Playing with a dog for just 15 minutes can significantly reduce a person’s stress, a new study reports. Stressed students who interacted with a friendly dog reported less stress, had a reduced heart rate and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva, researchers said in the journal PLOS One. The experience…  read on >  read on >

Nostalgia might be met by eyerolls from some, as the emotion might inspire insipid images of rose-tinted glasses, gooey sentimentality and living in a time-lost past. But people prone to nostalgia have an edge when it comes to their health and well-being, a new study says. Nostalgic people have more close friends and put more…  read on >  read on >

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is cutting or canceling more than 40 grants focused on vaccine hesitancy and ways to increase vaccine acceptance, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post. The message — sent Monday by Michelle Bulls, director of the Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration — directed staff to…  read on >  read on >

Firefighters might face a higher risk of brain cancers caused by exposure to chemicals in fire extinguishers, a new small-scale study says. Veteran firefighters appear to have a higher risk of brain tumors called gliomas, which can be caused by gene mutations linked to flame retardant chemicals called haloalkanes, researchers reported in a study published…  read on >  read on >

Sleep-deprived night shift nurses are at greater risk for the common cold and other infectious diseases, a new study says. Shift work and its impact on quality sleep can wreak havoc on nurses’ immune systems, making them more vulnerable to infection, researchers report in the journal Chronobiology International. “Sleep debt and irregular shift patterns, including…  read on >  read on >

Music therapy can help lift the spirits and ease depression in people with dementia, a new evidence review has found. Findings suggest that music-based therapy probably improves depressive symptoms and might even improve behavioral issues by the end of treatment, researchers reported. “This review increases our understanding of the effects of music therapy and strengthens…  read on >  read on >

Teens who sleep fewer than 7.7 hours are more likely to have high blood pressure, a new study suggests. Likewise, those suffering from both insomnia and a lack of sleep are five times more likely to have high blood pressure exceeding 140 systolic, according to research presented Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting…  read on >  read on >