Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

Weed users are much more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or other life-threatening heart condition than people who don’t indulge, a new study says. Adults under 50 are more than six times as likely to suffer a heart attack if they use marijuana, compared to non-users, researchers reported March 18 in the journal… read on > read on >

Elderly people benefit from taking medications to keep their blood pressure low, same as younger folks, a new study says. Systolic blood pressure kept under 130 reduces the risk of heart-related death by about 26% among people 80 or older, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. “We found that people… read on > read on >

Poor families have continued to avoid going to the emergency room post-pandemic, even as ER numbers bounced back for folks who are better-off, a new study says. During the pandemic, visits to ERs for emergency care dropped by about 30% as lockdowns and fears over COVID-19 infection caused the sick and injured to stay away,… read on > read on >

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced it will no longer provide hormone therapy to veterans newly diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The decision follows an executive order from President Donald Trump that directs federal agencies to recognize only two sexes, male and female, which “are not changeable,” The New York Times reported. The… read on > read on >

Gender-affirming hormone therapy may not only help transgender and nonbinary individuals physically — it could also improve their mental health, new research suggests. A study published March 17 in JAMA Network Open found that transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse people who were prescribed hormone therapy had a 15% lower risk of moderate to severe depression over… read on > read on >

It doesn’t matter if CPR is performed by a doctor, a paramedic or an unskilled, unpracticed passerby — when performed promptly, it will increase a person’s odds of survival, a new study says. The speed of CPR initiation is crucial to survival and better outcomes related to cardiac arrest, rather than who performs it, researchers… read on > read on >

Continuous glucose monitors don’t just help people with diabetes maintain healthy blood sugar levels, a new study says — the devices also can help them be safer drivers. Diabetics who use glucose monitors have fewer incidents involving low blood sugar, researchers reported in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. As a result, the patients are more… read on > read on >

Microplastics that invade and burrow deep within the human body are becoming an increasing concern among doctors and health experts. Now, a new study shows that even medical care is causing increased exposure to the tiny plastic particles. Microplastics can be found in the solutions administered through plastic IV bags, researchers recently reported in the… read on > read on >

Other people could be having problems with the same insulin pump, dental implant or glucose monitor that you use — and you might not find out in a timely manner. That’s because medical device manufacturers frequently fail to promptly report side effects caused by their wares to federal regulators, a new study says. About 3… read on > read on >

For 21 years, Sebastien Beauzile lived with the chronic pain of sickle cell anemia. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking genetic treatment, he is the first person in New York to be cured of the disease. “Sickle cell was like a blockade for me, but now it’s just like a wall that I just jumped over,”… read on > read on >