Rising coronavirus infections in New York state appear to be driven by two new versions of the Omicron BA.2 variant, and may explain why the state has been the national coronavirus hot spot in recent weeks, state health officials said Wednesday. The two subvariants — called BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 — accounted for more than 70%… read on > read on >
Dogs may be famous meat lovers, but canines who follow a vegan diet might be a bit healthier, a new survey suggests. British and Australian researchers found that dogs on vegan diets (one without animal products or byproducts) tended to have fewer health problems, based on their guardians’ reports, than those who ate “conventional” meat-based… read on > read on >
Staving off Alzheimer’s disease might just take a healthy diet, exercise and an active mind, a new study suggests. Women and men who follow a healthy lifestyle live longer — and longer without Alzheimer’s or other dementias, researchers say. “Eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables, berries, whole grains, and low in fried or fast… read on > read on >
America’s public health emergency plan for COVID-19 will continue for at least another 90 days, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. Pushing the deadline to mid-July means that vulnerable Americans will keep getting the health care benefits the program offers. The emergency plan has been in effect for over two years, during which time it has… read on > read on >
One in five Medicare recipients use medical marijuana and two-thirds say it should be covered by Medicare, a new survey reveals. Medical marijuana is legal in 37 states, four territories and the District of Columbia, but it isn’t covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older Americans. Possession of marijuana remains illegal under… read on > read on >
In 2019 alone, multiple sclerosis (MS) cost Americans an estimated $85.4 billion, a new study finds. That amount included over $63 billion in direct medical costs and $22 billion in indirect non-medical costs. “The findings of this study help underscore the burden of MS in the U.S. and our hope is our results will inform… read on > read on >
As doctors learn more about the consequences of COVID-19, they are confirming that heart inflammation is rare among hospitalized COVID patients. That’s the good news — but those who develop it are much more likely to require intensive care, a new study suggests. Inflammation of the heart muscle (acute myocarditis) is typically triggered by a… read on > read on >
Health risks tied to obesity are often serious, with new research showing it boosts odds for heart failure among older women, especially those who go through menopause later than usual. Women whose periods stopped at 55 or after were at greatest risk, according to the study, published April 13 in the Journal of the American… read on > read on >
Rates of gonorrhea are on the rise, and this sexually transmitted disease is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, raising fears of a potential superbug. Luckily, while there isn’t a vaccine against gonorrhea yet, an available meningitis vaccine may offer some protection against this STD, two new studies suggest. There are two vaccines available in the… read on > read on >
The structure of teens’ families influences their risk of delinquent behaviors such as shoplifting, graffiti or robbery, new research suggests. For the study, the researchers analyzed survey data gathered between 2016 and 2019 from more than 3,800 14- and 15-year-olds in Sweden. They used a statistical measure called incident rate ratio, or IRR, to compare… read on > read on >
