The World Health Organization warned on Friday that cases of dengue fever could reach close to record highs this year, partly due to global warming and the way that climate has helped the mosquitoes that spread it, Reuters reported.

Rates of the disease are climbing worldwide, "with reported cases since 2000 up eight-fold to 4.2 million in 2022," according to the same source.

"Europe has reported a surge in cases and Peru declared a state of emergency in most regions."

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However, international travelers in the U.S. who are looking for protection against this tropical infectious disease spread by mosquitoes will have to wait a little longer. 

On July 11, the Japanese drug-maker Takeda voluntarily withdrew its application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its dengue vaccine candidate in the U.S. after the agency requested more data that the current trial could not capture, according to a press release. 

A dengue vaccine from the company is already approved in multiple endemic and non-endemic areas, such as the European Union, United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia and Thailand.

There is only one dengue vaccine approved by the FDA in the U.S., but it is indicated only for children and teenagers ages six to 16 living in endemic areas — mainly Puerto Rico — who have previously had the infection.

The World Health Organization listed dengue fever as one of the top 10 threats to global health in 2019.

Roughly half the world’s population, or about 4 billion people, live in places that are at risk for dengue fever, with some 400 million people infected every year.

One country, Peru, is currently battling its worst outbreak in history.

"Dengue is occurring in urban areas where it did not exist before," Dr. Coralith García, associate professor at the school of medicine at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru, told Fox News Digital. 

Experts blame warmer temperatures and increased rainfall, but even in Lima, the second largest desert city in the world, dengue is flourishing because "it’s so crowded that anything can happen," she added.

"But Peru had the highest COVID mortality rate [in] the world and now we have several patients dying of dengue, confirming that the Peruvian health system is very weak." 

Most Americans get infected with dengue fever while traveling internationally. 

Yet it can spread locally in several states with hot, humid climates, such as Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Arizona — although this is not common, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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From January to June 1 of this year, there were 129 reported cases in the U.S. and 256 reported cases in Puerto Rico, according to the CDC.

Dengue fever is caused by four viruses: dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4. 

It is spread primarily by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites generally during the day, per the CDC.

A person can get infected as many as four times because one virus strain only confers immunity against that specific serotype; people are at higher risk for a life-threatening condition called dengue hemorrhagic fever when they are infected twice, per the CDC.

About one in four people with dengue fever become sick, which can be either a mild or severe illness; but some 40,000 die from severe disease every year, according to the CDC.

Dengue fever is the leading cause of fever among returning travelers to Europe from all continents except Africa, according to a recent study on the tropical disease.

International travelers often complain of a fever with dengue within two weeks after returning home, but symptoms generally resolve within one week.

Dengue has 3 phases of disease: 1) fever phase; 2) critical phase; and 3) recovery phase.

The fever phase, named after its most common symptom, is characterized by severe joint pain and headaches, but most patients recover without complications, Dr. David O. Freedman, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told Fox News Digital.

The disease’s hallmark bone and joint pains have earned it the nickname "breakbone fever."

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"In a small proportion of patients, just as the fever is resolving, a second critical phase develops where fluid leaks out of the circulation and gets into body spaces, such as the chest and abdominal cavities," he added. 

During this phase, the blood pressure drops; severe bleeding may also occur.

Freedman recommends watching for abdominal pain or tenderness; 2) persistent vomiting; 3) fluid in body spaces; 4) bleeding from the mouth or rectum; and 5) lethargy and restlessness.

Any of these combined with a fever increase the likelihood of patients becoming very sick and needing to be hospitalized.

He also reminds people that "a total body rash often develops during the critical or early recovery phase."

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Freedman noted, "If the patient survives the critical phase usually with medical intervention, the third phase, recovery, occurs about 3-4 days after that."

A recent paper analyzed nearly 6,000 returning travelers with dengue using the GeoSentinel network surveillance platform.

The network is a collaboration between the CDC and the International Society of Travel Medicine. It monitors infectious diseases in 29 countries on six continents that affect international travelers and migrants.

The researchers looked at the patients with dengue fever, which was relatively mild illness without any complications, or "complicated dengue," which included those who had warning signs or severe illness.

They found only 2% of dengue cases were considered "complicated," but approximately 99% had warning signs, with 31% classified as severe.

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"Most of the time it is an uncomplicated course," lead author Ralph Huits, M.D., PhD, department of infectious tropical diseases and microbiology at IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar, Verona, Italy, told Fox News Digital. 

"You can feel very sick, such as [with] a headache, anorexia, but then get better," he added.

"But some 2% of travelers can have a severe dengue," he continued.

"What you should remember is if you have any of the warning signs, then you or the doctor should monitor them very closely, preferably by hospitalization."

The first new Alzheimer’s treatment in 20 years was given full FDA approval earlier this month — and now two patients who participated in the clinical trials have spoken about their personal experience with the drug to Fox News Digital.

Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, works by reducing amyloid plaques in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. 

In early trials, the drug was shown to slow cognitive decline by 27%.

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Two Ohio patients who participated in the trials recently spoke to Fox News Digital about how Leqembi has impacted their Alzheimer’s journeys — and changed their lives.

Joan Murtaugh, 77, lives in Lakewood, Ohio, with her husband, Larry. 

She first started noticing memory problems nearly seven years ago, just after her 70th birthday.

"Timing is everything," her husband, Larry Murtaugh, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "It was Joan who made an appointment at the brain center clinic."

In 2017, Murtaugh was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. 

The next year, after having a 3-D MRI and spinal tap, she learned that she had an enzyme in her spinal fluid that predicted a 65% chance of getting Alzheimer’s in her lifetime. 

In February 2020, Murtaugh received some good news: She was eligible to participate in a double-blind study trial for a new drug, Leqembi, at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. 

"I assume it was because it was obvious there was some plaque in my brain, which they realized was causing Alzheimer’s," Murtaugh told Fox News Digital.

This was Phase 3 of the clinical trial, which included some 1,800 people worldwide. Murtaugh was one of only eight people to receive the drug at Cleveland Clinic.

A few months later, she began getting twice-monthly infusions of what was either a drug or a placebo.

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To this day, Murtaugh still doesn’t know if she was getting the real thing or a placebo — she won’t find out until the very last person has received the very last dose of the double-blind study. Yet she said she "has a hunch."

"I am fully functional — I’m still doing everything I always did," Murtaugh said. 

"I can still drive my car, shop, garden, cook, read — all those things."

Throughout the entire trial period, Murtaugh said she never got any worse. She just experienced the same mild symptoms she’d had before starting the drug — and she may have even improved a bit. 

Although Leqembi has been linked to some potential side effects, she experienced none.

"When you first hear the word ‘Alzheimer’s,’ a chill goes through you — it’s like you’re looking into a dark abyss," Murtaugh said. 

"But this new drug offers great hope."

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In September 2021, the trial portion of the study ended and Murtaugh was eligible to start receiving the actual medication, which she still takes today. 

Instead of the lengthy infusions, she now gets the medication via an EpiPen injection once a week with the help of her husband.

The drug is currently covered by Medicare, which means Murtaugh gets it for free — and she hopes that will continue for the foreseeable future.

While the Murtaughs realize that the future may bring challenges, they regard Leqembi as "a ray of sunshine in a very cloudy sky."

Paired with other approaches such as cognitive speech therapy, they’re optimistic that the drug will continue to keep Alzheimer’s symptoms at bay.

"We’re not going to declare victory, but we’re on the right path and we have the right team at Cleveland Clinic," said Larry Murtaugh. 

"It’s not a miracle, but it’s gradual progress."

A retired attorney in Aurora, Ohio, John Domeck was just 57 years old when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

The people around him — his colleagues at the law office and his family at home — started noticing his memory lapses before he did.

After 30 years of never having to take many notes at work, Domeck, now 61, had started to write things down to avoid forgetting them.

"Over time, I wasn't able to continue doing as much work as quickly as I once did," he told Fox News Digital during an interview.

His wife of 40 years, Ann Domeck, had also started noticing some red flags at home, but said the last thing they expected was Alzheimer's disease.

The Domecks made an appointment at Cleveland Clinic for some cognitive testing, which led to a spinal tap and, ultimately, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in July 2019.

Domeck’s wife, a TV news producer in Cleveland, left her job to help care for her husband.

Given Domeck’s young age and early-stage decline, a Cleveland Clinic doctor told him he was the perfect candidate for a clinical trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug.

For 18 months, Domeck went in for twice-monthly infusions, which lasted up to six hours per session — without knowing whether he was getting the drug or the placebo.

A year ago, he was switched to the "open-label" Leqembi medication, which he takes via injection at home once a week.

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The Domecks suspect that John has been on the drug the entire time, as he has not declined much at all in the past four years.

"Everyone's like, he had to have been getting it before — he's doing so well," Ann Domeck said. "His cognitive deficits have only increased minimally. After four years of Alzheimer’s, his scores should be a lot lower."

"The fact that he’s still able to maintain his day-to-day activities and do the things that he enjoys is just so promising," she added.

"John gets up and drives and golfs and reads every day," she said. "He got to see our son get married, and we’re planning to visit our daughter in Europe."

Throughout the process, the Domecks said they have been "astounded" by the compassion and support of their care team at Cleveland Clinic.

"They're professionals, and they know their stuff about Alzheimer's, but they're also some of the nicest people we've ever met," Ann Domeck said. 

While the couple understand that Leqembi is not a cure, they’re more optimistic now than they were a few years ago. 

