Pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack, Florida officials confirmed Thursday. The 71-year-old entertainer, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea, died last week in Clearwater, Florida. The official cause of death was acute myocardial infarction, the medical term for a heart attack, according to records from the medical examiner  obtained by…  read on >  read on >

It’s no laughing matter: Kids and teens across America are increasingly inhaling nitrous oxide, better known as “laughing gas,” to get high.  Too often, this ends in tragedy. U.S. deaths linked to misuse of the common, legal inhalant climbed nearly sevenfold (578%) between 2010 and 2023, a new report finds.   In 2023, 156 Americans,…  read on >  read on >

There may be a connection between a community’s homicide and suicide rates: When murder rates rise, there’s typically a local uptick in suicides a year later, new U.S. research shows. These trends were especially strong for gun-related incidents, according to a team from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.  The findings suggest that “local violence…  read on >  read on >

A life-threatening condition involving out-of-control brain swelling can occur in kids who are battling the flu, but it’s extremely rare.  A review of recent cases highlights the importance of quick diagnosis and aggressive treatment to saving the lives of kids with the condition, called influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). “It is essential that doctors promptly…  read on >  read on >

State bans on enticing flavors of e-cigarettes bring real benefits in terms of lowering vaping among adults of any age, new research finds. But it points to a downside, too: A slowdown in statewide declines of cigarette smoking after flavored vapes were banned.  “Both e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes are essentially a source of nicotine for…  read on >  read on >

Two years’ involvement in programs focused on healthy eating, regular exercise and “brain training” exercises appears to have helped a wide range of older adults — even those at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s — avoid cognitive decline, a new study finds. The findings, presented Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto, “encourage us…  read on >  read on >