By now, most folks know obesity is a leading risk factor for severe COVID-19, but a new study suggests that losing a significant amount of weight can reduce that risk. “The research findings show that patients with obesity who achieved substantial and sustained weight loss with bariatric [weight-loss] surgery prior to a COVID-19 infection reduced… read on > read on >
Younger adolescents may soon be eligible for COVID-19 booster vaccines, possibly by early next week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning on Monday to broaden booster eligibility to include 12- to 15-year-olds, sources told the New York Times. This would be for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, currently the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for this… read on > read on >
New U.S. data based on nearly 9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine delivered to kids ages 5 to 11 shows no major safety issues, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine was first authorized for use in this age group in October. Now the new study… read on > read on >
The percentage of older Americans reporting serious problems with memory and thinking has declined in recent years — and higher education levels may be part of the reason, a new study finds. Researchers found that between 2008 and 2017, the proportion of older U.S. adults reporting “serious cognitive problems” declined from just over 12% to… read on > read on >
Nearly all countries agree: Smoking is bad, and getting people to kick the habit is a worthy public health goal. But no country has ever attempted what New Zealand is about to try: an outright ban on all cigarette sales. The plan is to let those who already smoke retain the right to keep buying… read on > read on >
You’re watching the Omicron variant race around the world and think it might be time to upgrade your mask to a gold-standard N95 or K-N95 model. A quick search on Google should find you one, right? Not so fast, experts say. According to Anne Miller, executive director of the nonprofit group Project N95, the masks… read on > read on >
Folks who are determined to shed some pounds in the New Year face a bewildering array of fad diets and quickie weight-loss schemes. Those weighing eating patterns and diet plans such as intermittent fasting, the Keto diet, the Whole 30 Program and the Mediterranean diet would do well to keep two primary facts in mind,… read on > read on >
New data out of South Africa finds that a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to provide strong protection against severe disease caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The study, which was published online and has not yet undergone peer review, was conducted in a group of more than 69,000 South African… read on > read on >
If you like your coffee black, it could be that your grandpa or your great-aunt did, too. A preference for black coffee and also for dark chocolate seems to lie in a person’s genes, scientists report. It’s not the taste that these individuals actually love, but it’s because their genes enable them to metabolize caffeine… read on > read on >
Economic status appears linked to increased risk of being born with a cleft palate or lip, new research suggests, building on past evidence that it can also result in delayed care and poorer outcomes. Cleft palate and cleft lip are the terms that describe openings or splits in the roof of the mouth and lip,… read on > read on >
