If you’re over 65, you likely struggle sometimes to hear conversations clearly, but ignoring that may prompt even more serious health problems, experts say. If left unchecked, hearing loss can lead to social isolation and depression — two conditions known to raise dementia risk, said Dr. Leah Ross, a physician in the Division of Geriatric…  read on >  read on >

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 >

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 >

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 >