Improved inhalers are now available to help control asthma and treat sudden attacks, but a new study shows that hardly anyone’s using them. The new inhalers combine inflammation-fighting corticosteroids with a long-acting drug called formoterol that opens up the airways, researchers report. These combo inhalers are used twice a day to treat moderate to severe…  read on >  read on >

Have you been socially and economically “upwardly mobile” through your life? If so, you may be doing your brain health a big favor, new Japanese research suggests. Folks who scored high in terms of “climbing the ladder” tended to avoid dementia or develop it years later than folks whose lives weren’t on such a successful…  read on >  read on >

The legalization of cannabis and the popularity of its edible versions is having an unexpected effect: More seniors landing in emergency departments with overdoses. A new Canadian study found “cannabis poisonings” in the province of Ontario tripled among older users after edibles became legal, compared to the pre-legalization era. “Overall, this study shows the health…  read on >  read on >

Matcha green tea has the potential to keep gum disease at bay, a new study finds. Lab experiments show that matcha can inhibit the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the main bacterial culprits behind gum disease. Among a small group of 45 people with gum disease, those who used matcha mouthwash wound up with…  read on >  read on >

Fetal exposure to fluoride from a mom-to-be’s drinking water might raise the odds for physical and mental health issues in toddlers, new research suggests. The study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wasn’t designed to prove cause-and-effect. However, researchers believe the findings are worth investigating further. “This is the first U.S.-based…  read on >  read on >

If you’ve quit smoking and have switched to vaping instead, your odds for lung cancer won’t fall as steeply as if you quit nicotine altogether, new research suggests. “This is the first large population-based study to demonstrate the increased risk of lung cancer in e-cigarette users after smoking cessation,” said study lead author Dr. YeonWook…  read on >  read on >

Heat waves and heat domes are particularly dangerous to kids with asthma, a new study finds. Daytime heat waves are associated with 19% increased odds that a child with asthma will wind up in the hospital, researchers discovered. What’s more, heat waves that stretch for days double a kid’s risk of being hospitalized due to…  read on >  read on >

Gallbladder cancer rates are steadily increasing among Black Americans, even as they remain stable or decline for most other Americans, a new study warns. Further, growing numbers of cases among Black people are not being diagnosed until later stages, according to the findings presented Monday at Digestive Disease Week 2024 in Washington, D.C. “Gallbladder cancer…  read on >  read on >