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Vitamin D, the “Sunshine Vitamin,” boosts the immune system and helps prevent cancer, among other health benefits, but a significant number of Black and Hispanic teens have low levels of this nutrient, according to a new study. “This paper calls attention to the need to raise awareness among clinicians regarding social determinants of health and…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Researchers studying genes involved in Alzheimer’s disease have identified a new gene, called MGMT, that increases risk for this common dementia in women. “This is one of a few and perhaps the strongest associations of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s that is specific to women,” said co-senior study author Lindsay Farrer,…  read on >  read on >

Death rates for U.S. pregnant women or those who had just delivered jumped sharply during the first year of the pandemic, new research shows. While U.S. death rates increased overall by 16% in 2020, for pregnant and early postpartum women it was officially even higher, at 18%, according to U.S. National Center for Health Statistics…  read on >  read on >

While it’s more widely known that polluted air can harm human health, another danger may be lurking at your feet. New research shows that soil, too, can contain contaminants that can impact health. These include pesticides and heavy metals. In this study, scientists focused on the impact of contaminated soil on the cardiovascular system. “Soil…  read on >  read on >

Hinting at a future alternative to opioid painkillers, scientists have developed a tiny implant designed to ease post-surgery pain and then dissolve once the job is done. So far, the research has been limited to lab animals, and it will be several years before the technology could be ready for human testing. But the hope…  read on >  read on >

The natural gas being piped into your home contains a wide array of toxic chemicals, including nearly two dozen so harmful they’re classified as hazardous air pollutants, a new study says. Natural gas samples taken from 69 Boston-area cooking stoves were found to contain at least 21 different hazardous air pollutants, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene,…  read on >  read on >