risk for hacking, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.
"While advanced devices can offer safer, more convenient and timely health care delivery, a medical device connected to a communicatio...
Bans Not Keeping Drivers With Implanted Defibrillators off the Road
- Robert Preidt
- September 3, 2019
- Full Page
One in three patients who have implanted devices for irregular heartbeats still drive, despite being banned from getting behind the wheel, a new Danish study finds.
It looked at more than 2,500 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), which deliv...
Airport Scanners OK for People with Implanted Heart Devices: Study
- Robert Preidt
- May 8, 2019
- Full Page
It appears to be safe for people with implantable heart devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators to go through body scanners at airport security checkpoints, researchers say.
Body scanners are becoming increasingly common worldwide.
But some people are...
A Better Cardiac Pump for People With Heart Failure?
- Robert Preidt
- March 19, 2019
- Full Page
A new version of an implantable heart pump could cut the risk of blood clots, bleeding and stroke in patients with advanced heart failure, according to a study funded by the device's maker.
The study included more than a thousand patients who received either Abbott I...
'Antibiotic Envelopes' Could Cut Infections After Pacemaker Implant
- Dennis Thompson
- March 18, 2019
- Full Page
Tucking a pacemaker inside an antibiotic-soaked mesh envelope before implanting it inside your body can drastically reduce your risk of a dangerous infection, a new study shows.
About 1.7 million patients receive cardiac implants like pacemakers or defibrillators eve...