Better lighting and other changes to street crossings could improve pedestrian safety for seniors — the age group most likely to be killed by oncoming vehicles. Researchers pored over four years of Oregon crash data for locations considered dangerous for walkers age 65 and older. They called for changes to improve visibility and illumination, to…  read on >  read on >

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will create a new division in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) focused solely on coordinating responses to pandemic threats and other health emergencies. The office of the existing Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will become its own operating division called the Administration…  read on >  read on >

If a positive COVID test has forced you to postpone elective surgery, here’s some good news. Once recovered from the virus, fully vaccinated patients have no greater odds for post-surgery complications than patients who were never infected, according to a new study. “Current guidelines recommend avoiding elective surgery until seven weeks after a COVID-19 illness,…  read on >  read on >

Better have some savings stored up before you rush to the delivery room: A new analysis shows the average out-of-pocket expense for delivering a child in the United States is nearly $3,000, even if you’re insured. Other studies have looked at the costs for specific services, such as Cesarean sections versus vaginal deliveries, but those…  read on >  read on >

Next time you work out, maybe take a 15-minute sauna when you’re done for extra heart health benefits. That’s the main finding of research out of Finland. It found taking a sauna confers additional cardiovascular benefits over exercise alone. The new study didn’t look at how saunas can boost heart health, but other studies have…  read on >  read on >

Harried, overworked anesthesiologists could be raising hospital patients’ risk of death and complications, a new study reports. It’s not uncommon to have one anesthesiologist directing the anesthesia care for multiple surgeries at the same time, overseeing the work of lower-ranking anesthesia clinicians assigned to each operation. But the risk to patients rises with the number…  read on >  read on >

While humans typically use their sight to orient themselves, dogs navigate the world by combining their sense of smell with their vision. So claims a new study that found dogs’ sense of smell is integrated with their vision and other unique parts of their brain. “We’ve never seen this connection between the nose and the…  read on >  read on >