A rare fungal infection has been diagnosed in two cats and a vet tech who treated one of the animals, a new report warns. The three cases — discovered in Kansas in late 2022 and early 2023 — were caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and… read on > read on >
Intense weather fluctuations caused by climate change could be contributing to an increase in stroke deaths, a new study claims. Freezing cold fronts and broiling heat waves are associated with more than half a million deaths annually in recent years, researchers report April 10 in the journal Neurology. “Dramatic temperature changes in recent years have… read on > read on >
Four-year-old Theo Scott was born with Down syndrome, and since the age of 1 he’s also had to wear a CPAP device whenever he sleeps, to help ease his sleep apnea. He’s not alone: Eight out of 10 kids with Down syndrome have sleep apnea. Luckily for Theo, his nightly CPAP ordeal may be over.… read on > read on >
Toddlers who grow up near nature are less likely to have emotional issues, even if the green space is just a park or a big back yard, a new study shows. The more green space there is within three-fourths of a mile from a child’s home, the fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression they’ll have… read on > read on >
Oral health might have an impact on heart health, a new study has found. Folks treated for an irregular heart rhythm were more likely to keep a healthy heartbeat if they took steps to manage their gum disease, researchers report. The study involved atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) patients who received catheter ablation, a procedure in which… read on > read on >
The discovery of a gene variant that rids the brain of toxic plaques linked to Alzheimer’s might lead to new treatments for the disease, researchers report. The variant arises naturally in people who don’t seem to get Alzheimer’s disease despite having another gene, called APOEe4, that strongly promotes the illness. “These resilient people can tell… read on > read on >
More middle-aged Black and Native Americans are now falling prey to “deaths of despair” than whites, a new study finds. These deaths — from suicide, drug overdose and alcoholic liver disease — initially had been more common among whites. But a new analysis has determined that deaths of despair have skyrocketed for Black and Native… read on > read on >
Phillips Respironics, the company responsible for the recall of millions of defective sleep apnea machines since 2021, must overhaul its production of the machines before it can resume making them in the United States, federal officials announced Tuesday. Under a settlement reached with the company, Phillips must revamp its manufacturing and quality control systems and… read on > read on >
Most seniors have embraced “doc-in-a-box” strip mall clinics and urgent care centers as a means of getting prompt medical care, a new poll has found. About 60% of people ages 50 to 80 have visited an urgent care center or a retail health clinic during the past two years — even though those sort of… read on > read on >
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it has finalized a first-ever rule that will drastically lower the amount of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in the nation’s drinking water. “Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in an agency news release announcing… read on > read on >
