The highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 has highlighted a fear shared by infectious disease experts worldwide: That increasingly dangerous mutations will continue to crop up until most people around the globe are vaccinated. “There are going to be more variants and they may eventually be variants of concern or variants that pose problems for…  read on >  read on >

Sit. Fetch. Stay. Detect seizure. Yes, you read that correctly. While many dogs are adept at following basic instructions such as “sit” and “roll over” with some practice and the promise of a treat, new research shows dogs can detect seizures by scent up to an hour before they occur, potentially saving their human’s life.…  read on >  read on >

A lost or altered sense of taste, dry mouth and sores are common among COVID-19 patients and those symptoms may last long after others disappear, Brazilian researchers report. Nearly 4 in 10 COVID patients experience impaired taste or total loss of taste, but dry mouth affects even more — up to 43%, according to their…  read on >  read on >

Many people with asthma know their illness can flare up at night, and new research suggests the body’s internal clock could be to blame. The findings could prove important for treating and studying asthma, the researchers said. “This is one of the first studies to carefully isolate the influence of the circadian system from the…  read on >  read on >

People with HIV have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, a new study warns, especially if the virus isn’t well-controlled. Sudden cardiac death occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating, usually due to an abrupt electrical malfunction. “People living with HIV are already known to have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, heart…  read on >  read on >

Adults with autism, intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders are at increased risk for COVID-19 and severe illness, researchers report. Being aware of the heightened risk is important in prioritizing COVID-19 prevention measures, such as vaccination, testing, masking and distancing for these groups, the researchers said. “These high-risk populations should be recognized by clinicians, and…  read on >  read on >

Early retirement may sound appealing, but a recent study hints that putting it off a few years might help older adults retain more of their mental sharpness. Using data on more than 20,000 older Americans, researchers estimated that if all of those people waited until age 67 to retire, their collective cognitive health would benefit.…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Sept. 7, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Food cravings. Everybody gets them. Smelling brownies in the oven. Hearing a commercial for a salty chip. Seeing a favorite childhood candy bar at the checkout. They all can awaken memories that drive food cravings. But what if they also come from a sensory system that…  read on >  read on >