Medical debt is significantly more common among people with a mood disorder, and these money woes can keep them from getting the help they need, a new study says. Among people with depression or anxiety, those with medical debt were twice as likely to delay or forego mental health care as those who were debt-free,… read on > read on >
In her youth, Shola, an English Shepherd Dog, was a member of the Edale Mountain Rescue Team, a corps of U.K. pooches charged with helping hurt and stranded hikers. But Shola was retired as part of the Rescue Team after a rare genetic disease affecting dogs, called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), robbed her of her… read on > read on >
The risk of seizures within the next 24 hours can be predicted by watching for abnormal brain activity patterns in people with epilepsy, a new study finds. The storm of brain activity that characterized a seizure is presaged by abnormal communication between specific areas of the brain, researchers discovered. They say they can forecast seizure… read on > read on >
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More folks, especially seniors, are missing doctors’ appointments due to extreme weather, a new study shows. The rate of missed primary care appointments increases 0.64% for every 1-degree increase in temperatures 90 degrees or hotter, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The same goes for cold days, with the rate of… read on > read on >
Spending time in nature can provide a boost for people with mental illness, a new review finds. Even as little as 10 minutes spent in a city park can improve a person’s symptoms, researchers found. The positive effects of nature approved particularly helpful for people with mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, results show.… read on > read on >
Daily supplements can slow loss of vision related to late-stage “dry” age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a new study finds. The rate of dry AMD progression into a key eye region slowed by about 55% over an average three years for late-stage patients who took a daily blend of antioxidants and minerals, researchers reported July 16… read on > read on >
A drug called hydroxyurea has long been used to fight sickle cell disease, but some female patients may have shied away from it due to concerns that it could harm future fertility. Those fears may be unfounded: A new study finds that hydroxyurea has no effect on what’s known as “ovarian reserve” — the number… read on > read on >
It’s long been known that popping the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of a risky sexual encounter can greatly reduce a person’s risk for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended this type of “morning after” strategy last month. But what if folks at especially… read on > read on >
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the sale of the country’s best-selling e-cigarette. The agency’s decision only applies to several tobacco-flavored versions of the reusable product, sold as Vuse. In January 2023, the FDA rejected R.J. Reynold’s application for its more popular menthol flavor, but the company has challenged that ruling in… read on > read on >
Cancer growth can be fueled by flecks of ancient viral DNA lodged into the genetics of modern humans, a new study says. Overall, about 8% of the human genome is made of bits of DNA left behind by viruses that infected our primate ancestors, researchers say. Called “endogenous retroviruses,” these DNA fragments have long been… read on > read on >