"Alzheimer's kind of rocked our world, and this drug kind of rocked it back a little bit the other way," said Ann Domeck. 

After initially being "shell-shocked" by the unexpected diagnosis, the Domecks feel that the drug has given them time they were told not to expect.

"I thank God every day that we got in this trial," Ann Domeck said. "It's the best thing that's happened to us."

While it's the first Alzheimer’s drug to receive full FDA approval in 20 years, Leqembi is also the first medication to target the underlying disease and not just the symptoms, explained Dylan Wint, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Leqembi is approved only for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer's for people who have been shown to have amyloid plaques in the brain.

"Lecanemab labels abnormal amyloid and tells the immune cells to remove those fibers from the brain," Wint told Fox News Digital. 

In testing, about two-thirds of patients went from amyloid positive to amyloid negative — and cognitive and functional decline was 27% slower for study participants compared to those on placebo, the doctor said.

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"Taking this drug is a long-term commitment," said Wint. "Doctors need to make sure the patient can tolerate this rigorous regimen — intravenous infusions every two weeks for 18 months, interspersed with MRI scans and memory testing."

More care and support are needed for people with moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease and their families, not to mention people with other forms of dementia, he added.

As with any medication, lecanemab can have some side effects. 

Most commonly, it can cause various brain reactions, like swelling and bleeding, explained Manisha Parulekar, M.D., co-director of Hackensack University Medical Center’s Center for Memory Loss & Brain Health in New Jersey.

"Patients will have to stop the medication if these changes are noted on MRIs," Parulekar told Fox News Digital. "People who are taking multiple blood thinners will not be able to take Leqembi."

Headaches and confusion are also commonly reported. 

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Now that Leqembi is fully approved, Medicare will cover the medication, with other insurance companies likely to follow, said Parulekar.

"Without Medicare or insurance, the out-of-pocket costs are around $26,000 per year," she noted. 

Alzheimer’s disease involves many complex factors, Wint noted, and the new medication targets just one factor: amyloid. 

"While this new approach is excellent news, removing amyloid is not a cure," he said. 

"We still need to find better symptomatic and disease-modifying treatments in the future." 

Leqembi is most effective when combined with existing treatments, said Wint, including symptomatic medicines, rehabilitation and family support.

“So far this year, 5 people have died by suicide, and that number is too many”

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The World Health Organization (WHO) released its official statement this week on the potential health risks of aspartame, with a committee classifying the non-sugar, low-calorie sweetener as "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

Many industry experts, however, are speaking out in defense of aspartame, which is commonly used in diet sodas, chewing gum, some dairy products and many other low-calorie foods and beverages.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a cancer-focused organization within WHO, was the agency that called out the sweetener’s potential cancer risk.

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The IARC uses five different levels of cancer risk: Group 1, "carcinogenic to humans"; Group 2A, "Probably carcinogenic to humans"; Group 2B: "Possibly carcinogenic to humans"; Group 3, "Unclassifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans"; and Group 4, "Probably not carcinogenic to humans."

Aspartame was placed in Group 2B based on "limited evidence" of causing cancer in humans and animals — particularly a type of liver cancer, the press release stated.

In the same announcement, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), another group within WHO, seemed to contradict the IARC’s classification.

"JECFA also considered the evidence on cancer risk, in animal and human studies, and concluded that the evidence of an association between aspartame consumption and cancer in humans is not convincing," the press release stated.

The acceptable daily intake (ADI) of aspartame remains 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, JECFA also said. That amount is the equivalent of nine cans of 12-ounce diet soda per day for a 150-pound person.

(The FDA recommends an even higher ADI, at 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.)

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"Our results do not indicate that occasional consumption should pose a risk to most consumers," Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the WHO, stated during a press conference in Geneva.

Dr. Mona S. Jhaveri, a biotech scientist and cancer researcher in Ridgefield, Connecticut, told Fox News Digital that the likelihood of getting cancer depends on the types and the number of carcinogens that one is exposed to, as well as genetic factors. 

"Carcinogens can work either alone or in combination with other substances," she said. 

Often, she added, "people who are subject to multiple carcinogens can increase their risk of getting cancer exponentially."

Many industry experts maintain that aspartame is still safe for consumption — including the FDA, which released a statement refuting the cancer risk.

"The FDA disagrees with IARC’s conclusion that these studies support classifying aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans," the statement read. 

"FDA scientists reviewed the scientific information included in IARC’s review in 2021 when it was first made available and identified significant shortcomings in the studies on which IARC relied."

"We note that JECFA did not raise safety concerns for aspartame under the current levels of use and did not change the acceptable daily intake (ADI)."

Additional agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada, have also deemed aspartame to be safe at the current recommended levels, the FDA added.

"Aspartame is one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply," the FDA stated. 

"FDA scientists do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions."

