Black patients with Huntington’s disease receive their diagnoses an average of one year later than white people with the incurable genetic disorder, a new study shows. Early diagnosis is essential to help patients get proper care and prepare for the effects of the disease, lead researcher Dr. Adys Mendizabal, a UCLA Health assistant professor of… read on > read on >
Older women are more likely than older men to die following heart bypass surgery, possibly due to the quality of the hospitals where they undergo the procedure, a new study says. Women older than 65 are 26% more likely than men to undergo the surgery at a low-quality hospital, defined as a hospital with a… read on > read on >
Diabetes can make lumbar spinal fusion surgery much more likely to fail, a new study says. People with diabetes are nearly three times more likely to have their vertebrae fail to properly heal and fuse together, what surgeons call a non-union complication, according to results recently published in the journal JBMR Plus. “A lot of… read on > read on >
Nearly half of cancer deaths and 4 of 10 cases of cancer are linked to a person’s lifestyle, a new study says. Cigarette smoking remains the biggest cancer risk, contributing to 30% of cancer deaths and 20% of cancer cases, results show. But excess body weight, drinking, lack of exercise, diet and skipping cancer-preventing vaccinations… read on > read on >
Your schoolmate who acted like he was better than everyone else has probably shed some of that narcissistic behavior an adult. New research shows people tend to be less narcissistic as they age. Still, those who were more narcissistic as kids tended to be narcissists as adults. “One theory suggests that the social roles we… read on > read on >
Loneliness strikes more than a fifth of people worldwide, a new survey warns. In the Gallup survey published Wednesday, 23% of people said they felt lonely “a lot of the previous day.” Those experiencing feelings of loneliness often felt physical pain, worry, sadness, stress and anger, as well. Beyond its emotional toll, loneliness is “a… read on > read on >
Anorexia nervosa could be caused by lack of a specific brain chemical, reports a research team that has developed a possible cure for the eating disorder. Mouse studies have revealed that a deficit in acetycholine, a neurotransmitter associated with the brain’s reward system, could be linked to excessive habit formation. This deficit could be behind… read on > read on >
Women with uterine fibroids are often told hysterectomy is the best treatment, even though less invasive options are available, a new study finds. More than half (53%) of women with uterine fibroids — non-cancerous growths along the wall of the uterus — were presented hysterectomy as the preferred treatment, according to a Harris Poll survey… read on > read on >
Sleep apnea is particularly dangerous for the heart health of young adults, even more so than in older folks, a new study warns. The link between sleep apnea and risk factors for heart disease is stronger in people between 20 and 40 years of age than in those 40 and older, researchers reported recently in… read on > read on >
Colorado health officials on Tuesday confirmed a case of human plague in that state. The infection — which occurred in Pueblo County, in the southern part of the state — was first reported Friday based on preliminary test results, while the source of the infection is still being tracked down. “Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics,… read on > read on >
