Primates are capable of tending to wounds using medicinal plants, a new case report says. A male Sumatran orangutan treated a facial wound with a climbing plant known to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, researchers say in the journal Scientific Reports. The orangutan, named Rakus by observers, plucked leaves from a vine called Akar Kuning… read on > read on >
Folks struggling to quit smoking might need a bump up on the dose of medication they’re using to help them stop, according to new clinical trial results. Patients are more likely to successfully quit if the dose of their smoking cessation treatment is increased in response to an initial failure, researchers report in the Journal… read on > read on >
Many fewer Americans are falling prey to the most dangerous form of heart attack, a new study says. STEMI (ST‐segment-elevation myocardial infarction) heart attacks have declined by nearly 50% during the past 15 years in the United States, researchers found. STEMI heart attacks are caused by a near-total blockage of a coronary artery, researchers said… read on > read on >
Advanced liver cirrhosis can push levels of ammonia in the blood to hazardous levels, but skipping meat at mealtime can help reverse that, new research shows. “It was exciting to see that even small changes in your diet, like having one meal without meat once in a while, could benefit your liver by lowering harmful… read on > read on >
Folks undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures to diagnose heart problems may be able to safely skip the traditional pre-op fasting that’s now the norm, new research shows. “Just as our techniques and technology for cardiac catheterization have evolved, so should our approach to pre-procedure management,” lead researcher Dr. Brian Mitchell said in a news release from… read on > read on >
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will spend $3 billion to help states and territories identify and replace lead water pipes. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, announcing… read on > read on >
After investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that the nation’s ground beef supply is so far testing negative for the presence of H5N1 avian flu. In a statement, the agency said that its Food Safety and Inspection Service tested 30 samples of ground beef from retail outlets in “states with dairy cattle herds that… read on > read on >
The number of American women who died at or soon after childbirth declined significantly in 2022, the latest government data shows, but the rate is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that, in 2022, 817 women died within 42 days of the end of a… read on > read on >
A looming presidential election, continued economic struggles and the threat of gun violence have a rising number of Americans more anxious this year compared to last, a new poll finds. The survey, conducted in early April among 2,000 adults by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), found 43% of respondents saying they were more anxious this… read on > read on >
Giving your kid a drink, snack or small bag of fast food on the way home from day care might distract them during a busy commute, but it’s not doing their daily diet any favors, a new study warns. The hour after kids are picked up from day care stands out as a high-calorie, less… read on > read on >
