Americans were living shorter lives and dying at a significantly higher rate than the citizens of wealthy European countries even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, a new study reports. The United States suffered more than 400,000 excess deaths in 2017 alone, pre-COVID, compared to the combined populations of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England and Wales,… read on > read on >
Dermatologists liken skin to a window that can reveal what is going on inside the body, and a rash that sometimes follows a COVID-19 vaccine is one example. When you get the shot, your immune system activates, preparing to recognize and fight off the virus in the future. This response and the inflammation that goes… read on > read on >
Many American teens and young adults are now embracing the chance to get COVID-19 vaccines, a new survey finds. But youth-focused messaging will still be needed to convince a minority of those aged 14 to 24 that they should be vaccinated, the University of Michigan researchers said. Still, the good news is that more young… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, April 15, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — High blood pressure. Structural racism. What do they have in common? Researchers say they are two of the biggest factors responsible for the gap in poor heart and brain health between Black and white adults in the United States. And they are inextricably linked. Studies show… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, April 15, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Body mass index may be more helpful in predicting the risk of a common type of irregular heartbeat in women, while waist size may better predict that risk in men, new research suggests. The link between obesity and atrial fibrillation, or AFib – when the heart… read on > read on >
The magic ingredient in “magic mushrooms” may be at least as effective as standard medication for depression, an early clinical trial suggests. The study of 59 patients with major depression tested the antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro) against psilocybin, which is the psychedelic substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Over six weeks, it appeared that just two doses of… read on > read on >
States that required people to mask up last year had lower rates of COVID-19 than those with no mask requirements, a new study finds. Researchers examined data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to assess mask policies, people’s self-reported use of masks in public, and COVID rates from May through October 2020. They factored… read on > read on >
‘Bleeding’ stroke patients with COVID-19 are more than twice as likely to die as those without COVID-19, new research shows. For the study, a research team from the University of Utah analyzed data from 568 hospitals in the United States. They compared a control group of more than 23,300 patients without COVID-19 who suffered a… read on > read on >
Where you live could affect your brain health as you age, a new study claims. Specifically, it found that middle-aged and older people in poorer neighborhoods showed more brain shrinkage and faster mental decline than those in affluent neighborhoods. “”Worldwide, dementia is a major cause of illness and a devastating diagnosis,” said study author Dr.… read on > read on >
Americans’ eating habits have changed for the worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in eating disorders, researchers say. For their study, the University of Minnesota team analyzed information gathered between April and May of 2020 from participants in a study called Project EAT. The analysis found a link between the pandemic and several… read on > read on >
