When you’re at a beach or pool, would you be able to identify someone who’s drowning and take action to save them? “Even the most experienced swimmers can be in danger if the weather is bad, currents are strong or a medical emergency occurs in the water,” said Dr. Gillian Schmitz, president of the American…  read on >  read on >

The number of known U.S. monkeypox cases has increased to 21 in 11 states, federal health officials announced Friday. The cases are also concentrated largely among gay or bisexual men, with the virus apparently transmitted as a result of intimate skin-to-skin contact, according to a new report published June 3 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly…  read on >  read on >

A growing number of U.S. kids are attempting suicide by medication overdose — with the biggest increase seen among preteens, a recent study shows. Researchers found that between 2015 and 2020, there was a 27% increase in overdose suicide or attempted suicide among U.S. children and teenagers. While teens accounted for most of those incidents,…  read on >  read on >

At least three elderly Americans suffocated after getting trapped in Mobility Transfer Systems adult portable bedrails, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says anyone who has the rails should stop using them immediately. The warning applies to 10 models of bedrails made and sold by Mobility Transfer Systems Inc. from 1992 to 2021,…  read on >  read on >

It’s a startling statistic: A new study finds the number of kids accidentally poisoned by the over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin has soared by 530% over the past decade. For most children, the overdose only causes excessive sleepiness, but for some it can result in hospitalization and even death, the researchers found. “The largest increases were…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, June 3, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — A new study of a leading cause of heart attacks in pregnant and postpartum women offers insights on when the problem strikes, how it has been treated and how survivors might weigh the risks of becoming pregnant again. The condition – pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection,…  read on >  read on >

If you’re taller than average, your genes may affect your risk for a variety of diseases, a new study suggests. These include a higher risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation and varicose veins, but a lower risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Other investigators have reported similar findings…  read on >  read on >

Adults who get COVID-19 could have antibodies circulating in their blood for nearly 500 days after infection, new research suggests. “We now have a good estimate of how long antibodies last after a COVID-19 infection,” said study author Michael Swartz, an associate professor and vice chair of biostatistics at the University of Texas Health Science…  read on >  read on >

Vaccination played a crucial role when Americans were deciding whether to have surgery during the pandemic, a new study finds. “It’s critical to understand what factors affect a patient’s decision to have surgery during an infectious pandemic if we want to help reduce deaths and illness. These factors include vaccination status of the patient and…  read on >  read on >