Dr. Arnold Baskies, a New Jersey-based surgical oncologist and past chairman of the National Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society — he's also a member of the Coalition for Safe Food and Beverage Choices Expert Advisory Committee — pointed out that the WHO agencies, IARC and JECFA, reviewed previous research. They did not review new evidence.

"The WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives’ (JECFA) review says that aspartame is safe for human consumption," Baskies said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "JECFA is the authoritative international agency when it comes to food safety."

The FDA relies on JECFA’s assessments as part of its process of determining the safety and risks of foods and beverages, Baskies noted.

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"It is irresponsible to needlessly scare or confuse people," he said. "If there was any cause for concern, they would have adjusted the current acceptable daily intake (ADI)."

The Calorie Control Council (CCC) in Atlanta, Georgia, also spoke out in defense of aspartame as a safe food additive.

"The JECFA ruling not only confirms the four decades of science concluding aspartame is safe, but also provides real-life ‎context around the safe consumption of this ingredient," said Robert Rankin, president of the CCC, in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

Any risk is highly unlikely given the JECFA’s guidelines for recommended daily intake, Rankin also said.

"The average 150-pound person would need to consume about 14 12-oz. cans of diet beverages or about 74 packets of aspartame-containing tabletop sweetener every day over the course of their life to raise any safety concern," Rankin said.

"Obviously, that level of consumption is not realistic or recommended, nor is it ‎aligned with the intended use of these ingredients."

Regarding IARC describing aspartame as "possibly cancer-causing," Rankin stated that IARC is not a regulatory agency or food safety authority, and said that its classification is "misleading, inaccurate and [constitutes] fearmongering."

He said, "IARC looks for substances that could potentially cause cancer without considering actual dietary intake, and has found many things, such as drinking hot water and working at night, to be probably carcinogenic."

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"It is not only wrong, but potentially damaging to certain populations to position IARC’s report alongside true scientific and regulatory agencies like JECFA, the Food and Drug Administration, and the European Food Safety Authority," Rankin added.

Dr. Ernest Hawk, head of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, also spoke to Fox News Digital about aspartame’s safety.

"IARC classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ based on limited evidence for cancer in humans and experimental animals, and limited evidence that it might behave as a carcinogen," he said. 

"Because all of the evidence was limited, aspartame was added to WHO’s list of possible carcinogens."

The list begins with 126 agents known to be carcinogenic in humans (including tobacco and alcohol) and 94 agents that are "probably carcinogenic" — followed by 322 agents that are "possibly carcinogenic," Hawk explained.

"Aspartame will now be included in that final group, but keep in mind that none of those have been convincingly proven to cause cancer," he added.

The FDA, the National Cancer Institute, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society all have evaluated the same evidence in the past, and all of them concluded that there was no clear evidence that artificial (non-nutritive) sweeteners cause cancer when consumed at typical levels, Hawk said.

While he believes that the WHO agencies did a careful review and have the public’s best interest in mind, Hawk called for additional research on the long-term health risks of consuming non-sugar sweeteners.

The FDA and other health agencies do not agree that aspartame is a cancer risk, so some medical professionals recommend using sugar instead of artificial sweeteners.

"Although it’s approved by regulatory bodies, potential risk factors are associated with preferring aspartame over sugar," noted Jhaveri.

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"Sensitivities or allergies to aspartame can result in adverse reactions, and excessive consumption may contribute to weight gain due to heightened cravings for sweet edibles," she said.

For some people, aspartame may cause physical symptoms that include headaches, dizziness, digestive ailments and allergic responses, Jhaveri noted.

"Avoiding aspartame when possible and opting for natural sugars in fruits and vegetables is prudent," she said. 

In May, the WHO advised against the use of non-sugar sweeteners like aspartame for the purposes of controlling body weight or lowering the risk of non-communicable diseases.

"Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term," said Branca, the WHO’s director for nutrition and food safety, in a press release at the time. 

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For the general public, Hawk recommended "paying attention to the science" as it continues to develop regarding the possible health consequences of artificial sweeteners.

"In the meantime, continue to work on consistently eating a balanced, healthy diet that contains whole foods that are high in nutrient density," he suggested.

People with a rare inherited disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid aspartame, medical experts say.

Those with PKU don’t have the enzyme to break down an amino acid called phenylalanine, so it builds up in the body. 

Consuming foods and drinks with aspartame can cause dangerous levels of phenylalanine that can lead to serious health issues, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.

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Aspartame-containing products will include a warning on the label stating "PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE." 

Anyone with PKU should avoid any food or drink with this warning.

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Every year, there are some 4,000 fatal drownings and 8,000 nonfatal drownings in the U.S., per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — and not all of them meet the textbook definition.

Even if a child appears to be "safe" after a water incident, the child could still be in danger if even a small amount of water has entered the lungs.

