Exposure to secondhand smoke may up your odds for heart failure, a new study warns. Researchers analyzed nationwide survey data from more than 11,000 nonsmokers (average age: 48) who were followed from 1988 to 1994. Nearly 1 in 5 had lab test evidence of exposure to secondhand smoke. Nonsmokers with recent exposure were 35% more… read on > read on >
Prediabetes — where blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes — is not something you should dismiss. It significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious heart problems, new research shows. The findings highlight the need for health care providers and patients to… read on > read on >
Increasing numbers of wildfires are making poor air quality more common throughout the Western United States, according to a new study. The findings suggest that many cities may soon have trouble meeting air quality standards, said lead author Kai Wilmot, a doctoral student in atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.… read on > read on >
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, breast cancer experts realized space in operating rooms and hospitals could become scarce. That meant rethinking standard care, to provide the best way to treat patients under these suddenly restricted conditions. One of the new ideas: Reverse the order of care given to patients with a type of breast cancer… read on > read on >
Two widely used COVID-19 vaccines — Pfizer and Moderna — will likely remain powerfully protective against developing serious illness even if coronavirus variants somehow manage to infect vaccinated patients, new research suggests. Both vaccines are based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. And investigators say that, at least in theory, such technology can deploy multiple levels… read on > read on >
Cancer patients most likely to sign up for clinical trials during their treatment include people of color, those with higher incomes and those who are younger, a new study finds. “This study informs our understanding of who is participating in cancer clinical trials,” said study author Dr. Lincoln Sheets, an assistant research professor at the… read on > read on >
You might think everybody knows how to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, but a new survey reveals that one-third of Americans lack a basic understanding of sun safety and skin cancer. That’s the surprising takeaway from an American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. Fifty-three percent of respondents didn’t realize… read on > read on >
Giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic presents its own challenges, but the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) wants to reassure pregnant women that they need not panic. Instead, they “should be comforted to know that the hospital is a very safe place to have a baby now,” said Dr. Beverly Philip, president of the ASA.… read on > read on >
One-third of neighborhoods in the 30 largest U.S. cities are “pharmacy deserts,” and this is much more common in Black and Hispanic communities, a new study finds. What’s a ‘pharmacy desert’? In general, in a neighborhood where most residents have cars, the study labeled it a pharmacy desert if the average distance to the nearest… read on > read on >
Aging potheads are now past 50 and still puffing away, but new research shows that many don’t disclose this to their doctors. Folks who use marijuana for medical reasons are more likely to tell their doctors about it than recreational users. Still, just a fraction of medical marijuana users opened up about their use, the… read on > read on >
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