People hospitalized for COVID-19 are often discharged in much worse shape than before their illness — underscoring the value of preventing severe cases with vaccination. In a new study, researchers found that during the pandemic’s early months, almost half of COVID-19 patients discharged from their health system had some degree of “functional decline.” That’s a…  read on >  read on >

As you head into the great outdoors this summer, keep safety in mind, an expert says. Drowning is one of summer’s risks. It only takes a few seconds and can happen without an obvious struggle, according to Dr. Seth Hawkins, a wilderness medicine expert and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health…  read on >  read on >

Think you know all you need to know about slathering on the sunscreen this summer? Maybe you don’t. As the Memorial Day weekend begins, many Americans are confused about the proper application of sunscreen and about its sun protection factor (SPF), the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says. A recent academy poll of 1,000 U.S.…  read on >  read on >

A native South American population that lives a pre-industrial lifestyle may have a slower rate of brain aging than the typical Westerner, a new study finds. The study focused on the Tsimane population, whose roughly 16,000 members dwell in a remote part of the Bolivian Amazon. They live by farming, hunting, gathering and fishing —…  read on >  read on >

Losing weight is hard, and keeping it off can be even harder. Now, a new study suggests that sitting less might make all the difference. People who maintained their weight loss spent about three hours less each day sitting than did folks who were obese and stayed that way. “That’s a quite a difference,” said…  read on >  read on >