Moms with higher prenatal levels of plastics chemicals known as phthalates may face a slightly increased risk of postpartum depression, according to a new study. Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of new mothers, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. That makes it the most common post-delivery pregnancy complication. The NIH’s Environmental Influences…  read on >  read on >

For certain patients with advanced breast cancer, a drug called Piqray (alpelisib) may extend survival. But new research confirms the medication often causes seriously high blood sugar levels. “This is a very effective drug that we should be using to treat breast cancer, but the problem is that it causes high blood sugar, which also…  read on >  read on >

“Talk therapy” may help people with fibromyalgia manage their chronic pain — and alter the brain’s pain-processing circuitry along the way, a new study shows. Researchers found that after eight sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), patients with fibromyalgia felt less burdened by their pain and other symptoms in daily life. And that was related,…  read on >  read on >

A second human patient has received a genetically altered pig heart as he battles the ravages of end-stage heart disease. The 58-year-old man, Lawrence Faucette, received the pig organ at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The medical team was the same one that performed the first pig transplant with another patient in…  read on >  read on >

One day, it may be possible to monitor people for risk of disease through continuously measuring skin temperature. Researchers have found in a new study that wrist temperature is associated with future risk of disease. “These findings indicate the potential to marry emerging technology with health monitoring in a powerful new way,” said senior author…  read on >  read on >