The current flu season is shaping up to be the worst in a decade. So far, there have been at least 29 million illnesses and 370,000 hospitalizations related to the flu — the most since the 2015-2016 season, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly flu report. There have also…  read on >  read on >

Stroke patients leave the hospital with better prospects if they’re forced to hoof it more during recovery, a new study suggests. Adding a half-hour of progressive walking exercises to standard stroke rehab measurably improves patients’ quality of life and mobility by the time they go home, researchers say. “Although guidelines recommend structured, progressive exercise after…  read on >  read on >

Social media often tempts teenagers with non-surgical ways to improve their appearance, such as laser hair removal, skin and teeth whitening, chemical peels, botox, and face and lip fillers. And a new poll finds that a substantial number of parents are ready to support their teen’s pursuit of beauty through a trip to a med…  read on >  read on >

Smoking more than doubles the risk of unexplained strokes among younger adults, a new study warns. And heavy smoking is even worse, with stroke risk more than quadrupled among adults who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes every day for 20 years compared to people who don’t smoke, researchers found. “Our findings suggest that…  read on >  read on >

A radioactive gas could be contributing to asthma among schoolkids, researchers have found. Children exposed to elevated levels of radon gas tended to have more asthma symptoms, results show. “Residential radon has not previously been described as an environmental risk factor for asthma,” a team led by Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, director of immunology research with…  read on >  read on >

The societal stress and stigma of being LGBTQ+ can increase a person’s risk of mental health problems, a new study suggests. People in sexual and gender minorities are more likely than heterosexuals to suffer from problems like anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, researchers reported recently in JAMA Network Open.…  read on >  read on >