The United States is experiencing an alarming wave of congenital syphilis, and one southern state saw a 1,000% rise in babies born with the infection between 2016 and 2022. The number of babies born with the infection in Mississippi rose from 10 in 2016 to 110 in 2022. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection.… read on > read on >
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Gun Injuries Rise as Neighborhoods Gentrify
As working class neighborhoods gentrify, you’ll likely see rents rise, pricey restaurants move in — and maybe also a rise in gunshot wounds, researchers say. In U.S. neighborhoods that gentrified, gun injuries were 62% higher than they were in similar neighborhoods that hadn’t gone upscale, according to a new study. Overall firearm incidence was also… read on > read on >
Helping Undocumented Immigrants Find a Primary Care Doc Lowers ER Costs: Study
Helping undocumented immigrants in the United States connect with primary care doctors could be a money-saver, substantially reducing emergency department use and lowering health costs, a new study finds. The findings are from a New York City program that helped arrange medical appointments from May 2016 to June 2017 for undocumented immigrants with limited incomes.… read on > read on >
Wildfire Smoke Pollution a Growing Global Threat
More people around the world are exposed to wildfire smoke that has the potential to harm human health, and their numbers are growing, new research finds. More than 2 billion people are exposed to at least one day of potentially health-impacting wildfire smoke each year, a figure that has grown by almost 7% in the… read on > read on >
Substance Abuse Greatly Raises Odds of Heart Attack, Stroke During Pregnancy
Substance abuse and pregnancy may be a dangerous combination. New research finds that pregnant women with a history of substance abuse had a dramatically increased risk of death from heart attack and stroke during childbirth compared to women with no drug history. “This telling research shows that substance use during pregnancy doubled cardiovascular events and… read on > read on >
Millions Are Exposed to Secondhand Smoke and Don’t Know It
A lot of people who think they don’t have secondhand smoke exposure actually do, according to a new study that compared survey answers with blood tests. According to the results of sensitive blood tests, more than half of American adults in the study had recently been exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Most were not aware… read on > read on >
Wildfire Smoke Is Reversing Recent Clean-Air Gains Across the U.S.
When Canadian wildfire smoke shrouded the New York City skyline and spread to parts of New England this summer, millions of East Coast residents saw firsthand just how pervasive it can be. Now, a new study quantifies exactly what wildfire smoke is doing to hard-fought gains in cleaning up the air, even in Eastern states… read on > read on >
Could Artificial Sweeteners in Processed Food Raise Depression Risk?
Highly processed packaged foods and drinks may be quick, cheap and tasty, but new research suggests they’re also likely to up your risk for depression. Among big consumers of ultra-processed foods, depression risk may rise by as much as 50%, the new study found, particularly when those foods are artificially sweetened. “Given what we know… read on > read on >
FDA Wants More Data on First Needle-Free Antidote for Severe Allergic Reactions
In a surprising move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opted not to approve a needle-free alternative to the EpiPen for emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions. Approval of the Neffy nasal spray was widely anticipated. An FDA advisory panel voted to recommend approval of the drug for children and adults in May.… read on > read on >
Rat-Borne Parasite That Can Cause Brain Disease Spreading in Southern U.S.
Brown rats found and analyzed near Atlanta now carry rat lungworm, researchers report. It’s a parasite that can trigger a dangerous brain encephalitis in both people and pets, and which now threatens a wide area of the U.S. Southeast. Researchers in Georgia say the microscopic rat lungworm, known scientifically as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, typically begins its… read on > read on >