Made infamous as the club drug Special K, ketamine is nowadays being seen as a wonder drug for some folks with hard-to-treat depression. However, a new study finds that some types of patients are more likely to gain a rapid and significant benefit from ketamine than others. Overall, while most patients did benefit from the… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Neighbors Make the Difference for Isolated Chinese-American Seniors
Living in tight-knit communities where neighbors are connected to one another helped improve health outcomes for older Chinese Americans, a new study found. Rutgers University researchers used data from a study of more than 3,100 elderly Chinese people in the Chicago area to investigate whether the perception of trust and connection among neighbors had an… read on > read on >
Black Patients More Likely to Get Riskier Heart Surgeries
Insured Black patients are less likely to undergo minimally invasive heart valve replacement or repairs — relatively safe procedures — than their white counterparts, new research shows. Black patients who need a mitral valve replacement are more likely to have operations that involve opening the chest and cutting through the breastbone to reveal the heart,… read on > read on >
Long Stays Common for Kids Who Visit ERs in Mental Health Crisis
It’s a scenario no parent would ever want to witness: Their child suffers a mental health crisis and is taken to the emergency room, only to have to wait 12 hours or more for the right medical care. Sadly, it is what 1 in 5 of these young patients now face, new research finds. “For… read on > read on >
Getting COVID Booster Helps Your Antibodies Last Longer
While getting a COVID-19 vaccine provides antibodies against the coronavirus, getting a booster shot creates a longer-lasting antibody response, according to new research. “These results fit with other recent reports and indicate that booster shots enhance the durability of vaccine-elicited antibodies,” said senior researcher Dr. Jeffrey Wilson of the University of Virginia (UVA) Health division… read on > read on >
Language Barriers Hold Back Many Asian Americans From Good Health Care
Many Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults may have trouble accessing health care and insurance because of language barriers, a new analysis indicates. In a new report by the Urban Institute and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, researchers found that more than 30% of people in this group had limited English proficiency… read on > read on >
Broken Hearts: Loneliness Could Raise Danger From Cardiovascular Disease
For people with heart disease, new research suggests loneliness, social isolation and living alone can shave years off your life. This trio puts people with established cardiovascular disease at greater risk of premature death, according to the international study. Cardiovascular disease refers to heart disease and stroke. “Social health factors such as loneliness and social… read on > read on >
Diet Drinks May Not Affect Urinary Function in Women
If you struggle with urinary incontinence and worry that diet drinks may make matters worse, new research suggests they may not have a significant effect. “This study is important in that it may guide clinicians counseling women with urinary incontinence to focus more on behavioral modifications, such as total volume intake, rather than on the… read on > read on >
In U.S., Minority Communities More Likely to Have Water Contaminated by Toxic Metals
U.S. communities with higher Hispanic, American Indian or Black populations also have the highest concentrations of metal in public water systems, new research reveals. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City found significantly higher arsenic and uranium levels in public drinking water in Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native communities… read on > read on >
Time Spent in Nature Appears to Slow Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s
TUESDAY, Dec. 27, 2022Living in an area with easy access to parks and rivers appears to slow the progression of devastating neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That’s the conclusion of a new study based on more than a decade and a half tracking disease risk among nearly 62 million Americans 65 years old… read on > read on >