An experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy shows promise, a small study suggests. The severe form of muscular dystrophy — which affects about one in 3,500 males born each year in the United States — causes muscles to progressively weaken and lose the ability to regenerate after an injury. Muscle tissue is eventually replaced… read on > read on >
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, and recent research has suggested it may also help guard against severe COVID-19. But how much is enough, and how hard is it to get the right amount of vitamin D? “We know that a large percentage of the population has suboptimal levels of vitamin D. In fact, as… read on > read on >
Too much screen time can make your toddler more distractible, British researchers warn. The use of smartphones and tablets by babies and toddlers has soared in recent years. “The first few years of life are critical for children to learn how to control their attention and ignore distraction, early skills that are known to be… read on > read on >
In another sign that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been good for Americans’ health, a new study finds that a large number of undiagnosed HIV cases in the United States came to light after Medicaid’s expansion under the health insurance law. Not only that, there was also an increase in the use of HIV… read on > read on >
A racist mortgage appraisal practice used in the United States decades ago has resulted in less green space in some urban neighborhoods today, researchers say. Those so-called “redlined” neighborhoods have higher rates of air and noise pollution, racial segregation and poverty — all of which can contribute to poorer health. In the 1930s, the Home… read on > read on >
Regular afternoon naps appear to increase verbal fluency and working memory read on >
New and more infectious coronavirus variants are beginning to appear in the United States, but all have remained vulnerable to the two vaccines now being distributed to Americans, the White House COVID-19 Response Team said Wednesday. There have been 308 cases of the British variants confirmed in 26 states as of Jan. 26, said Dr.… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Retired doctors and nurses are being called to the front lines of the U.S. coronavirus vaccination effort, the White House COVID-19 Response team announced Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is amending its rules to allow retired health professionals to administer COVID-19 vaccine shots,… read on > read on >
Moonlight feels right, the ’70s song insists — and that old nugget might have been onto something. Your sleep waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, with folks staying up later when moonlight is strongest, researchers discovered by comparing primitive human tribes to college students. “Sleep starts later and lasts less on the… read on > read on >
To the ever-growing list of COVID-19’s collateral damage, add one more casualty: cancer research. A new study indicates that during the first wave of the pandemic last spring, the number of newly launched cancer treatment studies cratered by 60%. “In short, the first wave of COVID slowed scientific progress in a health-related area distant from… read on > read on >
