Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are racing to try to identify the cause of a mysterious, flu-like illness that has sickened 376 people and left 79 dead in that country. In a alert posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday, the Congo’s Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Dark Chocolate Could Help You Ward Off Type 2 Diabetes
The choice may be bittersweet, but the evidence is clear: New research shows that dark chocolate can lower a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes. People who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate a week had a 21% lower risk of the blood sugar disease, researchers found. Further, the more dark chocolate a… read on > read on >
As ‘Teletherapy’ Takes Hold, Nearly 12% of Young Adults Now Undergo Psychotherapy
Access to psychotherapy has increased substantially among Americans, particularly young adults, a new study has found. About 12% of young adults received psychotherapy in 2021, followed by 8% of the middle-aged and 5% of seniors, researchers found. Overall, the percentage of U.S. adults receiving psychotherapy rose from about 7% in 2018 to 9% in 2021,… read on > read on >
20th Century Lead Exposures Took Grim Toll on Americans’ Health
Decades of lead exposure from car exhaust altered the mental health of millions of Americans, making them more prone to depression, anxiety and ADHD, a new study claims. Lead was first added to gasoline in 1923 to help keep car engines healthy, researchers said. But lead is toxic to brain cells, and there’s no safe… read on > read on >
High-Dose Vitamin D Supplements Won’t Prevent Diabetes in Healthy Seniors
Taking even high doses of supplementary vitamin D won’t lower an older person’s odds for type 2 diabetes, new research confirms. Vitamin D supplements may have other benefits, but in otherwise healthy folks with sufficient levels of the nutrient, “our findings do not suggest benefits of long-term moderate- or high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation” in warding off… read on > read on >
New Weight-Loss Advance: A Gastric Balloon You Control to Feel Full or Not
GLP-1 meds are all the rage for weight loss nowadays, but not everyone can safely take the drugs to shed pounds. Invasive weight-loss surgeries can often be a tough sell, too. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say they’ve developed an alternative: A small, implanted gastric balloon that people can inflate or… read on > read on >
Elton John Says He Has Lost His Sight
Pop music legend Elton John says that he can no longer see following an eye infection he battled last summer. The prolific singer-songwriter made the announcement Sunday at a charity gala performance of “The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical,” a theater production he scored. “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews, because… read on > read on >
Need Some ‘Alone Time’? It’s Vital to Mental Health for Many
The hectic holidays play havoc on people’s nerves, not the least because they aren’t able to have any time to themselves. Nearly half (46%) of Americans say they don’t get the alone time they need during the holidays, according to a new national survey by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. What’s more, 56%… read on > read on >
Temporary Scalp Tattoo Can Track Your Brainwaves
Folks soon might have their brain activity scanned using a temporary tattoo, a new study suggests. This temporary scalp tattoo allowed researchers to track electrical brain activity much more easily than with conventional electrodes, researchers reported Dec. 2 in the journal Cell Biomaterials. Electronic tattoos, or e-tattoos, printed onto the scalps of five people performed… read on > read on >
Crisis Pregnancy Centers Offer Dubious Advice on ‘Abortion Pill Reversal’
So-called crisis pregnancy centers, often created with an anti-abortion agenda, are providing pregnant women some questionable medical advice alongside potentially helpful services, a new study finds. Nearly a third (30%) of crisis pregnancy centers promote “abortion pill reversal,” researchers reported Dec. 3 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. This is “an unproven and potentially dangerous… read on > read on >