A person’s toothbrush could be a true lifesaver if they land in a hospital ICU, according to new evidence review. Regular toothbrushing is associated with lower rates of death in the intensive care unit (ICU), shorter lengths of stay, and shorter times spent on a mechanical ventilator, researchers report in the Dec. 18 issue of… read on > read on >
Hospital coffee machines have received some side-eye as a potential source of spreading infection, but a new study debunks the belief. “To our great relief…a general ban on coffee makers doesn’t seem necessary,” concluded researchers led by Dr. Sarah Victoria Walker, head of the Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene in Ludwigsburg, Germany. For… read on > read on >
The average U.S. adult eats a meal’s worth of snacks every day, a new study suggests. Americans average about 400 to 500 calories in snacks daily, often more than what they ate at breakfast, according to data from more than 23,000 people. These extra calories offer little in the way of actual nutrition, said senior… read on > read on >
Remaining childless throughout adult life might be tied, in some cases, to illnesses experienced in childhood, new research suggests. Childlessness isn’t just about fertility. As a University of Oxford news release on the study noted, “multiple social, economic and individual preferences have been studied” to understand why some adults never become parents. “Various factors are… read on > read on >
Elite athletes who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest might have genetics that make them more vulnerable to heart disease, a new study suggests. Analysis of more than 280 top-level endurance athletes revealed that 1 in 6 have measures that would normally suggest heart disease and reduced heart function, researchers report in the journal Circulation. Those… read on > read on >
Early results from a trial of a new kidney disease medication show it significantly reduces levels of a urine marker of kidney damage. The experimental drug — called BI 690517 for now — cut levels of the liver protein albumin in the urine in half for patients with chronic kidney disease. Albumin levels in urine… read on > read on >
Severe obesity appears to be on the rise among young U.S. children, based on data from a federal supplemental nutrition program. About 2% of children between 2 and 4 years of age in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program were severely obese by 2020, a new study reports. That’s about 33,000 of the… read on > read on >
Cinnamon used in applesauce pouches that have been tied to high lead levels in kids may have been deliberately tainted with the toxic element, a source at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. “We’re still in the midst of our investigation,” Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, told Politico. “But so… read on > read on >
More patience. Less time on phones. Healthier habits. Better grades. Parents and kids alike are making resolutions for the New Year, setting personal goals for themselves in 2024, a new poll has found. Nearly three in four parents say they will adopt a resolution or personal goal in the coming year, and over half say… read on > read on >
Most parents plan to have their kids vaccinated against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), even as COVID-19 vaccine acceptance flags, a new poll finds. Seven in 10 parents (71%) plan to have their children get an RSV jab and six in 10 (63%) plan to get their kids the flu vaccine, according to poll… read on > read on >
