A small but significant percentage of Americans take medications that can hamper their immune system and its response to COVID-19 vaccines, researchers say. Their analysis of data from more than 3 million adults under 65 with private insurance found that nearly 3% take immunosuppressive drugs. Those include chemotherapy medications and steroids such as prednisone. Two-thirds… read on > read on >
If you’ve ever wished you had an extra hand to accomplish a task, never fear, scientists are working on that. But a new study raises questions about how such technology could affect your brain. The findings come from ongoing research into a 3D-printed robotic thumb known as “Third Thumb.” It’s worn on a person’s dominant… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, May 20, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — The rate of deaths related to diabetes and high blood pressure among Black people over the past two decades improved in urban areas, according to a new study, but rural communities are lagging. Scientists have known for years that people in rural areas of the U.S.… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, May 20, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — New research into the growing problem of early childhood obesity suggests the bacteria in a baby’s gut may indicate weight problems in the years to come. Researchers examined gut microbiota – bacteria and other microbes in the digestive system – of babies, as well as their… read on > read on >
A new coronavirus that appears to have jumped from a dog to a child has been discovered from a case three years ago, but it’s unclear what threat it may pose. This new canine-like coronavirus was found in a child in Malaysia in 2018. If it is confirmed as a human pathogen, it could be… read on > read on >
For people worried about developing dementia due to their family history, a preliminary study offers some good news: A healthy lifestyle might curb your risk. Researchers found that older adults with healthy habits had a lower risk of developing dementia, versus the less health-conscious — even if a parent or sibling had suffered from the… read on > read on >
Virginia Terrell knew she wouldn’t be allowed visitors after she checked into the hospital with COVID-19 late last month, but being braced for that reality didn’t make her week-and-a-half stay any easier. “You get pretty lonely,” said Terrell, 59, who was treated at WakeMed and Duke Health hospitals in Raleigh, N.C. “It’s helpful knowing that… read on > read on >
Fully vaccinated people will likely need a COVID-19 booster shot within about a year, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and Pfizer’s CEO said Wednesday. “We know that the vaccine durability of the efficacy lasts at least six months, and likely considerably more, but I think we will almost certainly require a booster sometime within… read on > read on >
Colon cancer is on the rise among people under 50, and the million-dollar question is why. Now, new research suggests that certain lifestyle factors, such as eating lots of red meat and heavy alcohol consumption, may play a role in this increase. “The occurrence of colorectal cancer in people less than 50 years of age… read on > read on >
Family history, race and sex are among the factors that increase a child’s risk of asthma, a new study shows. “These findings help us to better understand what groups of children are most susceptible to asthma early in life,” said study co-author Christine Cole Johnson, chair of public health sciences at Henry Ford Health System… read on > read on >
