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More folks, especially seniors, are missing doctors’ appointments due to extreme weather, a new study shows. The rate of missed primary care appointments increases 0.64% for every 1-degree increase in temperatures 90 degrees or hotter, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The same goes for cold days, with the rate of… read on > read on >
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Dogs can sniff out whether a human is stressed or relaxed, new research suggests, and that sensory feedback appears to influence canine emotions and choices. The dog doesn’t even have to know the human well to interpret odor in this way, the British researchers noted. “Dog owners know how attuned their pets are to their… read on > read on >
Spending time in nature can provide a boost for people with mental illness, a new review finds. Even as little as 10 minutes spent in a city park can improve a person’s symptoms, researchers found. The positive effects of nature approved particularly helpful for people with mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, results show.… read on > read on >
Daily supplements can slow loss of vision related to late-stage “dry” age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a new study finds. The rate of dry AMD progression into a key eye region slowed by about 55% over an average three years for late-stage patients who took a daily blend of antioxidants and minerals, researchers reported July 16… read on > read on >
A drug called hydroxyurea has long been used to fight sickle cell disease, but some female patients may have shied away from it due to concerns that it could harm future fertility. Those fears may be unfounded: A new study finds that hydroxyurea has no effect on what’s known as “ovarian reserve” — the number… read on > read on >
It’s long been known that popping the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of a risky sexual encounter can greatly reduce a person’s risk for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended this type of “morning after” strategy last month. But what if folks at especially… read on > read on >
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the sale of the country’s best-selling e-cigarette. The agency’s decision only applies to several tobacco-flavored versions of the reusable product, sold as Vuse. In January 2023, the FDA rejected R.J. Reynold’s application for its more popular menthol flavor, but the company has challenged that ruling in… read on > read on >
Pudgy with a purpose: Fat cats could help humans better understand the way gut bacteria influences conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes, a new study claims. Food-related changes in obese cats’ gut microbiome have striking similarities to the way diet affects the gut of humans, researchers reported recently in the journal Scientific Reports. As… read on > read on >
Cancer growth can be fueled by flecks of ancient viral DNA lodged into the genetics of modern humans, a new study says. Overall, about 8% of the human genome is made of bits of DNA left behind by viruses that infected our primate ancestors, researchers say. Called “endogenous retroviruses,” these DNA fragments have long been… read on > read on >
Boredom is the key emotion behind most teens’ use of Instagram, a new study says. Teens open the app because they’re bored, then sift through its contents looking for interesting bits to relieve their boredom, researchers report. Then, bored by slogging through the site’s “content soup,” the teens log off, researchers found. “We saw teens… read on > read on >