Unofficially known as "dry drowning," this condition can cause inflammation or swelling and make it difficult to breathe even after a child is out of the water, according to Dr. Denise Scott, a pediatrician who is co-founder of Oklahoma City’s first after-hours pediatric urgent care clinic. 

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"While ‘dry drowning’ is actually not a medical term or diagnosis, it does describe a condition that is a complication of a water event, termed ‘post-immersion syndrome,’" Scott told Fox News Digital.

"Post-immersion syndrome, considered a nonfatal drowning, describes an event in which a person was submersed in water but the lungs were not filled with water (thus dry)."

When this occurs, water has been inhaled — not swallowed — through the nose or mouth. 

"Water in the airways can lead to laryngospasm, or vocal cord spasm, making it difficult to breathe," explained Scott, who also works on the JustAnswer.com platform fielding questions about a wide variety of children’s health issues. 

"This makes it difficult to get air into the lungs."

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Post-immersion syndrome can occur after anyone has been in any body of water, whether it’s a lake, swimming pool, bathtub or hot tub.

"Technically, any drowning is the result of not getting air in the lungs, whether the lungs are wet or dry," Scott said. 

The most obvious sign of post-immersion syndrome is excessive or continuous coughing, Scott said.

"If someone inhales water, their response is to cough, which often expels the water," the doctor said. "The concern is when the cough continues after an episode of 30 to 60 minutes or longer."

Other warning signs that occur immediately after an episode or within an hour include difficulty breathing or speaking, rapid and hard breathing, chest pain, wheezing or vomiting.

Later symptoms, usually within two to three hours, can include confusion, sleepiness, and continued coughing and breathing difficulties, all of which can be signs of decreased oxygen, said Scott.

"A child who has either been rescued from water or inhaled water and has any of the above symptoms should be taken in for a medical evaluation," Scott said. "For any child who is not breathing, CPR should be given and 911 should be called."

A child with symptoms of post-immersion syndrome usually will be observed at the hospital for up to eight hours before the physician decides whether to pursue further treatment, Scott said.

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"Keeping a child calm can sometimes help the muscle spasms to relax," she added.

Although this condition is uncommon, it can be fatal if symptoms aren't addressed and lack of oxygen occurs, the doctor said. 

"A severe laryngospasm that isn't relieved ultimately can lead to lack of oxygen and cardiac arrest," she warned. "Long-term effects are the result of poor oxygen to any organ system, especially the brain, which can result in seizures or brain damage."

Drowning is the most common cause of unintentional death in children between ages 1 and 4 and the second leading cause of death in children between ages 5 and 14, per the CDC. 

Most drownings are preventable. 

"First and foremost, children should never swim unsupervised or alone," Scott said. 

"Young children who cannot swim should have an adult within arm's reach and wear a personal flotation device."

Private swimming pools should have a fence around them to prevent someone from wandering in, she went on. Children should always wear life vests when they're near or around lakes. 

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While it’s a good idea to have young children take swim lessons, Scott emphasized that it is not a safeguard, nor should it give a false sense of security or take the place of close adult supervision.

Parents also should learn CPR, she added.

While post-immersion syndrome can happen to someone at any age, children are at the greatest risk, Scott said.

"Adults and teens are more likely to be at risk if they go swimming after consuming alcohol, but anyone can accidentally inhale water when submersed," she said. 

"The vast majority of the time, this clears up with coughing. For persistent symptoms, one should seek medical care."

Fewer than 40% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients receive CPR before EMS teams arrive, according to the American Heart Association. Even fewer patients are treated with an automated external defibrillator or AED. 

New initiatives and partnerships are working to change that, with the goal of doubling the survival rate for heart attacks.

"The idea is to ensure that lifesaving policies are in place at the high school level to make sure that our kids, if they suffer sudden cardiac arrest, have the best possible chances of success," said Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president for health and safety innovation.

The NFL and other professional sports leagues are working with the Red Cross and the American Heart Association to promote their Smart Heart Coalition.

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"With schools being a focal place for gathering in the community, it's really important that we have emergency response plans," said Nancy Brown, the American Heart Association's CEO. 

"We know that although the statistics are true, that older people are more likely to have a cardiac arrest or a cardiovascular event, young people still have these events as well. So we want to be sure that someone is prepared everywhere to save a life."

When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a live Monday Night Football game about six months ago, his team’s doctors were prepared.

"The people were in place; they were practiced," said Miller. "They had trained their emergency action plan. They knew to take Damar to a level one trauma center when he was evacuated from the field. They had the device there and they knew what to do with it."

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Miller said the NFL and Hamlin wanted to take advantage of all the attention received from this incident — and encourage everyone to have a response plan.

"We learned a lot and have tried to share a lot," Miller said. "But at the high school level, obviously they don't have the same sort of resources or setup that the NFL does. And so we want to translate some of those learnings alongside the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross and others to make sure that our schools are in the best possible place to help out kids who might need it."

