Smokers in the throes of nicotine withdrawal when they wake up in the morning may crave not just a cigarette but a cup of coffee along with it. Science can explain that. Researchers have identified two compounds in coffee that directly affect certain nicotine receptors in the brain. Study author Roger Papke, a pharmacology professor…  read on >  read on >

Men and women have different experiences with declining kidney function as they age, so researchers set out to try to figure out what was happening. What they knew was that more women have chronic kidney disease (CKD), while more men develop kidney failure, a seeming contradiction. What they found was that middle-aged women tended to…  read on >  read on >

Just like their humans, dogs are more often diagnosed with diabetes in certain places and times of year, new research reveals. Diagnoses of type 1 diabetes in humans rise during the winter months and in northern latitudes of the United States. This new study, by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine,…  read on >  read on >

Kids can take part in sports while on vegetarian and vegan diets, but parents and caregivers must help them select foods that will fuel them and meet their nutrition needs. Vegan athletes can become deficient in vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3 fats, riboflavin and calcium, so it’s important to find good substitutes, said Roberta…  read on >  read on >

More than 70 genes are very strongly associated with autism and more than 250 are linked to the condition, a major new genetic analysis has revealed. The analysis is the largest of its kind to date, involving more than 150,000 participants, including 20,000 diagnosed with autism. The researchers found that genes linked predominantly to developmental…  read on >  read on >

PFAS compounds are known as “forever chemicals” because they degrade slowly in the environment and accumulate in the body, potentially harming human and animal health. Bacteria can’t eat them. Fire can’t incinerate them. Water can’t dilute them. Instead, these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances break down on their own schedule, posing a potential health hazard for…  read on >  read on >

Many opioid abusers cite short-term, legitimate use of an opioid for relief of joint or dental pain as their “gateway” into addiction. Now, research done at one New York State clinic finds that dentists can cut their use of opioids down to zero, using other painkillers for patients instead. The end result: “No opioids were…  read on >  read on >

Parkinson’s disease can be hard for the average person to identify, but 10 warning signs may offer an early clue that you or a loved one may be developing the disease. The Parkinson’s Foundation suggests being aware of the signs, while knowing that having any one of them doesn’t mean the disease is present. Tremor…  read on >  read on >