Health and Fitness

Scientists have pulled DNA from Ludwig van Beethoven's hair to look for clues about his many health problems and hearing loss. They weren't able to figure out why the famous composer lost his hearing and had severe stomach problems. But they reported Wednesday that they did find clues about the liver disease that is widely believed to have killed the German composer. Beethoven's genome showed that he had a high risk for liver disease and was infected with the liver-damaging hepatitis B. The researchers concluded that those factors, along with his drinking, likely contributed to his death nearly 200 years ago.

Birth control pills tied to slight rise in breast cancer risk, regardless of formulation. A new study finds the single hormone pill and combination estrogen-progestogen pills confer a similar degree of heightened risk for breast cancer. Read more

Doctors may be missing patients who are trying to cheat on tests that check if they are taking medication for opioid addiction. That's according to a study published Wednesday by JAMA Psychiatry. The researchers found that nearly 8% of these patients sometimes spike their urine by adding their treatment medicine to the samples. Such spiking may go unnoticed by doctors who use rapid tests instead of more sophisticated lab tests. The researchers say doctors shouldn’t cut patients off of the treatment drug for cheating because that could lead to overdose. Instead, a suspicious result should prompt a frank discussion and possibly a higher level of care.

More than 119,000 people have been injured by tear gas and other chemical irritants around the world since 2015 and some 2,000 suffered injuries from “less lethal” impact projectiles. That's according to a new report by Physicians for Human Rights and the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations. It took 2 1/2 years to research and provides a rare partial count of casualties, compiled from medical literature, from these devices used by police around the world. The groups called for bans of rubber bullets and of multi-projectile devices in all crowd-control settings and tighter restrictions on weapons that may be used indiscriminately.

Moderna’s CEO is defending a plan to more than quadruple the company’s COVID-19 vaccine price. But he also says the drugmaker will work to ensure patients continue paying nothing at drugstores or clinics. Stephane Bancel appeared before a Senate committee Wednesday. He says the drugmaker will charge a list price of around $130 per dose for the vaccine in the U.S. That price is expected to go into effect later this year. Until now, the federal government had been Moderna’s lone U.S. customer, buying doses in bulk to make sure people weren’t charged anything.

WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- If you’ve been suffering from caregiver stress, you've got plenty of company.

WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is a well-known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and researchers think they’ve uncovered a possible reason why.

The governor of Massachusetts is reminding pharmacies that they are required to stock a key abortion pill, despite a nationwide effort by anti-abortion activists to ban the medication. Gov. Maura Healey sent out a statement Wednesday citing state regulations that pharmacies and pharmacy departments must have all reproductive health medications, including mifepristone. The Democratic leader's action comes as a federal judge in Texas is considering a lawsuit that would overturn decades-old federal approval of the drug. Healey said Massachusetts will always protect abortion access.

WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis (MS) and atherosclerosis both involve an abnormal hardening of body tissue, and recent research suggests they may be linked.

WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- It's a controversial notion, but couples undergoing fertility treatments may soon be able to select the sex of their baby — with an 80% chance of success, doctors say.

WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise can help improve movement-related symptoms for people who have Parkinson’s disease, a new review finds.

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted “hand on heart” that he did not lie to lawmakers about government parties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The House of Commons standards committee questioned Johnson on Wednesday over misleading statements he made to Parliament about a slew of parties that breached lockdown rules.  If the committee concludes he deliberately lied, Johnson could face suspension or even lose his House of Commons seat. He told the committee that the rule-breaking events were wrong and “I bitterly regret it.” But he said that “If anybody thinks I was partying during lockdown, they are completely wrong.” The “partygate” scandal helped hasten the end of Johnson's premiership.