Out of a host of possible risk factors for dementia, three really stood out in a new analysis: Diabetes, air pollution and alcohol. British and American researchers used brain scans to focus on a neurological network they labeled a “weak spot” in the brain. This network is known to be vulnerable to the effects of… read on > read on >
Suicidal thoughts and contemplation of death haunt the minds of many rural Black men in the United States, a new study reports. One in three rural Black men said they had such dark thoughts within the past two weeks, University of Georgia researchers found. These thoughts are driven by childhood trauma, poverty and exposure to… read on > read on >
Seniors wound up with lower blood pressure after they were coached to get up and move more often, a new study says. Health coaching successfully reduced sitting time for a group of older adults by just over 30 minutes a day, according to a report published March 27 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Sitting… read on > read on >
Living in a poor and unhealthy neighborhood could nearly double a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study says. The findings indicate that all the factors that make for a crummy neighborhood — air and water pollution, toxic sites, few parks, tons of traffic — play a significant role in heart health.… read on > read on >
Some folks struggling with obesity appear to be hampered by their own genes when it comes to working off those extra pounds, a new study finds. People with a higher genetic risk of obesity have to exercise more to avoid becoming unhealthily heavy, researchers discovered. “Genetic background contributes to the amount of physical activity needed… read on > read on >
Following oral arguments presented on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court looked poised to rebuff a legal challenge to women’s access to the abortion pill. Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen now used for the majority of abortions nationwide. In the case now before the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs claim the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did… read on > read on >
A major review of data confirms that getting less than the recommended amount of sleep each night is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Data collected in 16 studies conducted from 2000 through 2023, involving over 1 million people in six countries, revealed a 7% rise in the risk for hypertension among folks who… read on > read on >
ADHD stimulant medications like Ritalin or Adderall appear linked to a heightened risk for cardiomyopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle), and the risk grows with time, new research shows. However, researchers were quick to note that cardiomyopathies are rare in the young, and even with ADHD medication use the absolute risk to any one… read on > read on >
Folks who consistently work out two to three times a week are less likely to suffer from insomnia, a new study says. That sort of long-term commitment to exercise also helps people get the recommended amount of sleep each night, according to findings published March 26 in the journal BMJ Open. The paper “indicates strongly… read on > read on >
Fried foods not only wreck the waistline, but they could also be harming the brain, a new study of lab rats suggests. Fed chow that was fried in sesame or sunflower oil, the rodents developed liver and colon problems that wound up affecting their brain health, researchers found. These brain health effects not only were… read on > read on >
