Menthol cigarettes helped lure about 10 million extra Americans into smoking over 38 years, with often deadly results, according to a new study. Researchers also concluded that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 378,000 premature deaths in the United States during the study period –1980 to 2018. Their report appears in the journal Tobacco Control. The…  read on >  read on >

If you suffer the itchy, sneezy, wheezy consequences of seasonal allergies, you’re probably painfully aware that pollen season is starting earlier and lasting longer than ever. It’s an upshot of climate change, and new research from Germany offers an explanation for this extended sneezin’ season: Pollen is on the move, with early blooming spores now…  read on >  read on >

If you think you can safely exercise without your mask in a gym during the pandemic, two new government reports show you are mistaken. Coronavirus outbreaks at fitness centers in Chicago and Honolulu last summer were likely the result of exercisers and instructors not wearing masks, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and…  read on >  read on >

The ravages of Alzheimer’s may strike later in women than men, but once it takes hold women tend to deteriorate far faster than men, according to a new study. Something known as cognitive reserve helps the aging brain function better for longer, and researchers report that women appear to have more of it than men.…  read on >  read on >

Helping your brain stay sharp with age may be as simple as changing up the food on your plate at dinnertime, a new study suggests. The study focused on the healthy “Mediterranean” diet, a regimen reliant on olive oil, beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with chicken and fish largely replacing red meat. Dairy…  read on >  read on >

Black people with hepatitis C develop liver cancer sooner than people in other racial groups and the cancer is often more aggressive, but current screening guidelines may not be broad enough to catch these cases early, according to a new study. Why? Despite often being more advanced, liver cancer in Black people is slower to…  read on >  read on >

People with Alzheimer’s disease often have a history of depression or anxiety, which might mean an earlier emergence of memory and thinking problems, a preliminary study suggests. Researchers found that of 1,500 Alzheimer’s patients at their center, 43% had a history of depression, while almost one-third had a history of anxiety disorders. Those patients also…  read on >  read on >

Contrary to what many believe, a new study finds that mental illness isn’t a factor in most mass shootings or other types of mass murder. “The findings from this potentially definitive study suggest that emphasis on serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or psychotic mood disorders, as a risk factor for mass shootings is given…  read on >  read on >

Pregnancy-related high blood pressure can lead to long-term heart risks, new research shows. Compared to those with normal blood pressure during pregnancy, women who developed blood pressure disorders such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension had significant differences in heart structure and function a decade after giving birth. These differences mainly affect the heart’s left ventricle…  read on >  read on >