Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have prevented an anticipated outbreak of a rare polio-like syndrome in children, researchers report. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a spinal condition that causes weakness in the limbs, impairs motor function and can lead to lifelong disabilities. It was first reported in the United States in 2012,… read on > read on >
If you’re drinking more, sleeping less, seeing downright scary numbers on your scale and fretting about the future, you’re far from alone, a new survey reveals. “We’ve been concerned throughout this pandemic about the level of prolonged stress, exacerbated by the grief, trauma and isolation that Americans are experiencing,” said Arthur Evans Jr., chief executive… read on > read on >
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, remains in breast milk for up to six weeks and may be harmful to infants, a new study warns. The researchers said the finding supports recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and others that women shouldn’t use marijuana while pregnant or breastfeeding. “Just as we now caution… read on > read on >
Many people dread the switch to daylight saving time. When you’re losing an hour of sleep, it can be hard to actually feel like springing forward. Dr. Rachel Ziegler, a sleep medicine physician from the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, Minn., offers some tips for easing into the time change before it happens on… read on > read on >
One woman chatting on the Bumble dating app recently struck up a conversation with a seemingly nice guy that led to them swapping texts. “He told her that he was going to get the COVID vaccine. She expressed her interest, and he told her that she should pay him for it and he could get… read on > read on >
After nearly a year of painful isolation, the U.S. government said Wednesday that vaccinated nursing home residents can hug their loved ones again and enjoy more indoor visits. The new guidance, issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comes after coronavirus cases and deaths among nursing home residents have plummeted in… read on > read on >
One Ohio medical center has seen a sharp rise in heart infections and strokes related to IV drug abuse — pointing to one more consequence of the U.S. opioid epidemic, researchers say. In a preliminary study, the researchers found that between 2014 and 2018, their hospital saw a 630% increase in infectious endocarditis related to… read on > read on >
Your eyes may be a window into the health of your brain, a new study indicates. Researchers found that older adults with the eye disease retinopathy were at increased risk of having a stroke, as well as possible symptoms of dementia. And on average, they died sooner than people their age without the eye condition.… read on > read on >
If you’ve previously been infected by the new coronavirus, just one dose of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be enough to protect you from future infection, according to a new study. “We showed that the antibody response to the first vaccine dose in people with preexisting immunity is equal to or even… read on > read on >
The trauma and loss of stroke can often leave survivors with long-term depression, and women appear to be at special risk, new research shows. “We did not expect that the cumulative risk of depression would remain so persistently elevated,” said study author Dr. Laura Stein, an assistant professor of neurology at the Icahn School of… read on > read on >
