Close friendships are incredibly important to the mental health of middle-aged folks and seniors, a new study finds. Older adults with worse mental or physical health were twice as likely to say they don’t have any close friends, according to results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. “With growing understanding of… read on > read on >
Air pollution could be harming the brain development of children before they are even born, a new study warns. A 10 parts-per-billion increase in ozone exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 55% increased risk of intellectual disability among children compared to their siblings, researchers found. “Ozone exposure during pregnancy is… read on > read on >
Head lice can be a wintertime headache for families and schools, but simple precautions can stop the spread of these pesky parasites. Every year, 6 million to 12 million children in the United States, ages 3 to 11, experience head lice infestations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contrary to popular… read on > read on >
The U.S. obesity rate declined for the first time in a decade last year, coinciding with the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss meds, a new study finds. Data on almost 17 million adults nationwide showed the obesity rate — which has been rising for years — fell from 46.2% of adults in 2021 to 45.6% in… read on > read on >
Have you been boozing more often than usual? A new blood test might be able to tell if you’re damaging your liver from too many beers, margaritas or belts of scotch, researchers report. A blood-borne byproduct of alcohol consumption called phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can give doctors a fair idea of how much liver scarring has occurred… read on > read on >
Breathing in smoggy air over time can significantly raise a person’s chances for dangerous blood clots, new research shows. “What’s striking from our study is the increase in serious blood clotting disease with exposure to some of the most common types of pollutants in the air we breathe,” said study lead author Pamela Lutsey. “It’s… read on > read on >
The same technology behind COVID vaccines might be able to protect both the mother and child from a dangerous complication of pregnancy. A new mouse study published Dec. 11 in the journal Nature shows that injections based on that vaccine platform reduced the risk of preeclampsia in lab mice. Preeclampsia is persistent high blood pressure… read on > read on >
Caregiving for children or sick loved ones can be very stressful. so much so it can affect your heart health, new research shows. High caregiving stress increases risk of high blood pressure by nearly 40% among Black women ages 21 to 44, according to results published recently in the journal Hypertension. “Our analysis suggests that… read on > read on >
When an outbreak of mpox first hit the United States in 2022, a vaccine called Jynneos was available to help protect the most vulnerable population, gay and bisexual men. Now, there’s new data showing which individuals in the LGBTQ+ community were most likely to get vaccinated against the virus. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on > read on >
The ancient Japanese practice of reiki “energy healing” might help some cancer patients deal with the pain that can come with infusion therapies, new research shows. “Outpatients receiving reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction and a qualitatively positive healing experience,” reported a team led by Natalie Dyer,… read on > read on >