Every year, an estimated 350,000 people experience a heart attack outside the hospital. One in 300 kids has an undetected heart condition.

"There isn't sufficient awareness. Parents, coaches and others should insist upon these very basic, simple, easy-to-enact solutions to what is a thankfully not very common, but at the same time all too common phenomenon," Miller said. 

"Those deaths are simply preventable by these three simple policy adjustments: CPR education, an emergency action plan and the availability of an AED nearby [within] one to three minutes of an athletic contest or practice so the kid can be saved."

Athletes and health officials have also taken the effort to Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have introduced the Access to AEDs Act, which would provide additional funding for schools.

"It’s grants that would enable communities and athletic facilities to get access," Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) said.

Welch said a reaction plan is important, and a quick response helped save his brother’s life.

"My brother was playing basketball and he collapsed. They had, right there at this gym, a defibrillator," Welch said. 

"And 20 years later, John's still playing basketball. So we're really grateful in the Welch family that this community has done it."

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Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall is a medical doctor. He believes if more people know where AEDs are located and how to use them, they can help save additional lives.

"The chances of a person surviving this goes up from one out of 10 to three out of 10 if someone's able to start CPR. It probably goes up to seven out of 10 if we have an AED available as well," Marshall said. 

"I'm committed to getting them across the country in the right locations, but also figuring out everyone should have some type of an app downloaded that could show us those locations."

MedStar Health in Washington, D.C., is partnering with professional athletes from the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards to demonstrate how to perform CPR and how to use an AED.

"Getting the athletes on board, with their star power, definitely makes people excited about it," Dr. Alex Koo said. 

When they show "how easy it is without any training, I think people can get really excited about and say, ‘Hey, I can do it as well.'"

MedStar Health hopes the videos make people more comfortable about learning and performing CPR.

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"Black communities, as well as Hispanic communities, sometimes don't have as high rates of bystander CPR. And so that's something that we want to highlight, that this is something that's accessible to everybody," Dr. Koo said.

CPR training no longer includes mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The American Heart Association also says that hands-only CPR can really make a difference.

"We recognized that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was a barrier for some people in administering CPR," Brown told Fox News. 

"Generally cardiac arrests, if they are witnessed, are generally witnessed by someone who knows the person that might be having the cardiac arrest. So the skill of learning CPR is really important because you might be saving the life of someone you know and love."

The American Heart Association believes that while formal CPR training is important, simple videos and easy-to-learn methods can still help save lives.

"We do intend at the AHA to create a ‘Nation of Lifesavers’ and we encourage everyone to learn CPR," Brown said. "I think that CPR and AED training should be part of everyone's summer safety plan."

You can watch MedStar Health's videos at MedStarHealth.org/CPR. 

If you are interested in getting CPR-certified or learning to use an AED, you can find a class in your area at CPR.heart.org.

The most common type of gynecologic cancer in the U.S. has been on the rise in recent years — and there’s no standard screening for it.

Uterine cancer will affect about 66,200 women in 2023 in the U.S. — and around 13,000 will die from the disease, per the American Cancer Society (ACS).

"While we are seeing a downward trend in overall cancer cases, uterine cancer is one of the few types where we're seeing an upward trend," said Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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"We’re anticipating that the number of deaths in the United States due to uterine cancer is soon going to outnumber the deaths due to ovarian cancer," he added.

To help raise awareness, the International Society of Gynecologic Cancer announced the first-ever Uterine Cancer Awareness Month in June.

Slomovitz — who also serves as chair of the Uterine Cancer Awareness Month initiative — spoke to Fox News Digital about the state of uterine cancer and what women need to know.

The terms "uterine cancer" and "endometrial cancer" are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference, Slomovitz said.

A vast majority of these types of cancers occur in the outer and inner layers of the uterus, known as the endometrium — hence the term "endometrial cancer."

About 4% to 5% of the cancers occur in the muscle of the uterus. These are known as uterine sarcomas.

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"Sarcomas are aggressive diseases with a tremendously high death rate," Slomovitz explained. "But all of them fall in the category of uterine cancers."

Obesity is the biggest risk factor for uterine cancer, Slomovitz said.

"Fat tissue increases the amount of estrogen in the body, and endometrial cancer is a hyper estrogenic," he explained. "It stimulates the lining of the uterus to the point of uncontrolled proliferation into cancer."

Overweight women (with a body mass index of 25 to 29.9) have twice the risk of developing uterine cancer as women at a healthy weight, the ACS website states.

Obese women (BMI of 30 or higher) have three times the risk.

Those with diabetes, which is closely related to obesity, are also at a higher risk.

A less common risk factor could be polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormonal disorder that can lead to enlarged ovaries and the formation of cysts. 

PCOS leads to elevated estrogen levels and lower progesterone levels, which can raise the risk of endometrial cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) website.

