With 2023 predicted to be the hottest year on record, a new study is pointing to another potential consequence of heat waves: faster declines in older adults’ memory and thinking skills. The study, of nearly 9,500 older U.S. adults, found that those with greater exposure to heat waves over 12 years also showed a steeper… read on > read on >
Living through days of smoky air from Canadian wildfires in June was unpleasant for New York City residents, but new data shows it wasn’t as immediately concerning for their lungs as feared. The research finds breathing-related hospital visits weren’t much worse in the city on these days than when pollen is especially high, though longer-term… read on > read on >
Mothers use sing-song language to talk to their infants. Their dogs respond to it, too, according to a new study. Researchers in Hungary also found that dogs have greater brain sensitivity to the speech directed at them than to adult-directed speech, especially if the words are spoken by a woman. In imaging scans, dogs and… read on > read on >
Cancer patients with immune systems weakened by treatment are among the groups most concerned about the continued spread of COVID-19 and the chance of the infection becoming severe. New research suggests more guidance on how often these patients need protective booster shots. It’s not one-size-fits-all, but depends on the specific treatment, said scientists from Yale… read on > read on >
Young people have high levels of distress about climate change, and a new study argues that their anguish could be key to fighting it. “People of all ages are being affected by the climate crisis. Young people in particular, though, will live through more of the unfolding hazards of the climate crisis than older generations,”… read on > read on >
Millions of Americans who experience major depression will suffer a relapse, but a new study suggests that learning to focus on the positive, rather than the negatives in everyday life, might help reduce those odds. “What we started to realize is it’s not just about how people with depression process negative information but there’s something… read on > read on >
When astronauts travel to space, the experience depletes their red blood cells and bone, according to a new study. Fortunately, it appears their bodies can eventually replenish them after they’ve returned to Earth, thanks to fat stored in the bone marrow. “We found that astronauts had significantly less fat in their bone marrow about a… read on > read on >
One source of lead exposure in children may surprise you. It’s secondhand smoke, according to a Texas A&M University study. “Further research will likely paint a clearer picture of this exposure route, especially in younger children, but the findings here can inform current efforts to eliminate low-level lead exposure in children,” said co-author Dr. Genny… read on > read on >
Women may soon have a vaccine they can take during a pregnancy to help protect their newborn from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the shot, called Abrysvo, on Monday The vaccine is designed to be given to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy as a… read on > read on >
The degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis affects 15% of the global population over age 30, so by 2050 that could be nearly 1 billion people, researchers say. Living longer and obesity are both major contributors. “With the key drivers of people living longer and a growing world population, we need to anticipate stress on health systems… read on > read on >
