People with the heart-rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, may ease their symptoms with the help of a slower-paced yoga, a preliminary study finds. Researchers from India found that over 16 weeks of yoga sessions, a-fib patients saw their symptom episodes drop by about half. Their mental well-being got a boost as well.… read on >
For a host of reasons, millions worldwide are deciding to give up meat and focus on a plant-based diet. But new research out of Greece is a reminder that not all vegetarian diets are healthy — especially for people who are already obese. “The quality of plant-based diets varies,” concluded a team led by Matina… read on >
The first rapid coronavirus test that doesn’t need any special computer equipment to produce results was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. Made by Abbott Laboratories, the 15-minute test will sell for $5, giving it an edge over similar tests that need to be popped into a small machine, the Associated… read on >
Here’s some reassuring news for those who wonder whether face masks really work: New research shows a face covering can block 99.9% of respiratory droplets when a person speaks or coughs, significantly lowering the risk of coronavirus transmission. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom conducted tests with people and with a… read on >
Middle-aged men who were anxious or depressed teens are at increased risk for heart attack, according to a large, long-term study. It included more than 238,000 men born between 1952 and 1956 who underwent extensive exams when they were 18 or 19 years old and were followed to age 58. Men diagnosed with anxiety or… read on >
Despite the wave of criticism that has followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency approval of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients, infectious disease experts say the therapy remains promising. Some scientists have questioned both the timing of the approval and the veracity of a key survival statistic cited by FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen… read on >
Just weeks after colleges across the United States reopened their campuses for the fall semester, thousands of coronavirus infections are cropping up in students and staff alike. More than 1,500 American colleges and universities were tallied in The New York Times survey. That included every four-year public institution, every private college that competes in NCAA… read on >
Smokers with the most common type of heart rhythm disorder can reduce their risk of stroke and death by giving up cigarettes, a new study says. “Smoking precipitates blood clots that could lead to a stroke, which may be why giving up lowers risk,” said study author So-Ryoung Lee of Seoul National University Hospital in… read on >
If you have hypertension and you’re depressed, don’t blame your blood pressure drugs. Although previous research hinted there might be a connection between high blood pressure medications and depression, a new study of dozens of commonly used drugs found no such link. In fact, the Danish researchers found the opposite — nine blood pressure drugs… read on >
Nearly 6 in 10 people who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest sought medical help in the previous two weeks, a new study finds. Cardiac arrest is fatal within minutes if untreated, and less than 10% of victims survive. “The high mortality from cardiac arrest in the community emphasizes the need to identify those at risk,”… read on >
