Middle-aged Americans are lonelier than ever, with new research showing they are even more isolated than some of their peers in Europe. That does not bode well for their health. “Loneliness is gaining attention globally as a public health issue because elevated loneliness increases one’s risk for depression, compromised immunity, chronic illness and [premature death],”… read on > read on >
In people with type 1 diabetes, fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect thinking skills in various ways, new research shows. Researchers looked specifically at what’s known as cognitive processing speed (how fast people process incoming information) and attention. “Our results demonstrate that people can differ a lot from one another in how their brains… read on > read on >
There may be an unexpected fix for ongoing shortages of insulin: A brown bovine in Brazil recently made history as the first transgenic cow able to produce human insulin in her milk. “Mother Nature designed the mammary gland as a factory to make protein really, really efficiently,” explained study leader Matt Wheeler, a professor of… read on > read on >
High school students who use tobacco and cannabis products miss more school and have lower grades than classmates who use them individually or not at all. That’s the conclusion of a study by researchers at UC Davis Health. “Substance use is a main predictor of educational outcomes, including absenteeism,” said first study author Melanie Dove,… read on > read on >
After a car crash, women are more likely to go into shock than men, even when their injuries are less severe, new research shows. “Women are arriving to the trauma bay with signs of shock more often than men, regardless of injury severity,” said study leader Susan Cronn, a researcher at the Medical College of… read on > read on >
Breathing and relaxation techniques may offer relief to some patients battling Long COVID. In a new, small study of 20 patients, biofeedback therapy relieved both the physical and psychological symptoms of Long COVID, researchers said. Many participants had been dealing with symptoms for more than a year. “Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a… read on > read on >
Astronauts who have never had headaches may develop migraines and other tension-type headaches for the first time when they go into space. A side effect of zero gravity, these headaches start with motion sickness as astronauts adapt to long-haul space flight, according to new research published March 13 in the journal Neurology. “Changes in gravity… read on > read on >
Attention, America: ignore the “experts” on TikTok and put your shoes on. Barefootin’ is risky business, according to Dr. Sari Priesand, a foot specialist at Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Keep the shoes on,” she urged in a university news release. “We’re not Flintstones.” Fans of the barefoot lifestyle have revived the trend… read on > read on >
Specialized brain scans may accurately predict whether a psychotic patient will go on to develop treatment-resistant schizophrenia, Dutch researchers report. The scan — called a neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, or NM-MRI for short — zeroes in on a brain pigment called neuromelanin. This pigment can provide visual evidence of healthy dopamine function. Dopamine is a hormone that… read on > read on >
Doctors looking to help their patients head off dementia may want to ask for their address. An international team of researchers has linked accelerated brain aging and a higher risk of thinking declines to living in a poorer neighborhood. “If you want to prevent dementia, and you’re not asking someone about their neighborhood, you’re missing… read on > read on >
