Bird flu has mutated to spread more easily between birds and marine mammals, increasing the potential risk to humans, a new study warns. Four sea lions, one fur seal and a tern found dead in Argentina all tested positive for the avian influenza virus H5N1, researchers report. Further, genetic analysis revealed that the virus was… read on > read on >
Once considered harmless by doctors, calcium crystal deposits in the knee joint actually can contribute to worsening arthritis, a new study warns. CT scans have revealed that calcium crystals in the knee can promote joint damage, wearing away the cartilage that keeps bones from rubbing together, researchers reported recently in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.… read on > read on >
Rodeo riders might make it all look easy, but they’re actually participating in one of the most strenuous sports around, experts say. As such, folks participating in rodeo need to take steps to protect themselves, just as other athletes do, said Dr. Omar Atassi, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine… read on > read on >
New research finds the 2022 mpox outbreak among gay and bisexual men began to slow down after just a few months — even though just 8% of high-risk people had received the mpox vaccine. That suggests that it was changes in gay and bisexual men’s sexual behaviors, not the vaccine, that caused the outbreak to… read on > read on >
Deaths where alcohol played a key role climbed sharply in recent years, hitting women even harder than men, new government data shows. Between 2016 and 2021 (the latest numbers available), “the average number of U.S. deaths from excessive alcohol use increased by more than 40,000 [29%], to 178,000 per year,” reported a team from the… read on > read on >
Air travel can be miserable for people with disabilities, particularly if an airline mishandles, damages or loses their wheelchair in transit. Now, the Biden Administration has proposed tough new standards for how airlines treat and accommodate people in wheelchairs. The proposed rules would make mishandling wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act,… read on > read on >
In a finding that unearths yet another way Long COVID can harm health, new research finds the condition may trigger thinking declines. Published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study involved cognitive testing on nearly 113,000 people in England. It found that those with Long COVID scored 6 IQ points lower than people… read on > read on >
Middle-aged folks who have difficulties navigating their way through space could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease years later, a new study finds. “Very early symptoms of dementia can be subtle and difficult to detect, but problems with navigation are thought to be some of the first changes in Alzheimer’s disease,” noted Dr.… read on > read on >
The eyes may have it when it comes to the early diagnosis of autism in children, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have pinpointed a gene that affects how kids’ eyes react when they turn their heads. Typically, people use what’s called the vestibulo-ocular reflex to help their… read on > read on >
Perhaps by reducing anxiety, a service dog can help reduce seizures in people with tough-to-treat epilepsy, a new study finds. A group of 25 study participants had an average 31% fewer seizures after months of owning a service dog trained to help people with epilepsy. And seven of those patients experienced a 50% to 100%… read on > read on >
