Nearly a third of Americans have been exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water that might affect their health. What’s more, Hispanic and Black people are more likely to have unsafe levels of contaminants in their drinking water, and to live near pollution sources like industrial facilities, researchers said in a new study published…  read on >  read on >

It takes a village to help a smoker quit. And a new study published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that smokers had a nearly doubled success rate quitting when supported by an integrated approach that included medication and personal counseling. “Our study demonstrates that providing access to effective medications and trained tobacco cessation specialists…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2025 (HealthDay news) — The sleep aid Ambien could be allowing toxic proteins to pollute the brain, potentially increasing a person’s risk of disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs like the main ingredient in Ambien, zolpidem, suppresses a system designed to clear protein waste from the brain during dreamless sleep, a mouse study…  read on >  read on >

Text-based support programs are one of the best ways to help young people quit vaping, a new evidence review says. These texts offer motivational messages and tips for quitting vaping. “I think it’s clear that this approach helps young people,” senior researcher Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University…  read on >  read on >

Ever woke in the night with your thoughts racing about work problems, co-worker disputes, or heavy career decisions? Well, it’s more common than you think. Job stress is robbing U.S. workers of the sleep they need, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 8 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Work strain increases risk…  read on >  read on >

Public health officials must prepare to counter ongoing anti-vaccine sentiment in coming years, argues a leading pediatrician-scientist. “Antivaccine activism became a major lethal force in America” during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an estimated 200,000 deaths among the unvaccinated, according to an article in the journal PLOS Global Public Health written by Dr. Peter Hotez.…  read on >  read on >

It’s long been a mystery why folks need a flu vaccine every year, even though immunizations they got in childhood continue to protect them from measles and mumps. Researchers now think they know why vaccine effectiveness varies — and they’ve even come up with a blood test to check a vaccine’s durability. “Our study defines…  read on >  read on >