There are all sorts of co-ops – credit unions, employee-owned businesses, utility providers, farmers’ cooperatives. But a new type of co-op might be the key to caring for aging Americans amid a shortage of paid caregivers, a new study suggests. Home care cooperatives could be the key to making sure the elderly get the care…  read on >  read on >

Brain diseases like stroke, dementia and depression share common risk factors, and changing any can lower a person’s risk of all three conditions, a new study says. Addressing factors as varied as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, physical activity, sleep, stress, alcohol consumption and smoking can significantly reduce risk of the three age-related brain diseases,…  read on >  read on >

America’s emergency rooms are near the breaking point, causing long wait times and boarding of patients awaiting care, a new study says. Essentially, ERs are being asked to serve as health care hubs that offer services far beyond emergency care, according to a new report from the non-profit research organization RAND. And they are asked…  read on >  read on >

Severe and possibly deadly strep infections are on the rise in the U.S., a study published Monday in Journal of the American Medical Association said. The rate of invasive group A strep infections more than doubled from 2013 to 2022, jumping from about 4 cases per 100,000 people to 8 per 100,000, NBC News reported.…  read on >  read on >

More people die from heart problems during heatwaves where high temperatures stretch through both the day and night, a new study says. Heatwaves that offer no relief at night — known as compound heatwaves — are much more deadly than soaring daytime temperatures alone, researchers reported April 1 in the Journal of the American College…  read on >  read on >

Smoke from wildfires driving you mad? You’re not alone, a new study says. Short-term exposure to air choked with wildfire smoke increases people’s risk of mental health problems, according to findings published April 4 in JAMA Network Open. Hospital emergency rooms experience surges in patients with mental health conditions on days when smoke pollution is…  read on >  read on >

Ozone air pollution increases the risk of asthma among preschoolers and kindergarteners, a new study says. Relatively small increases in ozone smog in a child’s first two years of life is associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheeze at 4 to 6 years of age, researchers reported April 2 in JAMA Network Open.…  read on >  read on >