Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

Just like their human counterparts, cats may act cranky or confused and have trouble sleeping as they age. They may even yowl more than usual at night. These, researchers say, are dementia-like behaviors that may owe to an accumulation of plaques in their brain, just like those in people with Alzheimer’s disease. And this similarity… read on > read on >

Most people with high blood pressure aren’t skipping the salt shaker in favor of a salt substitute, according to a new study. Incredibly few Americans use salt substitutes, essentially waving aside a simple and effective way to manage their blood pressure, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. “Overall, less… read on > read on >

Deaths from blood-pressure-driven kidney disease have increased dramatically during the past quarter-century, according to a new study. Deaths from high blood pressure-related kidney disease increased by nearly half in the U.S. over the past 25 years, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. The highest death rates were among Black… read on > read on >

Folks who start using weed to cope with anxiety, depression or pain might end up with a worse mental state than before, a new study says. People self-medicating with marijuana had higher levels of paranoia, anxiety and depression, researchers reported recently in the journal BMJ Mental Health. By comparison, those using weed for “fun” or… read on > read on >

Governors of California, Oregon, and Washington announced the alliance in response to recent leadership changes and other actions they say have ‘undermined’ the CDC read on >

Community hospitals don’t often transfer severely injured patients to higher-level trauma centers that could provide the care they need, a new study says. Fewer than half of severely injured people are transferred from a low-level trauma center to larger or more advanced hospitals, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The… read on > read on >

An experimental pill might help people with stubborn high blood pressure that won’t relent to other treatments, clinical trial results show. Patients with treatment-resistant high blood pressure saw a significant drop after taking the new drug baxdrostat once a day for three months, researchers reported Aug. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Blood… read on > read on >

A single dose of penicillin works just as well to cure early syphilis as the three-injection regimen now used by many doctors, a new clinical trial says. Second and third doses of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) don’t provide any additional benefit in treating early-stage syphilis, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. “Benzathine… read on > read on >

Some parents avoid giving their kids fruit juice, for fear that it might rot their teeth. But the bad effects of juice on a child’s oral health could be short-lived, thanks to the remarkable properties of saliva, according to a new study. Saliva protects teeth and gums from bacteria by creating a slippery film on… read on > read on >