The active chemical in magic mushrooms could prove to be a powerful antidepressant, a new review finds. Psilocybin outperformed a variety of “control” treatments in easing symptoms of depression, researchers reported May 1 in the BMJ. Those control groups received either placebo medications, the dietary supplement niacin (vitamin B), or microdoses of psychedelics. “This review’s… read on > read on >
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander people have cancer death rates that are two to three times higher than they are in whites, new data shows. The first-of-its-kind report, issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on May 1, focuses solely on the cancer risk of Americans who’ve descended from regions along the Pacific Rim,… read on > read on >
A toxin found in paint strippers that’s responsible for 85 U.S. deaths over the past five decades will be phased out for many uses, under an Environmental Protection Agency rule finalized Tuesday. The cancer-causing solvent methylene chloride will still have some allowed uses, but with strict guidelines aimed at keeping workers safe. “Exposure to methylene… read on > read on >
Women approaching menopause appear to be at higher risk of depression, a new review indicates. Women in the transition period prior to menopause are 40% more likely to experience depression than premenopausal women, according to pooled data from seven studies involving more than 9,100 women around the world. The results show that women heading into… read on > read on >
At what age does loneliness strike adults the hardest? A new review maps it out, finding that people are more lonely as young adults, grow less lonely as they approach middle age, and then fall back into loneliness in old age, researchers reported April 30 in the journal Psychological Science. “What was striking was how… read on > read on >
The benefits of physical fitness for kids spill over into their mental health, new research shows. Getting plenty of exercise may guard against depressive symptoms, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study published April 29 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found. And the more exercise, the better: Higher performance in cardiovascular activities, strength and… read on > read on >
As bird flu continues to spread among dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it is now testing ground beef for any presence of the virus. The agency said it is sampling ground beef bought in grocery stores in states where dairy cattle have tested positive for the virus, also known as H5N1,… read on > read on >
A middle-aged Seattle man collapsed in his Portland, Ore.-area hotel room, where he was staying during a business trip. He’d just tried fentanyl for the first time, and it very nearly killed him by literally destroying his brain. Inhaling fentanyl caused terrible inflammation throughout large sections of white matter in the patient’s brain, his doctors… read on > read on >
As the battle over abortion continues to rage in the courts and American politics, a new report estimates that one in every four U.S. women will undergo the procedure during their lifetime. The study was issued by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports access to abortion. … read on > read on >
H5N1 avian “bird” flu is making headlines this week, with new reports finding inactive virus detected in 1 in 5 U.S. milk samples. That means the virus is infecting mammals such as dairy cows, and now researchers report it’s turned up in a bottlenose dolphin in Florida. “We still don’t know where the dolphin got… read on > read on >