Some hereditary syndromes can make women more susceptible to uterine cancer.

"One of those is Lynch syndrome, which was often associated with colorectal cancer," said Slomovitz.

"We know that half the women who develop cancer from Lynch syndrome develop endometrial cancer."

Age is also a risk factor, as most patients are diagnosed in their 50s and 60s, the doctor said.

"The increase in cases may be due to obesity, but we're also seeing longer life expectancy," he noted. "The older people get, the more likely that they are to get endometrial cancer, obviously."

While other cancers have specific, recommended screenings — such as mammograms for breast cancer and colonoscopies for colorectal cancer — there are no pre-symptomatic screenings for uterine cancers, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Pap smear (Pap test) checks for cervical cancer and precancerous cells in the cervix, but does not screen for uterine cancer.

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The most common sign or symptom of uterine cancer is abnormal bleeding, Slomovirz said.

"Most uterine cancer patients have postmenopausal bleeding as an early sign or symptom — however, that's not the case for everyone," he said.

In premenopausal women, it can be more difficult to determine what constitutes "abnormal" bleeding, the doctor noted. 

"They shouldn't just assume it's changes in their menstrual cycle," he said. 

In the absence of a formal screening process, Slomovitz stressed the need to recognize symptoms and take quick action.

"We need to better educate patients to come see their doctors sooner if they have symptoms," he told Fox News Digital. 

In addition to bleeding, other symptoms may include pelvic pain or pelvic pressure.

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"We always tell people that if they have symptoms that are worsening or if they persist after 10 to 14 days, they should come in to see their doctor just to make sure everything's OK," Slomovitz said.

"We're still seeing a large number of patients who are diagnosed with advanced and recurrent disease."

The diagnosis process typically starts with an ultrasound to take images of the uterus, followed by a tissue biopsy — either to diagnose or rule out the disease, said Slomovitz.

In cases of advanced cancer, patients will usually get additional tests — such as chest X-rays, CT scans, MRIs or PET scans — to determine if the disease has spread.

"It traditionally spreads through the lymphatic system, which means lymph nodes can be enlarged," Slomovitz explained. "It can also spread to the liver or the lungs through the blood system."

In patients who have had endometrial cancer in the past, a gynecologic oncologist will instruct them that for any future symptoms, recurring cancer must be ruled out. 

"They're cancer patients — so even in the non-specific symptoms, it's worthy of seeing their oncologist again to make sure it's not coming back," Slomovitz said.

In women who are diagnosed with uterine cancer, one of the first steps is usually a hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus.

"Eighty percent of women are cured with a hysterectomy," Slomovitz said.

To further minimize risk, the doctor said medical professionals will often do lymph node sampling as well to make sure the cancer hasn't spread.

"But for the additional 20% of patients who have advanced or recurrent disease, systemic therapies are needed," he said. "We need to do better with treatment options for uterine cancer."

For these aggressive cases, the systemic therapies have been chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, which uses progesterone to slow down tumor growth.

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This year, Slomovitz said, some breakthrough studies have shown that immunotherapy can be given in the first-line management of the disease.

Immunotherapy treatments work by helping the immune system to slow, stop or destroy cancer cells. It’s shown to be effective for lung cancer, oral cancer and melanoma, the doctor pointed out.

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in May 2023, researchers presented promising results for a new class of drugs called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCS), a targeted therapy for treating cancer, Slomovitz said.

Future studies will continue to look at these types of targeted drugs.

"One of my career goals is to use immunotherapy and targeted therapy to eliminate the need for chemotherapy and its associated toxicities and side effects," Slomovitz said.

Another "groundbreaking" advancement Slomovitz is particularly excited about is molecular classification, which divides uterine cancers into four different subtypes — thus allowing for more precise, personalized treatment options.

"We're in a very exciting time," he said. "There are some game-changing studies that are coming out, as we try to fill this unmet need to help our patients live longer."

“The launch of the Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit was held as part of CARPHA’s celebration of Caribbean Nutrition Awareness Month 2023”

View the full post CARPHA Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit on NOW Grenada.

Between 2020 and 2021, there was a nearly 19% increase in weight loss surgeries among U.S. youths aged 10 to 19 years, as discovered by researchers from the University of Texas, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The researchers were particularly interested in looking at these trends after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a statement in late 2019 endorsing increased access to bariatric surgery for teens, said lead study author Sarah Messiah, PhD, professor and pediatric obesity researcher at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.

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The study drew on data from across six years from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, which accredits bariatric surgery centers in the U.S. and Canada.

"Historically, research shows pediatricians have been hesitant to refer their patients with severe obesity to bariatric surgery," Messiah told Fox News Digital in an email. 

"Our findings show a steady increase in usage in the two years after the release of this AAP statement."

