Having preeclampsia during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future risk of stroke, researchers say. Preeclampsia happens when a woman with previously normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure, protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks into pregnancy. The condition occurs in about one in 25 pregnancies in the United States, according… read on > read on >
The more gun laws a state has, the lower its suicide and murder rates, a new U.S. study finds. Gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis. In 2017, nearly 67,000 Americans died by suicide and homicide. And guns were involved in about half of the suicides and 74% of the murders,… read on > read on >
If you live with a smoker, breathing in their smoke could increase your risk of oral cancer by more than 50%, a new analysis shows. The findings highlight the need for more effective programs to prevent people from being exposed to secondhand smoke, the British authors said. They analyzed five studies from Asia, Europe, North… read on > read on >
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — People who are salt-sensitive may have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a study that points to the need for better genetic testing for sodium sensitivity. Scientists already knew high salt sensitivity is more common among people with high blood pressure, which… read on > read on >
An experimental COVID-19 vaccine could potentially provide universal protection against future COVID variants as well as other coronaviruses — maybe even the ones responsible for the common cold. And it’s dirt cheap — less than $1 a dose, researchers say. The vaccine targets a part of the COVID virus’ spike protein that appears to be… read on > read on >
More than 5 million Americans have missed the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, new government data shows. The trend seems to be growing. According to the latest data, the number of vaccine recipients who missed their second dose now stands at nearly 8%, more than double the rate seen among people who got inoculated… read on > read on >
A breakthrough psoriasis drug is better at treating the itchy and painful skin disease than medicines already on the market, according to results from two clinical trials. There was a “night and day difference” in the results from bimekizumab compared against two established psoriasis drugs, secukinumab (Cosentyx) and adalimumab (Humira), said Dr. Mark Lebwohl, a… read on > read on >
Music hath charms to soothe you off to slumber, new research suggests. The study found that calming tunes at bedtime seem to help older people struggling with insomnia. “We found music therapy was effective for older adults with sleep disturbance,” said study co-author Yen-Chin Chen, an associate professor of nursing at National Cheng Kung University… read on > read on >
Women who use marijuana heavily during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely or have an underweight newborn, a new study suggests. Researchers found that babies born to moms with problem marijuana use — what doctors call cannabis use disorder — faced some higher risks than other newborns. They were 6% more likely to… read on > read on >
A strong immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19 by the placenta may help explain why infected pregnant women face a higher risk of complications, such as preterm birth and preeclampsia, researchers say. The Yale University team analyzed blood and placental tissue from 39 women at different stages of pregnancy. They detected evidence of… read on > read on >
