Yet another study confirms what doctors have long known: Being obese greatly raises the odds that if you contract COVID-19, your case could be a severe one. The study, from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supports calls for obese Americans to move to the head of the line for protective… read on > read on >
Lockdowns have you stressed? The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that more people are grinding their teeth as they try to cope with the pressures of the pandemic. An ADA Health Policy Institute survey of dentists found that 70% of respondents said they’ve seen an increase in the number of patients with teeth grinding and… read on > read on >
You might decide your frizzy locks aren’t so bad after all, given a new warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that most hair straightening/smoothing products release formaldehyde gas, a human carcinogen. Being exposed to formaldehyde for longer periods of time and at higher concentrations increases the health risks, according to the FDA. Formaldehyde… read on > read on >
Opioids and arthritic knees are a costly mix, new research claims. “These data offer new evidence of the magnitude of the societal burden generated by opioid use and misuse, and could be used to educate health care providers and health policy decision makers on the best alternatives to opiate use,” said lead investigator Elena Losina.… read on > read on >
Toddlers whose mothers took certain epilepsy drugs during pregnancy are unlikely to have development delays, researchers say. The study may help clear up lingering doubts about use of the drugs by moms-to-be. Controlling seizures is crucial, of course. “Having a seizure during pregnancy may not only harm the mother but possibly the baby as well,… read on > read on >
Even after suffering a stroke, many Hispanic Americans still have uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure or other conditions that raise their risk of a repeat one, a new study finds. The study involved 404 Hispanic adults with a history of stroke or “mini-stroke,” which is a brief reduction in blood flow to the brain that… read on > read on >
A common herb that makes your favorite feline high may hold the key to a mosquito-free summer in your backyard. Researchers say catnip is as effective as synthetic insect repellents, including DEET, and they report why this common member of the mint family drives bugs positively buggy. The active ingredient in catnip — nepetalactone —… read on > read on >
Wider use of prescription generic drugs could save Medicare nearly $2 billion a year, researchers say. The new analysis of Medicare Part D prescription drug claims for 2017 used a random 20% of beneficiaries, 224 drugs with one or more generic substitutes and at least 1,000 claims. Medicare Part D accounts for roughly one-third of… read on > read on >
Could endless hours spent scrolling through social media and watching TV trigger binge eating in preteens? Apparently so, new research suggests. “Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television,” said study author Dr. Jason Nagata. He is an assistant… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine, adding a third weapon to the arsenal the United States is building to battle the pandemic. The overall effectiveness of the J&J vaccine in protecting recipients against any case of COVID-19 (66%) is not as high as… read on > read on >
