The fluid-filled spaces around the brain’s blood vessels need proper waste “clearance” every few hours. When that fails to happen, a baby’s risk for autism appears to rise, new research shows. It’s too early to say that trouble within these “perivascular” spaces causes autism, but it seems to be an early marker for the condition,… read on > read on >
A tasty vegetarian salad could be the fresh meal that fuels a space flight to Mars, a new study contends. Researchers came up with the salad while searching for the optimal “space meal” that would supplement prepackaged foods on long voyages between planets. The salad contains soybeans, poppy seeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potato, and… read on > read on >
The average cost of hospital care for COVID-19 patients skyrocketed during the pandemic, outstripping what might be expected under inflation, a new study shows. Average hospital costs for COVID patients increased five times faster than the rate of medical inflation through the first two years of the pandemic, researchers have found. This is at least… read on > read on >
Some people might be prone to low back pain because of specific cells contained in their spinal disks, a new study suggests. The research could explain why only certain people develop back pain due to the degeneration of their spinal discs, which are jelly-filled spacers that act as shock absorbers between the small bones of… read on > read on >
You may think that artificial sweeteners can help you lose some weight, but a new study finds they are no good for your gut’s microbiome. People who use aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), or stevia leaf extract tended to have intestinal bacteria colonies that differed significantly from those of people who didn’t use… read on > read on >
Golden news for a new year: Scientists now know why urine is yellow. It’s only taken 100 years, but researchers say they’ve pinpointed the enzyme in urine behind its buttery hue. “This enzyme discovery finally unravels the mystery behind urine’s yellow color,” said study lead author Brantley Hall. He’s an assistant professor in the University… read on > read on >
There are so many New Year’s resolutions from which to choose, but an important one could be to schedule a memory screening, experts say. Memory screenings consist of a series of questions that gauge memory and brain function, according to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). These regular screenings are an important way to detect… read on > read on >
A diet laden with omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts and oily fish might help slow the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, researchers report. Pulmonary fibrosis is a relentless, potentially fatal disease where lung tissue scars and hardens over time. Often tied to smoking, the illness impairs lung function so that patients become short of breath,… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, Jan. 2, 2024 — Many folks’ New Year resolutions include having a Dry January, and that’s a wise move, experts say. Taking even a one-month break from booze can lead to significant improvements in physical and mental health, said Jennifer Steiner, an associate professor at Florida State University. Your cancer risk and blood pressure… read on > read on >
A U.S. online provider of the mifepristone/misoprostol abortion pill combo saw a ten-fold jump in orders when the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade was first leaked in 2022, a new study finds. Such orders declined a bit in the months after the decision was officially announced, but have risen once again as women remain… read on > read on >
