That college degree may be useful in many ways, but new research suggests it probably won’t keep your brain from shrinking with age. Over the years, a number of studies have suggested that education might buffer people against age-related declines in memory and thinking. But those findings did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. In the…  read on >  read on >

Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury appear to affect the brain in similar ways, according to a study that may point to new ways to identify people at high risk for Alzheimer’s. “These findings are the first to suggest that cognitive impairment following a traumatic brain injury is useful for predicting the magnitude of Alzheimer’s-like…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Consistent cigarette smoking has a small but significant effect on pulse pressure, according to research that suggests a possible new link between smoking and cardiovascular disease, especially among Black and white women. Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic blood pressure, the top number in a…  read on >  read on >

In rare cases, people hospitalized for COVID-19 can develop heart failure, even if their hearts were previously healthy, new research shows. The researchers found that of over 6,400 COVID-19 patients at their hospital, 0.6% newly developed heart failure. That included eight patients — mostly relatively young men — with no history of heart disease or…  read on >  read on >

So, you’re trying desperately to quit smoking, using e-cigarettes while still using traditional cigarettes. Sound like a good idea? Maybe not, according to a new study that shows that combining vaping with smoking raises the risk for respiratory wheeze and cough. “To help people quit smoking, FDA-approved medications, such as the nicotine patch or the…  read on >  read on >

Having preeclampsia during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future risk of stroke, researchers say. Preeclampsia happens when a woman with previously normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure, protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks into pregnancy. The condition occurs in about one in 25 pregnancies in the United States, according…  read on >  read on >