Fireworks displays can cause worse air quality than wildfire smoke, a new study reveals. About 60,000 firework shells exploded over Manhattan’s East River as part of Macy’s Fourth of July show in 2023, researchers said. The colorful bursts caused air pollution in New York City to spike dramatically, with levels many times higher in the…  read on >  read on >

Wildfire smoke could interfere with the safety of surgeries, a new study warns. Inhaling the smoke could complicate the effects of anesthesia on surgical patients, and it also might hamper their recovery, researchers reported Aug. 6 in the journal Anesthesiology. “Wildfire smoke poses significant health risks, particularly in people with preexisting heart and lung disease,…  read on >  read on >

Screening for cancer saves lives, but a new report shows it comes with a hefty price tag: The United States spends at least $43 billion annually on tests that check for five major cancers. Published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the new analysis focused on screenings for breast, cervical, colon, lung and prostate cancers.…  read on >  read on >

A newly developed biomaterial might be able to treat crippling arthritis by prompting the growth of new cartilage, a new animal study suggests. The bioactive material looks like rubbery goo, but it’s actually a complex biological stew designed to mimic natural cartilage in the body, researchers said. The biomaterial successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage in the…  read on >  read on >

Almost 2.4 million Americans are thought to suffer from the pain and disability of inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD), a type of autoimmune illness that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. You can avoid adding to that number by following a few simple steps to a healthy gut, said Dr. Victor Chedid, a gastroenterologist and IBD…  read on >  read on >

Folks who rub their forehead and complain that a complex problem is making their brain hurt aren’t overstating things, a new review suggests. Mental exertion appears to be associated with unpleasant feelings in many situations, researchers reported Aug. 5 in the journal Psychological Bulletin. In fact, the greater a person’s mental effort, the more they…  read on >  read on >