For many, work-at-home orders aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect: sleep loss. “We’ve seen a significant increase in reports of stress-related insomnia in recent months,” said Julio Fernandez-Mendoza of the Penn State Health Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hummelstown, Penn. Stress and worry about the pandemic is one… read on >
Lassie desperately trying to get Timmy out of the well isn’t a myth — your dog really wants to save you, a new study suggests. “It’s a pervasive legend,” said researcher Joshua Van Bourg, a graduate student in psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe. “The difficult challenge is figuring out why they do it.”… read on >
Pregnant women who live near active oil and gas wells may be at risk for having low birth weight infants, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed nearly 3 million births to Californians living within six miles of an oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015. It was found that women living within less than… read on >
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is devastating, no matter your sex. But the disease strikes far more women than men. Journalist and author Maria Shriver is determined to help researchers figure out why women make up two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease. And why certain races and ethnicities are harder hit, too. “Some of the biggest research… read on >
Preschoolers may spend more time on smartphones or tablets than their parents realize, and some use apps intended for teens and adults, researchers report. A new study tracked mobile device use among 350 children aged 3 to 5 over nine months and compared their findings with parents’ estimates of their use. Preschoolers with their own… read on >
(HealthDay News) — The drug Tagrisso could offer hope to patients battling a form of lung cancer that typically hits people with little or no history of smoking, a new trial finds. Taken after surgery to remove the lung tumor, Tagrisso (osimertinib) greatly extended the average survival of people battling a non-metastatic form of non-small… read on >
Preschoolers may spend more time on smartphones or tablets than their parents realize, and some use apps intended for teens and adults, researchers report. A new study tracked mobile device use among 350 children aged 3 to 5 over nine months and compared their findings with parents’ estimates of their use. Preschoolers with their own… read on >
(HealthDay News) — The drug Tagrisso could offer hope to patients battling a form of lung cancer that typically hits people with little or no history of smoking, a new trial finds. Taken after surgery to remove the lung tumor, Tagrisso (osimertinib) greatly extended the average survival of people battling a non-metastatic form of non-small… read on >
Headed to the beach or park for a little fresh air? Don’t forget your sun protection, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting one in five Americans, but many don’t protect themselves from harmful UV rays. Sixty percent of respondents to an AAD… read on >
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States spend more time in the hospital and are more likely to require intensive care than patients in China, a new study says. The findings suggest that the coronavirus pandemic may be putting greater strain on U.S. hospitals than previously assumed, according to researchers. “The hospital resources needed to… read on >
Beginning next year, people on some Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage Plans who need insulin will be able to access the lifesaving medication for just $35 a month, according to a new plan announced by the White House. In some cases, the cost may be even lower, President Donald Trump said at a Rose… read on >
Women who had COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of placental injury, suggesting a new complication of the illness, researchers say. The good news from the small study of 16 women is that “most of these babies were delivered full-term after otherwise normal pregnancies,” said study senior author Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein. He’s assistant professor of pathology… read on >
Though the physical health risks posed by COVID-19 are at the top of everyone’s mind, experts warn the pandemic is also exacting a massive toll on mental health. So finds new research emerging on the mental health effects in China, where infection peaks and lockdowns have preceded the American experience by several months. For example,… read on >
If anxiety and fear about COVID-19 are keeping you awake, rest assured: Adopting a few easy-to-follow habits will help you get a good night’s sleep. “Now more than ever, we need to get good sleep,” said Dr. Amy Guralnick, a pulmonologist at Loyola Medicine in Chicago. “Sleep can help our immune system function at its… read on >
No matter where you live, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are now lethal centers for COVID-19 in the United States. Im fact, nursing home residents and workers now comprise between 30% and 40% of all COVID-19 related deaths in the United States, according to estimates. The care centers serve as a “well of infection”… read on >
Air pollution might increase the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), Italian researchers report. They found that in places with low levels of tiny particles of air pollution called particulate matter, the risk for MS was lower than in areas where those levels were high. In urban areas, the risk was 29% higher than in rural… read on >
