Mindfulness is all the rage when it comes to boosting mental health, but new research suggests that it may not help everyone equally. Practicing mindfulness meditation — which involves paying close attention to what you are feeling in the moment — may be better than doing nothing at all to improve anxiety, depression or lower… read on > read on >
Many Americans most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic don’t believe that racism is associated with poorer health, a nationwide poll shows. The ongoing poll of more than 4,000 lower- and middle-income Americans focuses on communities of color. “It really struck us that — despite the virus’s spread across the country to all types of communities… read on > read on >
As clinics closed for non-essential care and patients’ COVID-19 fears kept them from check-ups, the United States saw a steep drop in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first peak of the pandemic, a new report finds. Researchers analyzed data on how many patients underwent cancer screening tests — procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, Pap… read on > read on >
Biomarkers in sperm may help identify men at risk of fathering children with autism, researchers say. For the study, investigators examined sperm epigenetics — the molecular processes that affect gene expression — in 13 men who fathered sons with autism and 13 who had children without the disorder. The American and Spanish researchers focused specifically… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Kayla Scritchfield had a normal pregnancy and delivered her second daughter, Ava, thinking all was well. About six hours later, Ava looked purple. Medical personnel whisked away the newborn. Kayla and her husband, Garrett, were told that Ava probably had a heart defect. She needed to… read on > read on >
One month after the United States began what has become a troubled rollout of a national COVID vaccination campaign, the effort is finally gathering real steam. Close to a million doses — over 951,000, to be more exact — made their way into the arms of Americans in the past 24 hours, the U.S. Centers… read on > read on >
When journalist Catherine Guthrie learned that she would need to have a mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis, she was shocked by what seemed like a cursory explanation from her surgeon about what would happen next. That included removing both of her breasts, adding implants, and moving a muscle from her back to her chest… read on > read on >
Moderate drinking is often touted as heart-healthy, but a large new study finds that even one drink a day might raise the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, is a common heart arrhythmia where the upper chambers of the heart quiver chaotically, causing a fast and irregular heartbeat.… read on > read on >
There’s yet another reason to quit smoking: It increases the risk of deadly bleeding strokes, a new study warns. Researchers focused on a type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain ruptures and bleeds into the space between the brain and the skull. This… read on > read on >
Patients with chronic kidney disease who stop using a class of common blood pressure medications may lower their risk for dialysis, but they also raise their odds of cardiovascular disease, a new study finds. The blood pressure medicines in question are called renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RAS inhibitors), which include both ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II… read on > read on >
