If making healthy lifestyle changes doesn’t lower a patient’s slightly high blood pressure within six months, doctors should then consider prescribing medication, a new American Heart Association scientific statement advises. The recommendation is for people with untreated stage 1 high blood pressure (130-139/80-89 mm Hg) who have a low risk of a heart attack or… read on > read on >
Stroke recovery tends to be worse among Americans in poorer neighborhoods than those in wealthier neighborhoods, a new study finds. “People in less advantaged neighborhoods were more likely to have more disability, lower quality of life and more symptoms of depression than people in more advantaged neighborhoods,” said study author Lynda Lisabeth, from the University… read on > read on >
Herbal kratom is used by less than 1% of the U.S. population, but the rate is much higher among those who misuse opioid painkillers, a new study finds. Kratom is used to manage pain and opioid withdrawal. However, it carries the risk of addiction and harmful side effects, which has led the U.S. Food and… read on > read on >
Poor neighborhoods in the United States have fewer trees and are hotter than richer neighborhoods, new research shows. In the study, the researchers assessed tree cover in the 100 largest urban areas of the country. In nine out of 10 communities, there was less tree cover in low-income areas than in high-income areas. On average,… read on > read on >
Being born even slightly premature might still raise a child’s risk of developmental problems, a new study finds. Preemies often have developmental issues, but previous research has tended to focus on those born extremely preterm (22-26 weeks’ gestation), so less is known about children born moderately and very preterm (27-34 weeks’ gestation). Average full-term gestation… read on > read on >
Only 13.5% of people will suffer systemic side effects after getting Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, a new study finds. These systemic symptoms include headache, fatigue and tenderness. Most side effects are mild and peak in the day after being vaccinated, and they only last for one to two days, according to the findings. The analysis was… read on > read on >
There’s some sobering news for the millions of Americans who skipped their second coronavirus vaccine dose: Doing so could greatly reduce their odds of avoiding severe illness. In a “real-world” study of 417 adults aged 65 or older who got either the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccines, effectiveness in keeping folks out of the hospital… read on > read on >
When gender-diverse or transgender people have surgeries to affirm their gender, they experience a variety of positive mental health outcomes, new research shows. The study found an association between the surgeries, which participants had at least two years prior to a survey, and significantly lower rates of past-month psychological distress, past-year suicidal ideation and past-year… read on > read on >
Young Black and Hispanic cancer patients face poorer survival odds than their white counterparts, even from some cancers that are highly curable, a new study finds. It’s well known that the United States has long-standing racial disparities in cancer survival. The researchers said the new findings bolster evidence that those disparities are not confined to… read on > read on >
The Biden administration has eased guidelines for prescribing a crucial addiction treatment drug, just as a new study reveals one in five U.S. pharmacies refuses to dispense the medication, called buprenorphine. “Buprenorphine is a vital, lifesaving medication for people with opioid use disorder, but improving access has been a problem for a variety of reasons,”… read on > read on >
