The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of additional dangers linked to several wildly popular weight-loss drugs. In a quarterly report issued this week, the agency said it is investigating cases of hair loss; aspiration (when food or other objects get into the airways); and suicidal ideation in people who used the medications. Some of… read on > read on >
An electrical zap to the brain can temporarily render a person more susceptible to hypnosis, a new study shows. Participants became more easily hypnotized after paddles placed against their scalp delivered two 46-second rounds of electrical pulses to a precise location in their brain, researchers reported Jan. 4 in the journal Nature Mental Health. This… read on > read on >
Acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol in the United States, is a go-to pain med for millions. However, a new study is raising doubts about its safe use by women who are pregnant. The researchers found kids born to women who used acetaminophen while pregnant had delays in language development, compared to children born to women… read on > read on >
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 >
