Seniors, looking for a way to stay mentally quick and physically strong? Start scrubbing. Researchers from Singapore say housework may be a key to keeping your brain sharp as you age. Their new study found that in older adults, cleaning house was tied to a better memory and attention span, and stronger legs, which helps…  read on >  read on >

Federal health officials are imploring Americans to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations start to climb just ahead of the holidays. There’s been an 18% increase in the United States’ seven-day average of reported coronavirus infections, and a 6% increase in the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…  read on >  read on >

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday that the Biden administration will spend $1.5 billion to tackle a health care worker shortage in underserved communities. The money from the COVID-19 recovery program, called the American Rescue Plan, and other sources will go to three federal programs that provide scholarships and loan repayments for health care students…  read on >  read on >

Folks who’ve had a clogged artery reopened probably can stop taking blood thinners sooner than previously thought, a new study argues. Patients are regularly prescribed blood thinners for a year or more after angioplasty. This is to make sure that blood doesn’t clot inside the metal stent that now holds their artery open. That could…  read on >  read on >

Addictive opioid painkillers aren’t the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say. As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings may come as good news. After ACL surgery, Advil and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and…  read on >  read on >

A widely available drug used to treat alcoholism has potential as a COVID-19 treatment, researchers say. The investigators found that people taking disulfiram (Antabuse) for alcoholism had a lower risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and were less likely to die from COVID-19 if infected than those not taking the drug. The study was observational, so…  read on >  read on >

Teens and young adults with autism show marked differences in their brains’ white matter compared to those without the disorder, a new study finds. “If you think of gray matter as the computer, white matter is like the cables,” said study co-author Clara Weber, a postgraduate research fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. The…  read on >  read on >