Constipation might increase a person’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke, particularly if they also have high blood pressure, a new study warns. People who are constipated have twice the risk of a major heart health problem compared to those with normal bowel habits, researchers report. Specifically, they are 2.7 times more likely…  read on >  read on >

More than 20% of people in the continental United States might have drinking water contaminated with “forever chemicals,” a new study suggests. Between 75 and 95 million Americans rely on groundwater that contains detectible concentrations of these chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated in the Oct. 24…  read on >  read on >

An outbreak of E. coli illness linked to onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has expanded to now include 75 cases across 13 states, U.S. health officials announced Friday. That’s up from 49 cases in 10 states reported on Monday. The three new states with illnesses are Michigan, New Mexico and Washington. “Of 61 people…  read on >  read on >

Certain gut microbes might be linked to a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. People prescribed multiple courses of penicillin antibiotics have a modestly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, researchers found. Those antibiotics might be affecting bacterial populations in the gut, which in turn might play into Parkinson’s risk, researchers say.…  read on >  read on >