Health officials in Hood River County, Oregon, are investigating three cases of a rare and fatal brain disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).  Two people in the county, which has a population of about 24,000, have died from the illness, and a third case is still being reviewed, Oregon Live reported. CJD is caused by…  read on >  read on >

Natural disasters fueled by climate change might wind up increasing cancer deaths, a new study suggests. Rates of colon cancer diagnoses dropped during and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico two weeks apart, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported April 14 in the journal Cancer. However, late-stage colon cancer diagnoses…  read on >  read on >

Worried about taking the ADHD meds you’ve been prescribed because they might harm your heart health? There’s no need to fret, according to a new evidence review. ADHD medications generally have just a small effect on a person’s blood pressure, heart rate and heart electrical activity, researchers reported in The Lancet Psychiatry. What’s more, there…  read on >  read on >

Women with sickle cell disease often have pain crises around the time of their period, and researchers now think they know why. Inflammation increases significantly in women during their period, and that could be contributing to sickle cell pain events, researchers reported. “The amount of inflammation is significantly elevated in the follicular phase, or first…  read on >  read on >

Curious what recovery really looks like after a hip replacement?  Dr. Ayesha Abdeen, chief of hip and knee replacement surgery at Boston Medical Center, shares what to expect at every step along the way — from managing pain to getting back to favorite activities. What to expect after surgery Total hip replacement (THR) surgery has…  read on >  read on >

From slurping daily spoonfuls of fish oil to giving up alcohol, lifting weights and playing word games, older Americans think just about anything that might keep their brains sharp is worth a try. After all, the risk of dementia — a loss of memory, problem-solving and thinking abilities that often equals an end to independence…  read on >  read on >

Spring is officially here, and with it comes watery eyes, stuffy noses and constant sneezing for people with seasonal allergies. And climate change means things are only going to get worse for allergy sufferers, a new evidence review suggests. Allergy seasons are expected to get longer and grow more intense as climate change progresses, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Five years after COVID-19 first hit the United States, scientists are already brainstorming how to stop the next big virus. One possible solution? A special kind of ultraviolet light called far-UVC, CBS News reported. Unlike regular UVC light, which can be harmful to people, far-UVC has a shorter wavelength. That means it can kill viruses…  read on >  read on >