Genetic mutations caused this latest bird flu season to become more severe, increasing the risk it poses to humans and other mammals, a new study finds. The H5N1 avian influenza virus gained the ability to severely infect the brains of mammalian test subjects like ferrets, researchers with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found. That’s a… read on > read on >
People unvaccinated for COVID-19 have significant odds of lingering illness if they get the virus, with one in six still suffering symptoms two years later, new research shows. A study from Switzerland found that 17% of that group did not return to their previously normal health, and 18% reported COVID symptoms such as shortness of… read on > read on >
The number of American women who have diabetes when they become pregnant has increased dramatically over five years, health officials reported Wednesday. Between 2016 and 2021, the rate of pregnancy among diabetic women has risen 27%, from about 9 per 1,000 births to 11 per 1,000 births, according to the report from the U.S. Centers… read on > read on >
Older adults may have a second vaccine option for RSV following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday. The other shot for adults 60 and up is made by GSK. It was approved May 3. Both should be available by fall, before the seasonal spread of respiratory syncytial virus… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, June 1, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — At a CPR class in Spanish in central Virginia, some members of the Latino community say they recognize that the technique can save someone whose heart stops beating. But they acknowledge that fear and uncertainty might keep them from providing critical care. Such apprehension has prompted… read on > read on >
Kids who devote some of their free time to volunteer work may not only help others, but also themselves. That’s according to a new study that found U.S. kids who spend time in community service are often thriving, physically and mentally. Overall, kids who’d volunteered in the past year were in better physical health, had… read on > read on >
(HealthDay News) – Smokers in Canada will soon see health warnings on each and every cigarette they light up.. The country will be the first in the world to print these warnings directly on individual cigarettes. “This bold step will make health warning messages virtually unavoidable, and together with updated graphic images displayed on the… read on > read on >
Large, uncontrolled wildfires in Nova Scotia are creating unhealthy air in the Northeast region of the United States, including parts of Connecticut. This significant smoke plume is likely to cause elevated levels of fine particulate matter, the American Lung Association warned in its alert. Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so… read on > read on >
Having a heart attack is bad news for your brain, raising your odds for mental decline in the years to come, new research finds. Looking at studies conducted over five decades, researchers found that a heart attack wasn’t linked to immediate cognitive (“thinking”) issues, but they saw a faster-than-normal decline of brain health in the… read on > read on >
An exceptionally pricey gene therapy cure for sickle cell disease could soon be available, but it’s not clear whether insurance companies will balk at the cost and deny coverage. On the surface, the gene therapy does not appear as cost-effective as the grinding medical care that sickle cell patients now receive, according to a new… read on > read on >
