Getting older tends to go hand in hand with failing vision, but eye experts say there are things you can do to preserve your sight as you age. The risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy increases among seniors, but vision loss and blindness aren’t a foregone conclusion, according to the American Society of… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Almost 1 in 4 U.S. Adults Under 40 Have High Blood Pressure
An epidemic of high blood pressure is occurring in young adults and children in the United States, a pair of new studies show. Nearly a quarter of people ages 18 to 39 have high blood pressure, with readings above the healthy level of 130/80, the first study found. Blood pressure is even a problem for… read on > read on >
Cuffs on At-Home Blood Pressure Monitors Don’t Fit Some Patients
People are encouraged to monitor their blood pressure at home, but many folks will find that household blood-pressure cuffs are literally a bad fit, a new study warns. For as many as 18 million U.S. adults — nearly 7% of adults — at-home blood pressure cuffs are either too small or too large to provide… read on > read on >
Brain’s Wiring May Trigger Depression in Some People
A distinct brain pattern appears to make some people more likely to develop depression, a new study indicates. “Deep” functional MRI brain scans revealed that a brain feature called the salience network is nearly twice as large in people with depression than in those without the condition, researchers reported Sept. 4 in the journal Nature.… read on > read on >
Saltwater Drops in Nose Could Shorten Kids’ Colds
Saltwater nose drops can reduce the length of a kid’s cold by two days, a new study demonstrates. “We found that children using saltwater nose drops had cold symptoms for an average of six days, where those with usual care had symptoms for eight days,” said researcher Dr. Steve Cunningham, a professor of pediatric respiratory… read on > read on >
Gene Therapy Reverses a Rare Cause of Vision Loss
Gene therapy may restore vision to children and adults robbed of their sight by a rare inherited condition called Leber congenital amaurosis, researchers report. The illness is caused by mutations in the GUCY2D gene, which is critical to producing proteins that enable vision. People with this form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA1) typically lose their… read on > read on >
U.S. Youth Vaping Drops to Lowest Level in a Decade
Just 5.9% of American middle and high school students now vape, a big drop from the 7.7% who did so a year ago, new government data shows. Put another way, about 1.6 million youth now say they used e-cigarettes at least once over the past month, compared to 2.1 million in 2023. Among those who… read on > read on >
Amid Shortages, U.S. Allows Expanded Production of ADHD Drug Vyvanse
The maker of the ADHD drug Vyvanse has been given approval by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to make more of the medication as a shortage of the critical drugs continues. Following a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July, the DEA said Thursday that Takeda Pharmaceuticals may now increase its production… read on > read on >
States With Strictest Abortion Laws Offer Least Family Support: Study
States with the most severe abortion restrictions are the least likely to offer support to struggling families, a new study has found. Anti-abortion states tend to have assistance programs that exclude many families on the fringes, because participants are required to be poorer to qualify, researchers found. These states also are less likely to have… read on > read on >
Marijuana Use Raises Workers’ Absenteeism Rate: Study
The stereotype of the slacker stoner might not be too far off the mark, a new study shows. People who use weed are prone to workplace absenteeism — and the more problematic the cannabis use, the more likely they are to skip work, results showed. “These findings underscore the importance of developing and implementing strategies… read on > read on >