Health and Wellness « Weekly Sauce

Seniors with known heart-related problems aren’t doing a very good job taking steps to protect their health, a new study says. Older folks with high blood pressure, stroke survivors and heart failure patients in the United States all have been neglecting Life’s Essential 8 — a checklist of lifestyle factors that can protect heart health,… read on > read on >

Exposure to a common pesticide during pregnancy can impair children’s brain development and motor function for years to come, a new study says. The widely used pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) is linked to altered brain function and poorer fine motor control among children exposed to it while in the womb, researchers report in JAMA Neurology. “The… read on > read on >

Sensitive people tend to have a higher risk of developing a mood disorder, a new evidence review says. In particular, highly sensitive souls are more likely to develop depression or suffer from anxiety, researchers report in the journal Clinical Psychological Science. “This is the first meta-analysis providing robust evidence that highly sensitive people are more… read on > read on >

Tight control over blood pressure is not only good for patients, but is also cost-effective health care, a new study says. Controlling blood pressure to below 120 systolic prevents more heart attacks, strokes, cases of heart failure and other heart-related health problems, compared with higher targets, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It’s… read on > read on >

For the first time, people can get their annual flu vaccine without leaving the comfort of home. FluMist, a nasal spray flu vaccine made by AstraZeneca, is now available for at-home use through a service called FluMist Home, the company announced. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved FluMist in 2003 for use… read on > read on >

Taking acetaminophen while pregnant might increase a child’s risk of autism or ADHD, a new evidence review says. Analysis of 46 prior studies involving more than 100,000 participants found “strong evidence” that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen could increase the risk of developmental brain disorders like autism and ADHD, researchers reported Aug. 13 in the journal… read on > read on >

Forecasters say it will bypass a direct hit on the continental U.S., but the first hurricane of 2025 — Erin — is a strong reminder to have an emergency plan and know what to do if severe weather strikes. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds… read on > read on >

Diabetes risk appears to cluster in households, a new study says. Three-quarters of people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes are living under the same roof as another person who either already has diabetes or carries risk factors for the condition, researchers will report at the upcoming annual meeting of the European Association for… read on > read on >

A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem has now caused four deaths and sickened 101 people, New York City health officials confirmed. The bacteria that cause the illness, called Legionella, were found in 12 cooling towers across 10 buildings, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. Cooling towers help regulate temperature in large buildings, but if they… read on > read on >