Folks using melatonin supplements as a sleep aid might be putting themselves at risk for future heart problems, a new study says. Adults with insomnia who’d been using melatonin for a year or more had 90% higher odds of heart failure, researchers are scheduled to report Nov. 10 in New Orleans at a meeting of… read on > read on >
A new three-pronged blood test can highlight people with a nearly tripled risk for heart attack, a new study says. The test relies on three blood markers linked to heart disease: lipoprotein a [Lp(a)], remnant cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], researchers are slated to report at a Nov. 10 meeting of the American Heart… read on > read on >
A new “smart toilet” device aims to help people track their health by analyzing their bathroom trips. The Dekoda device clamps around the rim of any standard toilet, where it uses advanced sensors to scan a person’s waste, says its manufacturer, Kohler Health. With this data, folks can monitor their hydration and gut health, as… read on > read on >
A recent hike in U.S. visa fees could cause a medical brain drain in America’s rural regions. Rural areas have nearly twice the percentage of medical professionals working under H-1B visas as urban counties, researchers reported Oct. 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Likewise, the percentage of H-1B doctors is nearly four… read on > read on >
Women are gritting out menopause without seeking any treatment for their symptoms, a new Mayo Clinic study says. More than 4 out of 5 women said they did not seek medical care for menopause symptoms, researchers reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. “Menopause is universal for women at midlife, the symptoms are common and disruptive, and… read on > read on >
The human body is packed with natural rhythms, from your sleep-wake cycle to the steady pulsing of blood through the brain to heart rate and pulse. Now, scientists say the gut may hold the key to understanding how this complex coordination happens in the brain’s blood vessels. Researchers at the University of California San Diego… read on > read on >
A growing number of Americans are turning to therapy by text message, and new research suggests it can be just as effective as traditional video sessions for some patients. In a study published Oct. 30 in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that people with mild to moderate depression who used text-based therapy showed similar improvements… read on > read on >
They may make your lips pucker, but sour candies can do more than surprise your taste buds — they can seriously damage your teeth, experts warn. “These candies combine two factors that increase mouth acidity and accelerate enamel erosion,” said Nadine Tassabehji, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. While… read on > read on >
A new gene test might be able to predict which gout patients will have a bad skin reaction to a common medication for the condition, researchers say. A newly discovered gene combined with an already known genetic factor could explain the risk of skin side effects in more than 80% of U.S. gout patients prescribed… read on > read on >
A child’s future risk of depression and anxiety might be tied to their gut health. Young children whose gut microbiomes contained certain bacteria were more likely to develop a mood disorder as tweens, researchers reported Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers discovered that the kids’ gut bacteria were tied to differences in connectivity… read on > read on >
