Folks are less likely to recover successfully from a total hip replacement if they have poor muscle quality going into the procedure, a small-scale study says. Patients whose MRI scans revealed fatty hip muscle prior to surgery were more likely to perform poorly on movement tasks following hip replacement, researchers reported today in the Journal… read on > read on >
Microplastics could be contributing to clogged arteries, increasing people’s risk of heart attack or stroke, a new study says. Fatty plaques in neck arteries can contain more than 50 times as much microplastics as are found in arteries free of plaques, researchers reported Tuesday at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Baltimore. These… read on > read on >
Recreational use of “magic mushroom” psilocybin skyrocketed in the U.S. during the early 2020s, as states began toying with legalization of the psychedelic drug, a new study says. The number of adults 30 and older who had used psilocybin in the past year increased by 188% between 2019 and 2023, researchers reported April 21 in… read on > read on >
Depression and anxiety have been increasing steadily among children and teenagers in recent years, a new study says. More than 1 in 10 children (10.6%) suffered from anxiety in 2022, up from 7.1% in 2016, researchers reported April 21 in JAMA Pediatrics. During the same period, depression among children increased to 4.6% from 3.2%, results… read on > read on >
The prevalence of depression decreased with older age and with increasing family income read on >
Kids struggle with asthma as much at school as they do at home — possibly even more so, since it can be tough for them to access their medicine. So why aren’t all schools offering them asthma therapy? A new study says that school-based asthma therapy is effective in helping kids breathe easier while away… read on > read on >
Loneliness among seniors has been a huge concern among experts on aging as social isolation increases risk of dementia, health problems, psychological disorders and deaths. But a new study suggests that, at least in the U.S., that concern has been somewhat misplaced. Middle-aged people in the United States experience more loneliness than seniors, researchers reported… read on > read on >
Colonoscopy for younger adults. Chest CT scans for lung cancer. Statin meds to lower cholesterol. Screening for drug addiction. More than 150 million Americans might lose no-cost access to these and other preventive care services under a case being heard Monday at the U.S. Supreme Court. “Most people probably haven’t even heard of the case,… read on > read on >
An oral chemotherapy drug can safely and effectively manage sickle cell disease in children, a new study says. Children taking hydroxyurea had fewer ER visits and spent fewer days in the hospital compared to kids not taking the drug, researchers reported April 17 in the journal Blood Advances. “Our results reinforce that hydroxyurea, the most… read on > read on >
When a child tumbles to the floor from a blow to the head, a parent’s inner alarms should sound. The child may have a brain injury. Here’s what parents need to know: What is a concussion? A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that results from a direct hit to the head, face… read on > read on >
