Putting on a few extra pounds in your 50s may add years to your life — if you start off at a normal weight and your weight gain doesn’t tip into obesity, a new study suggests. But two outside experts cautioned that the findings are not a license to pack on the pounds, as study… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Speeding on U.S. Roads Is Taking Thousands of Teenagers’ Lives
Nearly half — 43% — of all fatal car crashes involving teens and their passengers are the result of speeding, a new automobile safety report reveals. The finding stems from an in-depth analysis of all fatal motor vehicle accidents across the United States between 2015 and 2019. During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and… read on > read on >
Could a Common Prostate Drug Help Prevent Parkinson’s?
While scientists still don’t know what causes Parkinson’s disease, new research shows an association between a drug that some men take for an enlarged prostate condition and a reduced risk of developing the illness. A team led by scientists at the University of Iowa, working in collaboration with researchers in Denmark and China, found that… read on > read on >
As Mask-Wearing Prevails, People Are Adapting to Understanding Speech
As face masks have become the norm during the coronavirus pandemic, people have learned to communicate more clearly with their mouth covered, new research finds. For the study, researchers asked participants to record sentences in three speech styles — casual, clear and positive-emotional — while they were masked and unmasked. Background noise was added to… read on > read on >
Livestock Workers at Higher Risk for ‘Superbug’ Infection
Livestock workers have an elevated risk of getting infected with dangerous, antibiotic-resistant “superbug” bacteria, a new study shows. Researchers from Michigan State University expected that finding when studying those risks by reviewing 15 years of published literature. They just didn’t expect the risks to be as high as what their research uncovered. “This is a… read on > read on >
Diabetes While Pregnant Ups Odds for Heart Disease Later
Developing diabetes during pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk for heart disease later in life, according to a new study. It included about 1,100 women without type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Those who developed diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) were twice as likely by mid-life (average age: 48) to have calcium in their arteries,… read on > read on >
Kids Who Got Flu Shot Had Milder COVID Symptoms: Study
Here’s a new reason to make sure your kids get their seasonal flu shot. A new study showed that it reduces kids’ risk for symptoms and severe illness if they get COVID-19. That conclusion is drawn from medical records of more than 900 children diagnosed with COVID-19 between February and August of last year. Those… read on > read on >
Patients With Diabetes Need More Counseling on Low Blood Sugar
Doctors need to do a better job of discussing low blood sugar with patients who take high-risk diabetes medications such as insulin, researchers say. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is the most common serious side effect of diabetes treatment. Severe cases can lead to falls, emergency department visits, and may increase the risk of stroke and… read on > read on >
Feeling SAD? Here Are Ways to Ease Winter Blues
SATURDAY, Feb.6, 2021The COVID-19 pandemic can make mental health struggles even worse for some people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression triggered by the shorter daylight hours and gray skies of winter. It causes symptoms such as overeating, social withdrawal and decreased energy. Pandemic-related effects such as stress, anxiety and… read on > read on >
Connecticut Man’s Illness Suggests Recurrent Case of COVID-19 Is Possible
An unfortunate Connecticut man apparently suffered through two separate bouts of COVID-19 four months apart, adding to evidence that reinfection can occur after natural immunity wanes, doctors say. The 43-year-old Hispanic man had a life-threatening first infection with COVID in April, suffering from respiratory failure so bad he wound up on a ventilator, said Dr.… read on > read on >