Research has linked heart disease to specific autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Now, a huge study shows that autoimmune diseases as a group increase your chances of developing heart ills. Autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and type 1 diabetes occur when the body engages in friendly fire against… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Tight Blood Sugar Control Boosts Brain Power of Teens With Type 1 Diabetes: Study
When teenagers with type 1 diabetes get better control of their blood sugar, their brains may benefit, a new clinical trial shows. Researchers found that when teenagers started treatment with a newer technology — often dubbed “artificial pancreas” systems — they were better able to avoid high blood sugar episodes than teens who stuck with… read on > read on >
Efforts to Preserve Fertility Won’t Affect Breast Cancer Outcomes
Fertility preservation procedures for women with breast cancer won’t raise the risk of their cancer returning later, a new Swedish study shows. Women who had eggs or embryos frozen before going through chemotherapy did not have any increased risk of cancer recurrence or death compared with women who didn’t get the procedures, the investigators found.… read on > read on >
U.S. Life Expectancy Fell by Nearly 1 Year in 2021 Due to Pandemic
Life expectancy in the United States dropped for the second straight year, government health officials reported Wednesday. The decline from 77 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021 puts U.S. life expectancy at the lowest level since 1996, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drop of nearly… read on > read on >
With PFAS in Packaging, How Safe Is Microwave Popcorn?
Munching handfuls of microwave popcorn might be perfect for movie night, but your snack could be loading your body with potentially harmful “forever chemicals,” experts warn. Many microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFAS (perfluoroalkyls and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and evidence has shown that these chemicals will leach into the snack during popping. Studies have found… read on > read on >
Wildlife Crossings Over Highways Save Human Lives, Too
In Washington state, 22 wildlife bridges and underpasses provide animals with a safe way through to search for food or escape predators and wildfires. It turns out the crossings have been benefiting humans, too. In a 10-mile radius around wildlife crossings, there are between one and three fewer collisions a year between vehicles and animals,… read on > read on >
Brain Study Shows How Fentanyl Kills
Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that’s driving a surge in drug overdose deaths, kills by stopping breathing even before someone loses consciousness, a new study reveals. To come to that conclusion, researchers ran electroencephalogram (EEG) tests on 25 patients who were undergoing operations lasting two hours or more. Pharmaceutical fentanyl can be used to supplement sedation… read on > read on >
First U.S. Monkeypox Death Reported in Texas
A Texas patient who was infected with monkeypox has died, though state health officials said Tuesday it’s too early to say what role the virus may have played in the death. The adult, who died in a hospital in Harris County, was “severely immunocompromised” and had “various severe illnesses,” health officials said. Autopsy results are… read on > read on >
Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise Against Binge Eating Disorder
Electrically stimulating the brain’s “reward” circuity may hold promise as a treatment for binge eating disorder, a small pilot study suggests. The findings are based on just two patients who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) — a technique used for certain other medical conditions, including epilepsy. But over six months, the approach was able to… read on > read on >
Lawsuit Claims Amazon’s Top-Selling Mattress a ‘Health Hazard’
Customers who bought a bestselling mattress sold on Amazon and at retailers nationwide are suing the manufacturer amid claims that fiberglass fibers in the product have damaged their health. Zinus, Inc., is fielding multiple lawsuits over its “Green Tea Mattress.” Among the claims is a proposed class-action lawsuit led by a California woman who is… read on > read on >