For a host of reasons, millions worldwide are deciding to give up meat and focus on a plant-based diet. But new research out of Greece is a reminder that not all vegetarian diets are healthy — especially for people who are already obese. “The quality of plant-based diets varies,” concluded a team led by Matina… read on >
People with the heart-rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, may ease their symptoms with the help of a slower-paced yoga, a preliminary study finds. Researchers from India found that over 16 weeks of yoga sessions, a-fib patients saw their symptom episodes drop by about half. Their mental well-being got a boost as well.… read on >
A new case study adds to growing evidence that the new coronavirus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus. “It’s very important to bring to the forefront this finding that mothers and infants can be affected by COVID-19, transmission can occur during pregnancy, and pregnant mothers need to protect themselves,” said Dr.… read on >
Just weeks after colleges across the United States reopened their campuses for the fall semester, thousands of coronavirus infections are cropping up in students and staff alike. More than 1,500 American colleges and universities were tallied in The New York Times survey. That included every four-year public institution, every private college that competes in NCAA… read on >
Despite the wave of criticism that has followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency approval of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients, infectious disease experts say the therapy remains promising. Some scientists have questioned both the timing of the approval and the veracity of a key survival statistic cited by FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen… read on >
Middle-aged men who were anxious or depressed teens are at increased risk for heart attack, according to a large, long-term study. It included more than 238,000 men born between 1952 and 1956 who underwent extensive exams when they were 18 or 19 years old and were followed to age 58. Men diagnosed with anxiety or… read on >
Here’s some reassuring news for those who wonder whether face masks really work: New research shows a face covering can block 99.9% of respiratory droplets when a person speaks or coughs, significantly lowering the risk of coronavirus transmission. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom conducted tests with people and with a… read on >
As the World Health Organization cautioned on Monday that using plasma from COVID-19 survivors to treat other patients is still an experimental therapy, American scientists challenged a key statistic cited by U.S. officials as grounds for emergency approval of the treatment. In announcing the approval on Sunday, President Donald Trump and two of his top… read on >
As the race to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine unfolds around the globe, experts say the sheer logistics of vaccinating the masses might be even more daunting. “The challenge we face now is really the largest and most complex mass vaccination program we’ve ever attempted,” Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director for immunization education… read on >
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new U.S. study serves as a reminder of how severe the seasonal flu can be. Researchers found that among 90,000 Americans hospitalized with the flu, 12% had a serious heart complication, including heart attack and sudden heart failure. Many ended up in the intensive care unit, and 7% died in… read on >
