The way obesity is diagnosed needs to become more sophisticated, an international commission has concluded. Using body-mass index (BMI) to tell who is overweight or obese is not reliable, and can result in misdiagnosis, the Commission on Clinical Obesity says in a new paper published today in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. “People with excess… read on > read on >
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are plagued by unwanted and distressing memories over which they have little to no control. Doctors now think they understand why PTSD patients and others aren’t able to keep troubling memories at bay. Sleep deprivation appears to interfere with people’s ability to restrict the retrieval of memories they’d rather… read on > read on >
All women 65 and older should continue to be screened for osteoporosis, the nation’s leading preventive health panel says in an updated recommendation. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also recommends screening women younger than 65 who’ve gone through menopause and are at increased risk of a fracture from bone loss, according to the updated… read on > read on >
Relying on natural and fertility awareness methods to prevent pregnancy might be linked to an increase in abortions, a new study suggests. Use of hormonal birth control methods like the pill has declined by nearly half among women seeking an abortion in the United Kingdom, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 13 in the… read on > read on >
Men are more than three times as likely to die from a traumatic brain injury compared to women, a new study says. About 30 brain injury-related deaths occurred for every 100,000 U.S. men in 2021, while only 9 such deaths occurred among women at that rate, researchers found in a new study published Jan. 9… read on > read on >
It takes a village to help a smoker quit. And a new study published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that smokers had a nearly doubled success rate quitting when supported by an integrated approach that included medication and personal counseling. “Our study demonstrates that providing access to effective medications and trained tobacco cessation specialists… read on > read on >
A deadly bird flu outbreak has wreaked havoc on U.S. chicken farms, claiming the lives of over 20 million egg-laying chickens last quarter, marking the worst impact on America’s egg supply since the outbreak began in 2022. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data shows the staggering toll included chickens culled to contain the virus, too.… read on > read on >
Seniors’ risk of dementia is more than double what was previously thought. The risk of developing dementia after age 55 is more than 42% among Americans, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 13 in the journal Nature Medicine. That’s more than twice the risk reported by older studies. “Our study results forecast a dramatic… read on > read on >
Eating disorders appear to be linked to differences in brain structure among teenagers. Young adults who develop eating disorders appear to have delayed brain maturation as teenagers, MRI scans show in a new study published Jan. 10 in the journal Nature Mental Health. In particular, reduced maturation of the cerebellum — a brain region that… read on > read on >
Medical schools have experienced a steep decline in enrollment among Black and Hispanic students since the Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in admissions. The number of Black medical students fell by nearly 12% in 2024 compared to the year before, declining for the third year in a row, according to results published in… read on > read on >
