After 23 years of decreases in overall air pollution levels, a new report shows that the United States recorded the highest ever number of “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality days between 2018 and 2020. In its State of the Air 2022 report, the American Lung Association said more than 137 million Americans reside in… read on > read on >
A fully vaccinated health care worker got COVID-19 twice in less than a month — the shortest known time between infections, Spanish researchers report. The 31-year-old was infected with the Omicron variant just 21 days after catching the Delta variant. “This case highlights the potential of the Omicron variant to evade the previous immunity acquired… read on > read on >
Larger and more intense wildfires in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are causing a spike in air pollution across North America that endangers millions of people, a new study warns. Wildfire smoke has been linked to significant respiratory problems, and may also cause heart and pregnancy complications. “Wildfire emissions have increased so substantially that they’re changing… read on > read on >
A prior COVID-19 infection may provide unvaccinated adults with as much immunity against reinfection as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines, new research suggests. However, the study was conducted before the surge of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. “We found that, before the emergence of the Omicron variant, natural immunity provided a similar degree of… read on > read on >
Obesity is tied to many types of cancer, and new research finds that over the long term it nearly doubles a woman’s risk of endometrial cancer. “This study is an interesting first step into how genetic analyses could be used to uncover exactly how obesity causes cancer, and what can be done to tackle it,”… read on > read on >
Pterosaurs — the flying relatives of dinosaurs — could control the color of their plumage, researchers have discovered. Pterosaurs lived alongside dinosaurs, 230 million to 66 million years ago. The investigators analyzed a 115-million-year-old fossilized head crest of a pterosaur called Tupandactylus imperator found in northeastern Brazil. The bottom of the crest had a fuzzy… read on > read on >
The most common treatments for sleep apnea are mechanical — CPAP machines, mouthguards and the like. But researchers think they’ve found a drug that might ease sleep apnea in some. The drug sulthiame, normally used to treat epilepsy, appeared to reduce breathing pauses by more than 20 events an hour, on average, in obstructive sleep… read on > read on >
With marijuana now legal in many U.S. states, some veterinarians are seeing more cases of cannabis poisoning in dogs and other pets, according to a new survey. The poll, of 251 vets in Canada and the United States, found that those incidents usually end well: Most animals recover quickly, without needing a hospital stay. But… read on > read on >
Millions of Americans take antidepressants to combat low moods. But a large, new study suggests that these medications over time may do little to improve overall quality of life. “We found the change in health-related quality of life to be comparable or similar between patients that used antidepressant medications and those who did not use… read on > read on >
A Mediterranean-style diet is known to help protect the heart, and now new research suggests it can also lower an expectant mother’s risk for life-threatening preeclampsia. Marked by a sudden spike in blood pressure, protein in urine, or other problems during pregnancy, preeclampsia can cause serious health problems for moms and babies when left untreated.… read on > read on >
