Palliative care can be a godsend in the final days of one’s life, but new research shows that Black and Hispanic nursing home residents are far less likely to receive it than their white peers are. Overall, nursing homes in the Northeast provided the most palliative care, while those in the South provided the least… read on > read on >
From drowning to being struck by flying debris, the immediate dangers of hurricanes are well known, but these events also boost your risk of dying from a host of hidden diseases and conditions that occur in the storm’s aftermath. The new research is concerning given the increase in the number and strength of hurricanes due… read on > read on >
If you were born before 1996, there’s a good chance you were exposed to high levels of lead as a kid, and new research suggests this may have harmed your IQ and boosted your chances of lead-related health concerns down the road. “A significant proportion of Americans alive today had very high lead exposure as… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — At the 142-year-old Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey, the 1,500-member congregation has learned that tending only to spiritual needs is not enough. So, the predominantly Black church works together through its nonprofit Shiloh Community Development Corporation to address spiritual, physical and mental health, said… read on > read on >
Here’s more evidence of the toll that COVID-19 takes on the human brain: A new study finds biomarkers of neuron damage and brain inflammation in the blood are associated with brain function changes in both hospitalized COVID-19 patients and people with long COVID. Combined blood biomarker evidence of damage to neurons and activation of cells… read on > read on >
The lost hour of sleep when clocks spring forward for daylight saving time on Sunday, March 13 can pose risks to your heart — but there are ways to protect yourself. A number of studies have found an increase in heart problems and stroke after the spring time change, according to the American Heart Association.… read on > read on >
Regular blood pressure readings at home are more accurate for diagnosing high blood pressure than those taken at a doctor’s office, according to a new study. “Blood pressure varies a lot over the day … and one or two measurements in clinic may not reflect your average blood pressure,” said study author Dr. Beverly Green,… read on > read on >
A comparison of Neanderthal and modern human spines suggests lifestyle habits of 21st century people lie behind widespread back pain, researchers say. Anthropologists focused on the spine’s curvature, which is partly influenced by wedging, or angling, of vertebrae and the softer discs between vertebrae. “Neanderthals are not distinct from modern humans in lumbar wedging and… read on > read on >
For two decades, the death rate from opioid overdoses was higher among white Americans than Black Americans. But that changed in 2020, signaling an end to the notion that the overdose crisis is a “white problem.” Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found that overdose deaths jumped nearly 49%… read on > read on >
Scientists have discovered that even a mild case of COVID-19 might inflict damage on your brain. On average, middle-aged and older adults who’d been sick with COVID showed signs of tissue shrinkage in brain areas related to the sense of smell, the researchers reported. They also tended to have more trouble completing complex mental tasks,… read on > read on >
