Nicotine-laden e-cigarettes raise a user’s risk of blood clots, damage small blood vessels and can also raise heart rate and blood pressure, a new study finds. The effects are similar to those caused by traditional cigarettes, and raise the concern that long-term vaping could help cause heart attacks or strokes, the Swedish research team warned.…  read on >  read on >

While some may think of scents like cinnamon or pumpkin spice when the season turns to fall, others are breathing in something much less pleasant. Autumn is also allergy season for those sensitive to ragweed. “A spike in ragweed tends to mark the informal start of the fall allergy season, which typically begins in mid-August,”…  read on >  read on >

If you have fallen arches, you know just how debilitating they can be. Now, doctors have some new guidance on which patients with this condition — also called flat feet — would benefit most from surgery. “Roughly half of patients will need surgery,” said Dr. Scott Ellis, a foot and ankle surgeon at the Hospital…  read on >  read on >

Implanted brain stimulation devices used to treat epilepsy won’t turn patients into someone they don’t recognize, a small study shows. “We found that the brain implants did not transform patients’ sense of self or personality. Neither the long-term implantation of the electronic device in their brain, nor the electrical stimulation to modulate their brain function,…  read on >  read on >

While the United States is one of the only developed nations without universal sick leave, workers with COVID-19 can take paid emergency leave — at least for now. Problem is: Fewer than half of U.S. workers know it’s available, according to a new study. And, the researchers add, cases of sick employees who couldn’t take…  read on >  read on >

An alliance of leading U.S. cancer centers has updated guidance about COVID-19 vaccine boosters for cancer patients and the people around them. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s new recommendations are intended for health care providers. “COVID-19 can be very dangerous, especially for people living with cancer, which is why we’re so grateful for safe and…  read on >  read on >

Breast milk can give preemies’ hearts a big boost, a groundbreaking study suggests. “This study … adds to the already known benefits of breast milk for infants born prematurely,” said study leader Dr. Afif El-Khuffash, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Sept. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) – As the COVID-19 pandemic grinds on and stress on families mounts, more kids are falling victim to accidental poisoning. Experts attribute the surge to disrupted sleep patterns, work schedules and parenting routines. “I think what’s happening is, parents are challenged with a couple of things,” said Helen Arbogast,…  read on >  read on >

Danish researchers have found genetic causes for epilepsy in half of children they studied and said half of those could be treated with targeted therapies. That’s the upshot of genetic testing of 290 children born between 2006 and 2011. Some had been diagnosed with epilepsy. Others had had seizures along with a high temperature; they…  read on >  read on >