“Forever” PFAS chemicals appear to harm bone health in Hispanic teenagers, a new study finds. The more PFAS chemicals found in the bodies of Hispanic adolescents, the lower their bone density was, researchers report in the Dec. 6 issue of the journal Environmental Research. Peak bone mineral density in adolescence helps predict whether a person…  read on >  read on >

A drug long used to curb rheumatoid arthritis may be a potent foe against another immune disorder, type 1 diabetes. Australian researchers report that baricitinib (Olumiant) appears to help patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes maintain their natural ability to produce insulin, slowing progression of the disease. Type 1 diabetes comprises about 5% of…  read on >  read on >

Acne can be terribly embarrassing for a teenager, but a new study has found that adults’ blemishes might have even greater consequences for their social and professional reputation. People are less likely to want to be friends, have close contact or post a pic on social media with a person who has severe acne, researchers…  read on >  read on >

States that ban abortion could be headed to a brain drain when it comes to up-and-coming medical professionals. Three out of four future U.S. doctors say state access to abortion is a key factor in choosing where they’ll apply for their residency training, according to a survey published Dec. 5 in the journal Medical Ethics.…  read on >  read on >

Patients in the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis might develop certain symptoms that offer an early clue to the degenerative nerve disease, researchers report. Depression, constipation, urinary tract infections and sexual problems are all more likely in MS patients five years before their official diagnosis, compared with people who never develop MS, researchers found. Those…  read on >  read on >

Neurologist Dr. Deborah Holder says she often has parents come to her with kids who’ve experienced what they call “funny spells.”  “Sometimes I start talking to a parent and find out the parent has [also] had ‘funny spells’ for years, but had no idea they were epileptic seizures,” said Holder, who practices at Cedars-Sinai Guerin…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2023 (Healthday News) — Hunting season has begun in many parts of the United States, with millions of Americans heading into the woods in hopes of bagging a big buck. But with the season comes tragic accidents. “Every year, within the first 72 hours of hunting season, we see hunting-related injuries,” said…  read on >  read on >

New research challenges a long-held notion that human newborns enter the world with brains that are significantly less developed than those of other primates. Babies are born extremely helpless and with poor muscle control, and human brains grow much larger and more complex than other species following birth, investigators said. Because of those observations, it’s long…  read on >  read on >