Doctors are bailing on the profession for a reason that may surprise their patients. It’s not frustration with government rules or cumbersome insurance requirements, but problems securing suitable childcare for long and ever-changing working hours, a new survey published Feb. 15 in the BMJ finds. Erin Dean, who wrote a summary of the survey results,… read on > read on >
Nearly half of health care workers nationwide say they’ve seen discrimination against patients while on the job, a new report reveals. While 47% of health workers said they’ve witnessed discrimination against patients in their facilities, 52% said racism against patients is a major problem, according to the report from the Commonwealth Fund and the African… read on > read on >
The harms of smoking are many, but new research delivers evidence of another troubling type of damage: Lighting up alters your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to disease and infections even years after quitting. “Stop smoking as soon as possible,” study co-author Dr. Violaine Saint-André, a specialist in computational biology at Institut Pasteur in Paris, told… read on > read on >
Indigenous people in seven countries, including the United States and Canada, appear to be more likely to suffer a stroke than non-natives, a new, large review finds. “Disparities are especially evident in countries where high average quality of life and long life expectancies are often not mirrored in Indigneous populations,” said study author Anna Balabanski… read on > read on >
An Oregonian who was diagnosed with the bubonic plague — the disease that killed millions of Europeans in the Middle Ages — probably got it from an infected pet cat, health officials said. The patient and all close contacts have been provided medication, officials in Deschutes County, Ore., stated in a health notice, and people… read on > read on >
Alaska health officials say a man in that state has died after contracting Alaskapox, a rare virus that mostly infects small mammals. In a statement, the Alaska Section of Epidemiology said the patient was “an elderly man from the Kenai Peninsula with a history of drug-induced immunosuppression” due to cancer treatments. “This is the first… read on > read on >
New, proposed guidance being weighed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to routinely stay home for five days. This is the first time the agency has even considered loosening its COVID isolation guidelines since 2021, and the thinking behind the possible shift… read on > read on >
Aromatherapy might be able to improve memory and help treat depression Depressed individuals better recalled specific personal memories after exposed to scents These memories could help them rewire their thought patterns Aromatherapy might be able to help people recover from depression by helping them more clearly recall specific, often positive, memories, a new study shows.… read on > read on >
Acupuncture may protect people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from stroke, new research suggests. The study indicates that a course of acupuncture treatment may lower blood levels of inflammatory proteins called cytokines that are linked to heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death in people with RA. “Inflammation is a consistent and independent predictor of… read on > read on >
When bullies destroy a young victim’s trust, mental health problems are likely to follow them into adulthood, a new study warns. “There are few public health topics more important than youth mental health right now,” said senior study author George Slavich, director of UCLA Health’s Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research, who called for investments… read on > read on >
