Unprovoked shark attacks increased slightly worldwide last year, but twice as many people died from shark bites as the year before, new data show. There were 69 unprovoked shark attacks in 2023, higher than the five-year average of 63 attacks per year, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. Ten of the… read on > read on >
The weight-loss drug Zepbound provides more health benefits than dropping pounds and controlling diabetes, a new study shows. It also appears to help people with obesity manage their high blood pressure, results show. Patients taking Zepbound (tirzepatide) experienced a significant reduction in their systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, according… read on > read on >
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday addressed a continuing issue with pulse oximeters — that they give less accurate readings for folks with darker skin. The devices are designed to measure oxygen levels in the blood, so correct readings are critical, experts say. During its daylong meeting, the FDA’s Anesthesiology and… read on > read on >
Accessing mental health care via telehealth boomed during the pandemic, and it continues to be a valuable resource for patients. However, it could still be tough to find, depending on the clinics available in your area, new research finds. “We found considerable variation in the types of services telehealth offered by mental health clinics across… read on > read on >
Even mild cases of COVID can trigger insomnia in most people, a new study reports. About three out of four people with mild COVID (76%) reported experiencing insomnia following their illness. Further, nearly one in four (23%) said they’d experienced severe insomnia, according to results published Feb. 5 in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.… read on > read on >
Driving at night can be risky business, as a dangerous combination of darkness and the glare of bright lights can make it hard to see the road, but one expert offers some safety tips. “If you have to drive in the evening time and you’re not comfortable, try to stick with roads that you know… read on > read on >
Women are much more prone than men to develop autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus. Now, researchers have come up with a potential explanation for that — one that’s rooted in genes that drive a person’s gender. The female body has a complex means by which it handles the additional X chromosome,… read on > read on >
Americans are cautiously optimistic that AI will be able to improve the health care they receive, a new Cleveland Clinic survey finds. About three out of five Americans believe that AI will lead to better heart care, and 65% say they would be comfortable receiving heart advice from AI technology, the poll showed. But people are… read on > read on >
It’s known by the street name “gas station heroin,” but a new government report finds the highly addictive supplement Neptune’s Fix may also contain synthetic pot. The product has already been linked to seizures, brain swelling and hallucinations, researchers reported Thursday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on > read on >
It might take a combination of treatments to rein in problem acne in teens and adults, updated guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggest. The guidelines on the all-too-common condition (acne affects 85% of teens and many adults) haven’t undergone a revision since 2016. The 2024 updates include “discussion of new topical medications,… read on > read on >
