A cutting-edge genetic test can rapidly detect and identify almost any kind of disease-causing microorganism in the human body, whether it’s a virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite, researchers say. Doctors have been using the genetic test for more than a decade to identify pathogens in spinal fluid, after its development at the University of California-San…  read on >  read on >

Asthma is associated with memory problems in children, a new study has found. Further, the early onset of asthma might worsen potential memory deficits in kids, researchers found. This is the first study to make such a connection, researchers said. “This study underscores the importance of looking at asthma as a potential source of cognitive…  read on >  read on >

Americans’ well-being varies widely between different regions of the nation, a new study reports. People in the southern U.S., Appalachia and the Rust Belt states score lowest on the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure that includes a population’s life expectancy, education and income, researchers report in The Lancet. The highest levels of well-being…  read on >  read on >

People with both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease face a heart health double-whammy, a new study says. Men with both diabetes and kidney disease will develop heart health problems 28 years earlier than those without either condition, researchers reported today at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago. Women with diabetes and kidney…  read on >  read on >

Recurring angina chest pain in people with a certain type of heart disease can be tough to treat, but a new hourglass-shaped stent could be a real advance, researchers report. People with what’s known as microvascular disease — impeded blood flow in tiny blood vessels within the heart — improved significantly once they got  the…  read on >  read on >

You encounter someone collapsed on the sidewalk and quickly dial 911.  Whether or not the operator instructs you on how to deliver cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could mean life or death, especially if the victim is female, new research shows. In a study involving nearly 2,400 emergency calls for cardiac arrest in North Carolina, rates for…  read on >  read on >

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can influence a child’s weight in ways that will shape their long-term health, a new study says. Kids with ADHD tend to have lower birth weight, which increases their risk of developmental delays and health problems, researchers in the U.K. found. But these kids also are more likely to develop obesity after age…  read on >  read on >

Thousands of Americans with heart trouble have small implanted defibrillators, to help regulate their heartbeat and keep cardiac events at bay.  But new research finds that on extremely hot days, people with the devices face nearly triple the odds for a dangerous arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation (A-fib), compared to days with cooler temperatures. The…  read on >  read on >