Dirty, crowded urban environments can significantly increase a person’s risk of developing asthma, a new study says. Cleaner, better-thought-out cities could ward off 1 of every 10 asthma cases, researchers reported recently in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Asthma risk in both kids and adults is increased due to urban air pollution, dense development… read on > read on >
Eczema sufferers could soon find it easier to track their skin condition, via a newly developed AI that can assess severity using uploaded smartphone images. The AI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy in evaluating eczema shown in symptom photos uploaded by patients using their smartphone cameras, researchers reported May 19 in the journal Allergy. “Many patients… read on > read on >
China has promised to give $500 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) over the next five years, positioning itself to become the group’s top donor. The pledge comes as the United States plans to leave the international organization, The Washington Post reported. Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong announced the donation at the World Health… read on > read on >
Social media does indeed appear to be making kids more prone to depression, a new study says. Preteens are more likely to develop symptoms of depression as their use of social media increases, researchers reported May 21 in JAMA Network Open. Depression symptoms increased 35% as kids’ average social media use rose from seven minutes… read on > read on >
Mouth taping is one of the latest health fads to swamp social media, driven by celebrity endorsements from the likes of Gwenyth Paltrow and Ashley Graham. The practice of taping your mouth shut as you sleep is meant to prevent mouth breathing, in hopes of improving rest by warding off snoring or sleep apnea. But… read on > read on >
Battling chronic disease really takes it out of a person, leaving them vulnerable to depression. And people with multiple long-term health problems are even more likely to fall prey to depression, a new study says. Some combinations of illnesses can more than double the likelihood a person will eventually be diagnosed with depression, researchers reported… read on > read on >
Cataract surgery is one of the most foolproof procedures in medicine, with a success rate as high as 95%. Nevertheless, many seniors don’t get cataract surgery because they fear losing their sight, researchers reported recently in The Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology. More than a third (36%) of a small group of patients said they fear… read on > read on >
Some of the nation’s top brain researchers are still facing layoffs, even after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said no working scientists would be cut. Last month, scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) got layoff notices. NINDS is part of the National Institutes of… read on > read on >
Lounging around too much after a heart attack can set you up for another one, a new study says. Within a year of being treated for heart attack symptoms, people who sat around afterwards for more than 14 hours a day on average were at greater risk for another heart-related health emergency, researchers reported May… read on > read on >
A brain wave decoder shows promise in using electrical stimulation to the spine to cue leg movement, researchers say. The decoder could one day help restore mobility in people with spinal cord injuries. Tests in 17 people without a spinal cord injury showed that the decoder could cue movement in their lower legs using spinal… read on > read on >
