Mpox cases are climbing again in the United States, with the number of reported infections now twice as high as they were at this time last year, new government data shows. In response, public health experts have raised alarms about the increase and stressed that vaccination rates against the disease need to improve. “This has… read on > read on >
There’s been a big push over the past few years to get automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed in public spaces, to help save lives threatened by cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, the devices are very seldom used. A new study finds that in nearly 1,800 cases where cardiac arrest occurred outside of a hospital, AEDs were only… read on > read on >
Folks with genetically-driven stress are more likely to suffer heart attacks after nerve-wracking events or times of unrest, a new study shows. People with above-average genetic scores linked to neuroticism and stress were 34% more likely to experience a heart attack following stressful periods, researchers found. Further, these jittery individuals were more than three times… read on > read on >
Puerto Rico has declared a dengue epidemic following a surge in cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. territory. In total, there have been 549 cases, including 341 hospitalizations and 29 severe cases, reported since the start of the year, the most recent data from the Puerto Rico Department shows. Cases are concentrated in… read on > read on >
Out of a host of possible risk factors for dementia, three really stood out in a new analysis: Diabetes, air pollution and alcohol. British and American researchers used brain scans to focus on a neurological network they labeled a “weak spot” in the brain. This network is known to be vulnerable to the effects of… read on > read on >
Suicidal thoughts and contemplation of death haunt the minds of many rural Black men in the United States, a new study reports. One in three rural Black men said they had such dark thoughts within the past two weeks, University of Georgia researchers found. These thoughts are driven by childhood trauma, poverty and exposure to… read on > read on >
Seniors wound up with lower blood pressure after they were coached to get up and move more often, a new study says. Health coaching successfully reduced sitting time for a group of older adults by just over 30 minutes a day, according to a report published March 27 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Sitting… read on > read on >
Living in a poor and unhealthy neighborhood could nearly double a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study says. The findings indicate that all the factors that make for a crummy neighborhood — air and water pollution, toxic sites, few parks, tons of traffic — play a significant role in heart health.… read on > read on >
Following oral arguments presented on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court looked poised to rebuff a legal challenge to women’s access to the abortion pill. Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen now used for the majority of abortions nationwide. In the case now before the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs claim the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did… read on > read on >
ADHD stimulant medications like Ritalin or Adderall appear linked to a heightened risk for cardiomyopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle), and the risk grows with time, new research shows. However, researchers were quick to note that cardiomyopathies are rare in the young, and even with ADHD medication use the absolute risk to any one… read on > read on >
