Artificial intelligence is adding new luster to the old-fashioned EEG brain scan, increasing the potential usefulness of the century-old medical test, a new report says. The EEG, or electroencephalogram, tracks brain activity through a dozen or more electrodes stuck to the scalp. It is often used to detect epilepsy. But the test’s squiggly waves are…  read on >  read on >

Loneliness has been a major concern in America, particularly in the wake of the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But friendships are not in decline in the United States, a new study has found. An American adult has an average of four to five friends, similar to numbers reported in previous research from…  read on >  read on >

Smokers with diabetes or obesity who take semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) might reap an added benefit: Help in quitting smoking. A yearlong study found that, compared to people using other diabetes drugs, fewer patients who were taking semaglutide sought out medical help to quit smoking. That suggests the drug might have already been helping them to quit,…  read on >  read on >

Doctors might be authority figures, but a new review suggests hospital patients feel more comfortable when their physician comes across as less imposing. Getting to a patient’s eye level while talking about their diagnosis or care makes a huge difference, researchers found. Sitting or crouching next to a patient’s bedside prompted more feelings of trust…  read on >  read on >

A healthy mouth also means a healthy heart, a new review suggests. People who’ve lost teeth are more likely to die from heart problems – and the more teeth lost, the higher the risk, researchers found. “Our findings clearly show that tooth loss is not just a dental issue, but a significant predictor of cardiovascular…  read on >  read on >