THURSDAY, Nov. 4, 2021The discovery that up to 80% of white-tailed deer in Iowa may be infected with COVID-19 has scientists worried that the animals could become a reservoir for variants that could come back to haunt humans. In the new study, samples were collected lymph node samples from hundreds of dead deer across the… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, Nov. 4, 2021A recall of aromatherapy sprays connected with fatal cases of a rare tropical disease called melioidosis has been expanded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency previously identified four cases of melioidosis — two of them fatal — linked with Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential… read on > read on >
The sooner girls are vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), the lower their future risk of cervical cancer, a new study finds. Compared to unvaccinated women, the risk of cervical cancer was 87% lower among those who received the bivalent vaccine Cervarix at ages 12 or 13. By contrast, it was 62% lower in those who… read on > read on >
A growing number of American adults say they have a physical or mental disability, a new study finds. Of more than 400,000 adults who responded to a 2019 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, 27% reported a disability. That’s a 1% increase since 2016, and represents about 67 million Americans, according to researchers… read on > read on >
All body fat is not the same. And a new study suggests that folks who have more of what’s known as brown fat may have a lower risk of weight-related health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. “Brown fat has long been thought to benefit metabolism because, unlike the much more common white… read on > read on >
An experimental gene therapy to boost the effectiveness of the Parkinson’s drug levodopa yielded promising results in mice, researchers report. As the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons advances in late-stage Parkinson’s, levodopa is less able to ease movement problems caused by the disease, which is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. But a Northwestern University… read on > read on >
Transplant patients and certain other folks may need four shots of COVID-19 vaccine for optimal protection, new research suggests. People with weakened immune systems who’ve received both doses of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines aren’t adequately protected against severe illness. They should be given a third shot plus a booster, according to the study. “These findings indicate… read on > read on >
A measure designed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors has been added to President Joe Biden’s social safety net and climate change bill that Democratic leaders hope to bring to a House vote this week. For the first time, the measure would enable the federal government to negotiate prices for medications covered by Medicare,… read on > read on >
Researchers may have unearthed a surprising risk factor for often-fatal brain bleeds: Sleepless nights. In a study of about 70,000 adults, researchers found that people with a genetic predisposition to insomnia were at somewhat higher risk of a brain aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak spot in an artery wall that bulges out and fills… read on > read on >
Despite the anxieties and tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic, overall suicide rates in the United States fell by about 3% between 2019 and 2020. But during the same time frame, suicides increased among people aged 10 to 34. They also rose among Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic males, according to a new… read on > read on >
