“Yo-yo” dieting — repeatedly losing and gaining weight — can significantly increase risk of kidney disease among people with type 1 diabetes, a new study warns. Diabetics with greater weight fluctuations experienced a 40% decline in their kidneys’ ability to filter toxins from the blood, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology…  read on >  read on >

Never mind the grumbles and groans that accompany a clock alarm, along with a lunge for the snooze bar and murmurs of “five more minutes.” People generally wake in their best frame of mind, enjoying peak mental health and wellbeing in the morning, researchers reported in a new study published Feb. 4 in BMJ Mental…  read on >  read on >

The cholesterol that’s good for your heart health might be bad for your eye health, and vice versa, a new study says. “Good” HDL cholesterol appears to increase risk of glaucoma in people older than 55, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Conversely, “bad” LDL cholesterol might be associated with a…  read on >  read on >

Even a mild infection with COVID-19 can promote clogged arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack in some people, a new study says. Infection with the COVID virus is associated with rapid growth of plaque in arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, also called coronary arteries, researchers reported in a new study published…  read on >  read on >

Tiny microplastics are making their way into the human brain, and new research suggests the problem is getting worse. The new study, published Feb. 3 in the journal Nature, found that brain samples collected in 2024 contained significantly more microplastics than those taken eight years earlier. Researchers say the amount of plastic in the brain…  read on >  read on >

Hospitalizations for firearm injuries sharply increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic after years of steady decline, a new study says. Overall, 34% more people landed in the hospital for a gunshot injury in 2020 and 2021 than would have been predicted based on pre-pandemic trends, researchers reported Jan. 27 in JAMA Network Open.…  read on >  read on >

Many Americans don’t see anything wrong with taking daily low-dose aspirin, even though experts have concluded its risks outweigh its benefits, a new survey has found. Nearly half (48%) of people incorrectly think that the benefits of taking low-dose aspirin daily to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke outweigh the risks, according to…  read on >  read on >

New moms who’ve just had twins run a high risk of heart disease in the coming weeks and months, a new study suggests. Women have a doubled risk of hospitalization for heart problems within a year of delivering twins, researchers reported Feb. 3 in the European Heart Journal. Their risk is even higher — more…  read on >  read on >

Drugs like blood thinners, cholesterol-lowering statins and blood pressure meds can protect the health and extend the lives of people with heart disease. But only if patients take the drugs — and many around the world aren’t, a new study says. Overall, fewer than half of heart patients from 17 countries who could benefit from…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken down multiple health-related websites and datasets, including those on HIV, LGBTQ health and more, following executive orders from the Trump administration. The orders require federal agencies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and to recognize only two biological sexes: male and female.…  read on >  read on >