THURSDAY, June 2, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Gender gaps in blood pressure, physical activity and smoking have widened among young adults in the United States, new research finds, suggesting that prevention approaches should be carefully tailored to help people achieve ideal lifelong cardiovascular health. Overall heart health stayed about the same among more…  read on >  read on >

An elevator encounter that happened to Laurie Waters highlights the daily plight faced by early-onset Alzheimer’s patients like her. Waters, 57, was stuck in an elevator at an Alzheimer’s convention with other folks who were growing loud and excited — and the situation was getting to her. “I was starting to get panic-stricken, being in…  read on >  read on >

Children whose mothers had rising levels of depression during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of behavioral problems, researchers say. “Our findings suggest that increases in mother’s symptoms of depression from preconception to postpartum contribute to children’s lower attention and behavioral control, which can raise the risk of problems across the life span,” said…  read on >  read on >

Nations are falling short in their efforts to get rid of toxic PCB chemicals that pose a risk to human health and the environment, researchers report. “We’re only six years out from the Stockholm Convention’s deadline to responsibly eliminate PCB stocks, but shockingly little progress has been made,” said study co-author Lisa Melymuk, an assistant…  read on >  read on >

Children who have had COVID-19 aren’t protected against the Omicron variant, but vaccination does cut their chances of infection, a new study shows. “I hear parents say, ‘Oh, my kid had COVID last year,’” said senior study co-author Dr. Adrienne Randolph, from Boston Children’s Hospital. “But we found that antibodies produced by prior infections in…  read on >  read on >

Racial disparities in health outcomes persist in the United States, with Black and Hispanic Americans more likely to die within a month after a bleeding stroke than white Americans, a new study shows. “We’ve known that there are disparities in death from stroke among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. due to higher stroke…  read on >  read on >

Breastfeeding may literally help your baby breathe more easily, according to new research that found the longer an infant is fed mother’s milk exclusively, the lower the baby’s chances of developing asthma. “Breastfeeding for at least six months was the most protective but, importantly, it is likely that shorter amounts also provide some protection against…  read on >  read on >