The increase was particularly high for racial and ethnic minority groups. That includes Hispanic/Latino, non-Hispanic Black/African American and others, possibly because they are "disproportionately impacted by cardiometabolic disease risk factors versus non-Hispanic Whites," Messiah said.

These risk factors include elevated blood pressure, lipids, insulin, glucose and waist circumference — all of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as some types of cancer, she added.

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The new study did have some limitations, Messiah said.

"We are always limited to the data we are analyzing in that it does not include the entire universe of all adolescents who have ever completed bariatric surgery in the U.S. during the analytical time period," she said. 

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"However, this dataset does include all adolescent patients who completed their surgery at a U.S. accredited center, which is the gold standard," the doctor also said.

In January 2023, the AAP released its new pediatric obesity treatment guidelines, officially endorsing bariatric surgery and weight loss prescriptions for the first time.

"Teens age 13 and older with severe obesity (BMI ≥120% of the 95th percentile for age and sex) should be evaluated for metabolic and bariatric surgery," the guidelines stated.

There are four main types of bariatric surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic: gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band and duodenal switch.

There was a lot of resistance to the AAP’s recommendation, Messiah pointed out.

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"However, our analysis would suggest that families are following their own path in terms of deciding to move forward with surgery for their adolescent," she said. 

"It will be important that we support these families moving forward to ensure the best health outcomes for their adolescents as they age into adulthood."

Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, offers a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. 

Billed as a minimally invasive procedure, it involves removing a large portion of the stomach to suppress hunger, according to its website.

The hospital recommends exploring weight loss surgery for children who are at least 5 years old, have a BMI of at least 40 (or above 35 with other medical conditions) and have had at least six months of "supervised medical weight loss therapy."

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio also has a bariatric surgery program, but its website states that it’s for "severely obese adolescents who haven’t had success with behavioral and nutritional approaches to weight loss."

Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, offers two types of bariatric surgery: gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. 

The website doesn’t specify a minimum age requirement, but patients must be at least 100 pounds over their "ideal body weight."

Patients and physicians have gone online to share experiences and opinions on pediatric weight loss surgery. 

These run the gamut from success stories to cautionary tales.

One bariatric surgeon on Reddit voiced concern about misconceptions of the procedure.

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"People see it as ‘the easy way out,’ but it's honestly the only way out for 95% of people who are morbidly obese," the doctor wrote. 

"Your metabolic rate will slow down significantly if you try to diet and lose weight, and your progress will slow down — and weight regain is almost inevitable. Bariatric surgery doesn't do that, and something like the gastric bypass hardwires in a malabsorptive component that can't be overridden."

"Do I think we should do bariatric surgery in teenagers? I won't be doing it any time soon, but I think that in a controlled setting with IRB approval, it is appropriate," the surgeon continued, referring to Institutional Review Boards. 

"We have an entire demographic of teenagers with type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea and serious joint pains because of their weight," the surgeon also wrote. "It would be ignorant to overlook an obvious treatment for those conditions."

Another poster, however, shared that her friend opted for the bypass procedure at 16 years old and did not have a good experience.

"She’s now 26 and has gained all the weight back and more," she wrote. 

"Her brain wasn’t done developing and she wasn’t mature enough to understand the consequences of such major surgery and to stick to the guidelines and deal with her disordered eating."

Meanwhile, a surgery intern in a private hospital posted that the facility had performed an "astonishingly high number of bariatric cases" and recalled seeing many complications — even when very skilled surgeons did the procedures.

Dr. Sue Decotiis, a triple board-certified weight loss physician in New York City, warned of the potential dangers of these surgeries in children and teens, given their "irreversible nature."

She told Fox News Digital, "With bariatric surgery, you're altering the anatomy of the GI tract, and that anatomy — if it's a bypass — can never be returned [to its original state]."

She added, "That means the individual is never going to be able to eat regular meals because the anatomy of the stomach has changed."

Another potential problem is that after the anatomy of the stomach is altered, Decotiis said, the person won’t be able to eat as much high-nutrition and high-fiber food because they will feel full immediately.

"This can make them gravitate toward processed foods because those are a lot easier to get down," she said. 

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Before going the surgery route for a child or teen, Decotiis recommends first making dietary changes, such as cutting out sodas and sugary foods and slowly introducing more nutritious fare.

And in the case of teens with severe obesity, the doctor pointed out that if they start with some of the newer weight loss medications that are available, surgery might not be necessary.

"All the medical options need to be exhausted before they consider surgery, because surgery is irreversible," Decotiis said.

The only exception, she said, is if the child or teen is "morbidly obese" (now known as Class III obesity, which is when a person has a BMI of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher along with obesity-related health conditions, per the Cleveland Clinic). 

"Otherwise, it's not worth it because they will likely gain the weight back — and since their anatomy has been disturbed, getting proper nutrients will be difficult in the future."