Could having heart disease risk factors in childhood sow the seeds of thinking declines in middle-age? It looks like it might, new research claims. “I think it was not so big of a surprise for us, but maybe for the scientific community who have been focusing mainly on the midlife risk factors and old-age cognition,”…  read on >  read on >

There’s more evidence that a switch away from meat in your diet could cut levels of unhealthy “biomarkers” that encourage disease, researchers say. A new study reported Saturday at the virtual European Congress on Obesity (ECO) found that people on vegetarian diets have lower blood levels of disease-linked biomarkers, such as “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and…  read on >  read on >

Looking for a morale boost or some solid encouragement? If so, socializing the old-fashioned way — live and in-person — will likely do more to lift your spirits than online interactions, new research suggests. It’s the key takeaway from a survey of more than 400 college undergraduate students. “We wanted to see if the social…  read on >  read on >

Heart complications are rare among college athletes who have had COVID-19, according to a small study. “Our findings may offer reassurance to high school athletes, coaches and parents where resources for testing can be limited,” said senior author Dr. Ranjit Philip, assistant professor in pediatric cardiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, in…  read on >  read on >

New research gives insight into why people with epilepsy are at increased risk of sudden death during sleep. The study found that both sleep and epileptic seizures work together to slow heart rate, and that seizures also disrupt the body’s natural regulation of sleep-related changes. These factors can sometimes lead to sudden unexpected death in…  read on >  read on >

Call it a silver lining of the pandemic: Asthma attacks fell sharply among Black and Hispanic Americans in the months after the coronavirus first surfaced. The study included nearly 1,200 participants who provided information about their asthma through monthly online, phone or mail questionnaires for 15 months between the first half of 2019 and first…  read on >  read on >