Walkers don’t need to march 10,000 steps a day to gain substantial health benefits, a comprehensive new evidence review has concluded. Instead, getting just 7,000 steps a day appears to be most effective in reducing a person’s risk of death and chronic illness, researchers reported today in The Lancet Public Health. Results show that anything… read on > read on >
More pregnant women are turning to newer and potentially safer antiseizure medications, a new study says. Older antiseizure drugs like valproate and phenobarbital are known to increase risk of birth defects. But there’s been a 30% increase in the use of the safest antiseizure drugs during pregnancy, researchers report in the July 23 issue of… read on > read on >
So-called “forever chemicals” could be increasing Americans’ risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study says. Higher blood levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with a significantly greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease most closely tied to obesity, researchers reported Monday in the journal eBioMedicine.… read on > read on >
A “weekend warrior” exercise schedule can lower diabetics’ risk of early death, a new study says. People with diabetes who get all their recommended weekly exercise in one or two sessions – the “weekend warrior” approach – were 21% less likely to die early from any cause than their counterparts who don’t work out, researchers… read on > read on >
Urgent care clinics are handing out fistfuls of antibiotics, steroids and opioids for conditions these drugs won’t help, a new study says. “Previous studies had shown that patients continue to receive antibiotics for diagnoses where they may not be indicated, such as for a viral respiratory infection, especially in urgent care settings,” said co-lead researcher… read on > read on >
Just about all transgender Americans believe they’ll lose their access to gender-affirming health care during President Donald Trump’s current term in office. As a result, despair is driving many to consider suicide or risky black-market hormones, researchers report in JAMA Network Open. Every single participant in a 489-person poll of gender-diverse Americans aged 18 and… read on > read on >
Fewer than one-third of American public schools are screening students for psychological problems, years after the U.S. Surgeon General declared a mental health crisis among the nation’s youth. In 2021, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned that social media, the COVID-19 pandemic, bullying, lack of safety and a number of other factors were driving an… read on > read on >
Care about your kid’s well being? Then best not give them a smartphone until they’re a full-fledged teenager, a major new study says. Kids given a smartphone when they were younger than 13 tend to have poorer mental health and well-being, researchers report in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. Specifically, people between 18… read on > read on >
A new egg study has produced sunny-side-up results for the oft-maligned breakfast staple. Eggs are commonly thought to increase risk of heart disease by raising people’s cholesterol levels. But people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in… read on > read on >
Doctors should ask diabetic women at every visit about their intention to have a child, to make sure they get the appropriate care prior to conception, new guidelines say. This will help avoid miscarriages and birth defects among women who have diabetes before pregnancy, the authors write in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.… read on > read on >
