Excess weight boosts the odds of flu complications, but that’s not all. Obese adults are contagious for much longer than their slim peers, researchers report. It’s known that obesity increases a person’s risk of hospitalization and death from flu, but these findings suggest extreme weight may also play a role in how the flu spreads.… read on >
Middle-aged people who drink moderately — no more than a glass of wine a day — may have a relatively lower risk of developing dementia later in life, researchers report. The study, which followed 9,000 British adults for over two decades, found that both heavier drinkers and abstainers had a higher dementia risk than moderate… read on >
In a sign that the U.S. opioid epidemic is still not under control, a new report shows that prescriptions for the highly addictive painkillers haven’t declined in the last decade. After peaking in 2012-2013, opioid use and doses leveled off. But doses were still higher in 2017 than in 2007, and opioid use was particularly… read on >
Hot summer weather can lead to itchy skin rashes, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Clogged sweat glands, bug bites and exposure to certain plants, chlorine and fungi are just a few of the common triggers for rashes. The AAP offers this list of rashes to watch for during summer: Heat rash. Poison ivy and… read on >
By the age of 5, the majority of young children will have an ear infection, the American Academy of Otolaryngology says. Most ear infections will resolve without medical intervention or with a dose of antibiotics. But in some children, ear infections become chronic. In these cases, parents may wish to discuss with a doctor the… read on >
If you think your inability to control food cravings is all in your head, you’re right. Losing weight is about more than cutting calories — you also have to resist food urges. And while behavior modification is a successful long-term tool, sometimes you need a quick fix. If everyone craved broccoli, there wouldn’t be a… read on >
Sunscreen washing off swimmers may pose a threat to fish and other aquatic life, a new study suggests. Ultraviolet (UV) filters have been added to many personal care products, including sunscreens, moisturizers and makeup. And swimmers, in particular, are advised to reapply sunscreen often or risk a painful and potentially harmful sunburn. But scientists have… read on >
A single traumatic brain injury can raise a person’s risk of dementia, a new study suggests. “Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in young adults,” said researcher Elisa Zanier, from the Mario Negri Institute in Milan, Italy. “Moreover, even in milder cases, it represents a risk factor for dementia, such… read on >
As women around the world wage war against cancer, good news on the breast cancer front is tempered by predictions that lung cancer deaths could rise more than 40 percent. Researchers in Spain reported that between 2015 and 2030, lung cancer deaths among women worldwide will likely increase 43 percent. During that same period, however,… read on >
People who want to have weight-loss surgery are facing much longer wait times now than a decade ago, a new study finds. Among weight-loss surgery patients in Michigan, the typical wait time almost doubled between 2006 and 2016 — from 86 days, to 159 days, researchers reported. Delays were especially common for patients on Medicaid,… read on >
