Enjoy that summer sun, but keep some safety tips in mind, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents. “It’s great to see children enjoying nature and reaping the benefits of outdoor activities,” Atlanta-based pediatrician Dr. Rebecca Philipsborn said in an AAP news release. “As we encounter more intense weather events, including severe heat, there…  read on >  read on >

Could a grocery cart save lives by preventing possible strokes? It just might. The notion stems from a new British study in which grocery cart handles were embedded with electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors. The goal: to screen shoppers for undiagnosed cases of atrial fibrillation (a-fib), the most common heart rhythm disorder. “Atrial fibrillation is a leading…  read on >  read on >

Growing up in poverty may harm the structural wiring of a child’s brain, a new study claims. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a link between both neighborhood and household poverty and the brain’s white matter tracts. These let the brain communicate between its regions and are important for processing…  read on >  read on >

A new study shows that older Americans with health issues are now staying with their Medicare Advantage managed plans, rather than swapping them for traditional plans through a health insurer. Although Medicare Advantage has been criticized in the past for “cherry-picking” healthy patients, that’s no longer the case, according to the research. “This is not…  read on >  read on >

“Superbug” infections are increasing in U.S. hospitals, and a coalition of medical groups has now issued a set of updated recommendations to protect patients. These guidelines are meant to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, the authors of the recommendations argue. MRSA causes about 10% of hospital-associated infections in the…  read on >  read on >

Could a treatment combo that improves the odds against melanoma for humans work in dogs? Yes, claims a new study that found radiotherapy followed by immunotherapy extended survival in canine melanoma patients. Melanomas in dogs are similar to human melanomas. An effective treatment for human melanomas is a combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The researchers…  read on >  read on >

Sarah Ferguson has undergone treatment for breast cancer, she announced on her podcast. The Duchess of York, 63, had a mastectomy after the diagnosis and the surgery was successful, her rep confirmed Sunday, People magazine reported. “The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good.…  read on >  read on >

Summer’s here and the Mayo Clinic says babies need protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays, too. It only takes one severe sunburn during childhood or adolescence to nearly double the risk for a deadly melanoma later in life, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Babies are far more vulnerable to sunburn than…  read on >  read on >