MONDAY, Dec. 6, 2021 Yet another pandemic-related health woe has come to the fore: rising blood pressure. Data covering almost half a million middle-aged Americans shows that about 27% saw their blood pressure go up significantly in 2020 after COVID-19 restrictions unfolded compared to the prior year. Women appeared to be particularly vulnerable. Still, “the… read on > read on >
Starting college can be a time of fun, new experiences and growth. Yet it can also be a rough transition for many students who struggle with mental health issues. A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom and Canada found about one-third of first-year students have or develop moderate to severe anxiety or depression.… read on > read on >
Viagra, a drug long used to treat erectile dysfunction, may double as a potential weapon against Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. Looking at data on more than 7 million Americans, researchers found that those taking the drug were 69% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, when compared to non-users. Then, in lab experiments, the investigators… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Dec. 6, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — When belongings pile up on the curb from an eviction in Maryland’s western Anne Arundel County, Abraham Shanklin Jr. sees more than a housing crisis. When people with low incomes can’t find a reliable way to get to work, he sees beyond transportation problems. Since 1994,… read on > read on >
Tony Head was depressed and fearing death from stage 4 prostate cancer when, as part of a supervised scientific trial, he took a large dose of the psychedelic agent in “magic mushrooms,” psilocybin. Head donned a mask and headphones to shut out the world around him, and had an experience that changed the course of… read on > read on >
The Omicron variant appears to spread at twice the rate as the Delta variant does, due mostly to a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defenses, scientists report. The degree to which each factor contributes to the spread of Omicron is still unclear, according to the findings of an analysis… read on > read on >
Checking older adults’ resting heart rate could help identify those who are more likely to experience a decline in mental function, a Swedish study suggests. The researchers found that a high resting heart rate was associated with a greater risk of dementia. “We believe it would be valuable to explore if resting heart rate could… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Dec. 6, 2021 People with a longtime history of epilepsy show signs of rapid brain aging that may raise their odds for developing dementia down the road. This is the key finding of new research reporting that the brains of people with epilepsy that began in childhood appear to be about 10 years older… read on > read on >
New research offers fresh proof that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed cancer diagnoses in the United States, increasing patients’ risk for poor outcomes. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 9 million patients at over 1,200 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. Procedures to diagnose cancer were used less often and there were fewer new… read on > read on >
It happens very rarely, but most teens and young adults who do experience heart inflammation (myocarditis) after a COVID-19 shot have mild symptoms and recover quickly, new research shows. “Overwhelmingly, data continue to indicate that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination — 91% effective at preventing complications of severe COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death —… read on > read on >
