WEDNESDAY, March 24, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — The increasingly trendy trio of kefir, kimchi and kombucha may not be familiar to you, but experts say fermented foods like these can help the home of most of your immune system – your gut. How and why some (not all) fermented foods work is an… read on > read on >
If you feel recharged after a day spent in the great outdoors, there’s a physiological reason for that. Bird song and lapping waves combat negative feelings such as annoyance and stress, while boosting positive emotions and health, according to new research using the sounds found at U.S. national parks. “It’s good for what we’re calling… read on > read on >
Nearly half of the public schools in America are now holding in-person classes, with white children far more likely to be in those classrooms than Black, Hispanic or Asian students, the first federal data on the state of education during the pandemic shows. The survey, released early Wednesday, suggests the nation is moving toward a… read on > read on >
It’s not unusual for a fictional character to ring such a chord that their story shapes your life. Think of educators inspired by Robin Williams’ character in “Dead Poets Society,” lawyers drawn to the profession by Perry Mason or Atticus Finch, or health professionals motivated by the doctors on “ER” or “Grey’s Anatomy.” Now researchers… read on > read on >
Heavy bleeding following birth can threaten the life of the mother, and doctors at times turn to a hysterectomy to end the bleeding. But a new study suggests a less invasive, underused procedure might be a better, less drastic option. Investigators determined that when postpartum bleeding occurs, hysterectomies — the removal of the uterus —… read on > read on >
Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy have a higher risk of complications for themselves and their babies if they’re night owls instead of early birds, a new study finds. Gestational diabetes increases the mother’s risk of premature delivery and preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure). It also raises the baby’s risk of growing too large in… read on > read on >
After a sharp drop early in the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of routine breast and colon cancer screening soon returned to near-normal levels, a new study finds. “These are the first findings to show that, despite real fears about the consequences of drop-off in cancer screens, health facilities figured out how to pick this back up… read on > read on >
COVID-19 may intensify kidney damage in people with acute kidney injury (AKI), researchers report. AKI is a sudden decline in the kidney’s filtration function that happens to 15% of hospitalized patients. It increases a patient’s likelihood of death 10-fold. The reason is unknown, but AKI is more common — and often more severe — in… read on > read on >
COVID-19 transmission is rare in schools that follow precautions such as mandatory masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing, a new study finds. And that’s true even among close school contacts of people who test positive for the new coronavirus, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Schools can operate safely… read on > read on >
It was bound to happen: As the pandemic wore on, many older Americans couldn’t resist the urge to bring home a furry friend. According to a new poll from the University of Michigan, about 10% of all U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 80 adopted a new pet between March 2020 and January… read on > read on >
