Fear of deportation doubles the risk of high blood pressure in Mexican-born women in farmworker families who live in California’s Salinas Valley, a new study claims. It included 572 women, average age 39, who in 2012-2014 were asked to rate their level of worry about deportation for themselves or others as low (28%); moderate (24%);… read on >
Asthma or allergies can put a damper on holiday gatherings. But there are ways you can stay healthy, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says. “Everyone wants this time of year to be picture-perfect. But when there are runny noses, itchy eyes and sneezing involved, the picture is less than ideal. There are… read on >
Many patients who have an artery-opening procedure don’t understand or remember information they receive before their surgery, and most have unrealistic expectations about what it will do for them, a new study finds. Researchers examined the effectiveness of informed consent — which is meant to provide the risks and benefits of a procedure — given… read on >
Exposure to natural substances with psychoactive effects — including marijuana, kratom, magic mushrooms and nutmeg — triggered more than 67,300 calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers over nearly two decades. That’s an average of 3,743 calls a year between January 2000 and December 2017, or about 10 calls a day, according to researchers at Nationwide… read on >
Emergency department patients treated for gunshot wounds to the chest or abdomen are more likely to wind up in the hospital again than those who have such wounds in other areas of the body, a new study finds. The study included 110 patients with a history of gunshot wounds. Most were men, with an average… read on >
Writing about stressful or traumatic experiences can be good for your health, says the American Psychological Association. Studies have shown that writing your deepest thoughts and feelings about difficult situations can improve mood, reduce your likelihood of illness and increase productivity. The APA recommends that people keep a diary or a journal to log their… read on >
Many working-age Americans struggle to pay for the heart medications that protect them from heart attack, stroke and heart disease, a new study reports. About one in eight adults suffering from a high-risk heart problem say financial strain has caused them to skip taking their meds, delay filling a prescription, or take a lower dose… read on >
Obese teenagers can have certain brain differences from their thinner peers — changes that might signal damage from inflammation, a new, preliminary study suggests. Using advanced MRI techniques, researchers found that obese teenagers tended to have signs of decreased “integrity” in the brain’s white matter. White matter contains the fibers that connect different areas of… read on >
Popularized in movies, the phrase, “You’ll shoot your eye out,” is often repeated jokingly whenever someone talks about BB or paintball guns. But it’s no laughing matter. These “non-powder” guns can cause serious, life-altering injuries, and these injuries are now happening far more often. In fact, a new study found that while the overall rate… read on >
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital on Sunday after being admitted on Friday with chills and a fever. The news of her recovery and return home was issued by a court spokeswoman, ABC News reported. The 86-year-old was first evaluated on Friday at a hospital in Washington, D.C., after feeling… read on >
