Belly flab appears to be a stronger warning sign for psoriasis than fat located elsewhere on the body, a new study says. Fat around the abdomen is more strongly linked to psoriasis risk that total body fat, particularly in women. “Our research shows that where fat is stored in the body matters when it comes…  read on >  read on >

Difficulty sleeping after a mild stroke could be a sign of continuing brain health problems in some people, a new study says. Stroke victims who spent more time in bed struggling to sleep had lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills, researchers reported in the journal Neurology. These patients also had brain changes…  read on >  read on >

Motorcycle helmet laws save lives and prevent many severe injuries, according to a new head-to-head study comparing two states. North Carolina mandates helmets for all motorcyclists, while South Carolina only requires riders younger than 21 to wear them, researchers said. As a result, North Carolina riders had fewer severe injuries and were less likely to…  read on >  read on >

Preschoolers who don’t naturally lose weight are more likely to develop full-fledged childhood obesity by age 9, a new study says. Most kids tend to see their body-mass index (BMI) decline between ages 1 and 6, before starting to slowly gain weight as they grow, researchers reported recently in JAMA Network Open. (BMI is an…  read on >  read on >

U.S. mothers are struggling with both their mental and physical health, a new study says. The percentage of mothers who report excellent mental health dropped 12 points between 2016 and 2023, from 38% to 26%, researchers reported today in JAMA Internal Medicine. Mothers reporting excellent physical health dropped by four points, from 28% to 24%,…  read on >  read on >