Want to breathe better air indoors? Go green. Houseplants can make your home or office air cleaner, according to British researchers. In lab tests, they found that three common houseplants — peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), corn plant (Dracaena fragrans), and ZZ plant or fern arum (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) — could reduce levels of a common air… read on > read on >
The often-used steroid spironolactone is not linked to any increased risk of a range of common cancers, according to a new study. The synthetic steroid is routinely used to manage heart failure, high blood pressure and edema, and also used off-label to treat acne, hair loss and excessive hair growth (hirsutism). “Though the U.S. Food… read on > read on >
U.S. National Guard soldiers are at heightened risk for problem drinking after military deployment, but less likely to receive help with their alcohol struggles than active-duty service members, a new study finds. Exposure to combat during deployment was the strongest risk factor for problem drinking among the reservists in the study, according to the report… read on > read on >
Two groups of indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon have some of the world’s lowest dementia rates, and that may offer insight on how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found only about 1% of older Tsimane and Moseten people have dementia, compared with 11% of people 65 and older in the… read on > read on >
Pfizer Inc. announced Tuesday that it has launched a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its COVID antiviral pill known as Paxlovid in children ages 6-17. A news release from the company said the trial will assess the safety and efficacy of the drug in children with COVID symptoms and a confirmed infection who are not… read on > read on >
The first person to receive a pig heart transplant in a groundbreaking procedure performed at the University of Maryland Medical Center in January has died, hospital officials said Wednesday. David Bennett, a 57-year-old Marylander, suffered from severe heart disease and had agreed to receive the experimental pig’s heart after he was rejected from several waiting… read on > read on >
Kids who’ve suffered a concussion are at heightened risk of mental health issues in the aftermath, a large new study suggests. The researchers found that compared with their peers, children and teenagers with a past concussion were 39% more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition — including anxiety disorders, depression and behavioral… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — If you struggle with the switch to daylight saving time, you might feel enlightened to learn it’s not just in your head. It involves an interplay between the clock, sunshine and your body at a cellular level. Planning ahead to shift clocks forward one hour, which… read on > read on >
The stories and images flowing out of Ukraine as it defends itself against a Russian invasion are gut-wrenching: Families lugging just a suitcase while crossing the border to safety in Poland in tears; bombed out apartments with people still hiding amid the wreckage; unlucky citizens losing their lives in the crossfire of war. This steady… read on > read on >
Folks with sleep apnea are typically prescribed a CPAP machine to help them get a good night’s sleep, but there’s an alternative to the clunky, noisy devices that is growing in popularity. Oral appliances similar to mouthguards — called mandibular advancement devices (MADs) — have been shown to work as well as CPAP in treating… read on > read on >
