Advertising would have you believe that a big bowl of sugary cereal or a syrupy iced coffee drink will make you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. But that sort of sugar-laden breakfast may be one of the worst things you can do to help you wake up alert and refreshed. A major new sleep…  read on >  read on >

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned fruit-flavored vaping products in early 2020, the idea was to reverse the rapid rise in electronic cigarette use among youths. Now, a new survey of adult e-cigarette users finds that instead of quitting e-cigarettes, most vapers switched to flavored products not covered by the ban, or even…  read on >  read on >

Pharmacists can now. prescribe hormonal contraceptives in 20 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., giving women easier access to birth control, a new report says. Another 10 states have legislation in the works, according to research presented Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists, in Las Vegas. Having easy access to birth…  read on >  read on >

Experts are asking seniors to get their flu shots ASAP as an exceptionally nasty flu season unfolds across the United States. Already, 8.7 million flu cases have been reported, with 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the last week alone, the number of flu hospitalizations…  read on >  read on >

A small toilet-based sound sensor that can tell the difference between peeing, pooping and diarrhea may one day help prevent cholera outbreaks. “The hope is that this sensor, which is small in footprint and noninvasive in approach, could be deployed to areas where cholera outbreaks are a persistent risk,” said researcher Maia Gatlin of the…  read on >  read on >

Flu, RSV and COVID-19 are creating a perfect storm of respiratory disease that is overwhelming the nation’s health care systems. Vaccination will be key to getting through the winter holidays with your health intact, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a media briefing Monday. “For two of the…  read on >  read on >

Growing numbers of Americans are suffering prolonged, life-threatening seizures known as status epilepticus, and Black people are nearly twice as likely to experience these seizures as white people. These are the main findings from new research looking at hospitalizations for status epilepticus from 2010 to 2019 across the United States. Status epilepticus refers to a…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Dec. 5, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Actor and musician Rob Benedict was in his natural habitat, onstage and entertaining an audience, when two of his friends decided to pull a practical joke on him. They were all gathered in Toronto for a fan convention for “Supernatural,” the long-running TV series. Benedict, who…  read on >  read on >

People who’ve had a bout of shingles may face a heightened risk of heart attack or stroke in later years, a new, large study suggests. Anyone who ever had chickenpox can develop shingles — a painful rash that is caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. About one-third of Americans will develop…  read on >  read on >