Looking for a morale boost or some solid encouragement? If so, socializing the old-fashioned way — live and in-person — will likely do more to lift your spirits than online interactions, new research suggests. It’s the key takeaway from a survey of more than 400 college undergraduate students. “We wanted to see if the social…  read on >  read on >

Heart complications are rare among college athletes who have had COVID-19, according to a small study. “Our findings may offer reassurance to high school athletes, coaches and parents where resources for testing can be limited,” said senior author Dr. Ranjit Philip, assistant professor in pediatric cardiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, in…  read on >  read on >

New research gives insight into why people with epilepsy are at increased risk of sudden death during sleep. The study found that both sleep and epileptic seizures work together to slow heart rate, and that seizures also disrupt the body’s natural regulation of sleep-related changes. These factors can sometimes lead to sudden unexpected death in…  read on >  read on >

Call it a silver lining of the pandemic: Asthma attacks fell sharply among Black and Hispanic Americans in the months after the coronavirus first surfaced. The study included nearly 1,200 participants who provided information about their asthma through monthly online, phone or mail questionnaires for 15 months between the first half of 2019 and first…  read on >  read on >

Nearly one in five Americans with high blood pressure use medications that can cause blood pressure to spike, a preliminary study shows. The researchers said the findings are concerning, given how many people have difficulty controlling their high blood pressure. “A large number of Americans are not meeting their blood pressure goals,” said lead researcher…  read on >  read on >