Ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl, some good news for the athletes: NFL players are largely avoiding opioid-based pain relievers when injuries strike. A new study of data from the 2021 and 2022 seasons finds the National Football League’s efforts to curb addictive opioid use is working, with the drugs comprising less than 3% of…  read on >  read on >

Many seniors suffer long-term health issues after a hip fracture, even after hip replacement surgeries.  Now, research shows that a patient’s mental health could be crucial to how well they bounce back in the years after these injuries. “Addressing overall mental health during the recovery process from hip fractures is crucial,” concludes study senior author…  read on >  read on >

Yikes! The way parents use their phones around their kids may influence how much inappropriate content kids consume. Researchers reported Feb. 4 in the journal BMC Pediatrics that the odds of kids watching R-rated movies or playing mature-rated video games rose with higher parental screen use and inconsistent family media rules. The study analyzed data…  read on >  read on >

“Yo-yo” dieting — repeatedly losing and gaining weight — can significantly increase risk of kidney disease among people with type 1 diabetes, a new study warns. Diabetics with greater weight fluctuations experienced a 40% decline in their kidneys’ ability to filter toxins from the blood, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology…  read on >  read on >

Never mind the grumbles and groans that accompany a clock alarm, along with a lunge for the snooze bar and murmurs of “five more minutes.” People generally wake in their best frame of mind, enjoying peak mental health and wellbeing in the morning, researchers reported in a new study published Feb. 4 in BMJ Mental…  read on >  read on >

The cholesterol that’s good for your heart health might be bad for your eye health, and vice versa, a new study says. “Good” HDL cholesterol appears to increase risk of glaucoma in people older than 55, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Conversely, “bad” LDL cholesterol might be associated with a…  read on >  read on >

Even a mild infection with COVID-19 can promote clogged arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack in some people, a new study says. Infection with the COVID virus is associated with rapid growth of plaque in arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, also called coronary arteries, researchers reported in a new study published…  read on >  read on >

Tiny microplastics are making their way into the human brain, and new research suggests the problem is getting worse. The new study, published Feb. 3 in the journal Nature, found that brain samples collected in 2024 contained significantly more microplastics than those taken eight years earlier. Researchers say the amount of plastic in the brain…  read on >  read on >