For the first time, scientists have detected microscopic microplastics lodged in the human brain. Researchers in Germany and Brazil say that 8 out of 15 autopsied adults had microplastics detected within their brain’s smell centers, the olfactory bulb. The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microplastics are ubiquitous in the… read on > read on >
Fatty liver disease linked to diabetes and obesity can easily progress to liver cirrhosis, but new research suggests that GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic can help stop that. In a new decades-long study, veterans with diabetes and what’s known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) were 14% less likely to progress to cirrhosis if they’d… read on > read on >
People with rare genetic variants linked to degenerative brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease are at increased risk of developing ALS, a new study finds. Further, having these genetic variants increases the risk of a person having faster-progressing ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and dying earlier, researchers found. The strongest link was with Parkinson’s disease, results show.… read on > read on >
Vaping may look cool when you’re young, but it appears to be dulling the brains of college students, a new study warns. College students who vape have lower cognitive function scores than those who don’t, researchers reported Sunday at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. And the more students vape, the lower… read on > read on >
Many parents worry that their kids aren’t popular enough, or that they aren’t making the right friends, a new survey finds. About 1 in 5 parents say their child aged 6 to 12 has no friends or not enough friends, according to the results of the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National… read on > read on >
Tiny puffs from asthma inhalers could be causing big climate problems for Mother Earth, a new study warns. Each inhaler dose contains some of the most potent greenhouse gases known, and they are adding up, researchers reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. By the time some inhalers are empty, they have… read on > read on >
Newfangled designs intended to make football helmets more protective have overlooked one key component, a new study suggests. Nearly a third of concussions in pro football involve impacts to the facemask, a part of the helmet that has remained mostly unchanged during the past decade, researchers say. Facemask enhancements could help protect players and minimize… read on > read on >
People should prepare for the fall cold and flu season by getting the updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations, an infectious diseases expert says. “When my patients ask me if they should be getting a COVID vaccine this year, yes, essentially anybody over the ages of 6 months, I’m recommending it,” Dr. Nicholas Turner, an assistant… read on > read on >
Beans may sometimes give you gas, but one expert says that shouldn’t stop you from finding ways to include them in your diet. Why? Because they are packed with nutrients that contribute to good health. “Beans are in a unique category because they are a protein source, but they are also complex carbohydrates,” said Dr.… read on > read on >
Boar’s Head announced Friday that its Jarratt, Va. deli meat manufacturing plant, found to be the source of a deadly outbreak of listeria infections, will be closed indefinitely. Boar’s Head added that it also believes it has located the source of contamination. “Our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific… read on > read on >
