A teenager’s brain power appears to have little bearing on whether they will become overweight or obese as adults. British researchers found that, on average, sharper teens weighed only slightly less in adulthood than siblings who scored lower on tests of thinking skills, according to a new study published April 13 in the journal PLOS… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Biden to Expand Access to Health Care for Immigrants Brought Illegally to U.S. as Children
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children may soon be eligible to receive federally funded health care. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the extension of eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges to those in DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “Today,… read on > read on >
Long Daytime Naps Might Raise Your Odds for A-Fib
Daytime naps longer than a half-hour appear to nearly double a person’s risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, a new study reports. People who nap 30 minutes or more a day have a 90% higher risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib) than those who take shorter naps, according to research presented… read on > read on >
U.S. Suicide Rates Began to Rise Again in 2021
In a disappointing finding, a new report shows that suicide rates in America are on the upswing again after a momentary, and minute, decline. According to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate increased from 10.7 people per 100,000 people in 2001 to 14.2 per 100,000 in 2018. The… read on > read on >
AHA News: When She Passed Out at 38, Doctors Blamed Stress. The Problem Was Her Heart.
THURSDAY, April 13, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — By the time Sheena Fannin and her two sons, ages 6 and 9, arrived home from soccer practice it was already getting late. She rushed to get them to bed. Her husband, Michael, was traveling, so she tucked them in alone. Sheena went downstairs to check… read on > read on >
Appeals Court Keeps Abortion Pill Available, With Restrictions
A federal appeals court on Wednesday said the abortion pill mifepristone could remain available for now. But the court’s judges added some provisions to their ruling: A block on mailing the pill to patients as well as stays on other measures the federal government has taken recently to boost access to the medication. The three-member… read on > read on >
Juul Reaches $462 Million Settlement With Six States, D.C.
(HealthDay News) – Juul Labs on Wednesday reached a $462 million settlement with several states over the aggressive marketing of its electronic cigarettes to minors. This latest settlement includes New York, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Mexico. Juul settled with West Virginia earlier this week. The company has already agreed… read on > read on >
New Drug May Treat Rare Diseases That Make Exposure to Sunlight Painful
It sounds like the stuff of a vampire novel, but for people with a group of rare genetic disorders, exposure to sunlight can cause excruciating pain. Now, an experimental medication is showing promise for helping them better tolerate the light of day. In an early clinical trial, researchers tested the drug for patients with either… read on > read on >
Blood Donors’ Gender Doesn’t Affect Outcomes for Recipients
Whether the gender of a blood donor could affect the recipient’s survival was an unanswered question in medicine. Until now. “Some observational studies had suggested female donor blood might be linked with a higher risk of death among recipients compared to male donor blood, but our clinical trial found that isn’t the case,” co-lead author… read on > read on >
Statins Cut Heart Risks for Folks Living With HIV
As people with HIV live longer they’re at risk of premature heart disease. But a new study finds statin drugs can cut the risk of serious heart problems by more than one-third. The U.S. National Institutes of Health trial found the cholesterol-lowering drugs so effective, in fact, that the study was stopped early. Taking the… read on > read on >