Extreme heat strikes poor and minority neighborhoods in U.S. cities harder than those that are wealthier and mainly white, a new study finds. “The distribution of excess urban heat varies within cities, and as a result, communities do not share a city’s extreme heat burden equally,” said study co-author Jennifer Burney. She’s chair of global…  read on >  read on >

If you need another reason to eat healthy, new research suggests that eating lots of packaged snacks and other ultra-processed foods could increase your risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ultra-processed foods also include packaged baked goods, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat meals with food additives, and reconstituted meat and fish items. These products often…  read on >  read on >

Here’s some reassuring news for parents: Most heart problems in children with a rare inflammatory condition triggered by COVID-19 infection resolve within a few months, a new study finds. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) causes inflammation throughout the body, and many patients develop a range of non-respiratory symptoms such as abdominal pain, skin rashes,…  read on >  read on >

Modern, flexible boots may be just as good as old-school plaster casts when it comes to treating broken ankles, new research suggests. Often related to sports, traffic accidents or falls, broken ankles can be simple breaks in one bone or more complicated fractures that involve several bones, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.…  read on >  read on >

As many as two of every five Americans who’ve died from COVID-19 were suffering from diabetes, making the chronic disease one of the highest-risk conditions during the pandemic, an expert says. About 40% of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States were among diabetics, a “really quite sobering” statistic that should prompt people with the…  read on >  read on >

Ten days after surgery to remove half of his colon, Pope Francis has been discharged from a Rome hospital. The Associated Press reported that a car carrying Francis, 84, left Rome’s Gemelli Polytechnic hospital and traveled to the Vatican on Wednesday morning. After being diagnosed with diverticular stenosis, a severe narrowing of the large intestine,…  read on >  read on >

Some think that romance begins when two strangers catch each other’s eye across a crowded room. Others seek it out by swiping right. But new research suggests that more than two-thirds of all romantic relationships begin as friendships. It’s a question that Danu Anthony Stinson and her collaborators have been asking for a long time…  read on >  read on >

The COVID-19 pandemic could leave a grim legacy for women’s health. New research suggests that disruptions in breast cancer screening and treatment in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to an increase in deaths from the disease. While mammography rates have accelerated in 2021, “facilities should prioritize screening women who missed their…  read on >  read on >