Federal officials have announced the recall of more packages of frozen shrimp that may be contaminated with a radioactive isotope. California-based Southwind Foods has voluntarily recalled its frozen shrimp products, distributed between July 17 and Aug. 8. NBC News reported that the recall affects several brands, including: Sand Bar Arctic Shores Best Yet Great American…  read on >  read on >

Local parks and neighborhood greenery protected people’s mental health from the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study says. Overall, depression increased nearly two-fold during the pandemic, with both men and women more frequently diagnosed, researchers said. But middle-aged adults and seniors had a reduced risk of depression if they lived in greener neighborhoods,…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 infection might increase a person’s risk of developing asthma, seasonal allergies and long-lasting sinus problems, a new study says. However, vaccination appears to reduce this risk, researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. “It is interesting to see that vaccination not only protects against the infection itself, but also appears to…  read on >  read on >

Wear-and-tear knee arthritis might be made less painful by a surgical procedure that limits blood flow to the joint, a new pilot study says. As a person’s knee breaks down, the pain is made worse by the growth of small blood vessels that increase blood flow to the joint, researchers said. The new procedure involves…  read on >  read on >

It can be spooky to realize that Alexa or Siri has been listening in on you, when a device in your home inadvertently springs to life. But eavesdropping artificial intelligence (AI) can prove a godsend to overworked doctors, protecting them from burnout by handling some of their paperwork, a new study says. Ambient AI “scribes”…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is finalizing the termination of at least 600 employees this week, including some working in violence prevention programs. The cuts come less than two weeks after a man opened fire outside the agency’s Atlanta headquarters, killing a police officer. “The irony is devastating,” more than 50…  read on >  read on >

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have a variety of potential health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, dementia and some forms of cancer. Now, new findings indicate omega-3s might help ward off the development of nearsightedness (myopia) in children, according to a reported Aug. 19 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.…  read on >  read on >

Vaping appears to act as a gateway to cigarette smoking among young people, a new evidence review says. E-cigarettes also were significantly linked to risk of asthma and substance use, researchers reported Aug. 19 in the journal Tobacco Control. “The consistency in the evidence is striking,” said lead researcher Su Golder, an associate professor in…  read on >  read on >

Seniors with known heart-related problems aren’t doing a very good job taking steps to protect their health, a new study says. Older folks with high blood pressure, stroke survivors and heart failure patients in the United States all have been neglecting Life’s Essential 8 — a checklist of lifestyle factors that can protect heart health,…  read on >  read on >