Breathing the air in nearly half of the United States could be putting your health at risk. A new American Lung Association report shows that 156 million people live in areas with unhealthy air. The group’s annual “State of the Air” report found that smog and soot pollution are getting worse, not better. The report… read on > read on >
A quick spray of medication might seem like an easy way to get thicker hair, but some folks say one sold online has left them battling sexual side effects, depression and even thoughts of suicide. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public about the risks. The FDA warning is about… read on > read on >
Recreational use of “magic mushroom” psilocybin skyrocketed in the U.S. during the early 2020s, as states began toying with legalization of the psychedelic drug, a new study says. The number of adults 30 and older who had used psilocybin in the past year increased by 188% between 2019 and 2023, researchers reported April 21 in… read on > read on >
Depression and anxiety have been increasing steadily among children and teenagers in recent years, a new study says. More than 1 in 10 children (10.6%) suffered from anxiety in 2022, up from 7.1% in 2016, researchers reported April 21 in JAMA Pediatrics. During the same period, depression among children increased to 4.6% from 3.2%, results… read on > read on >
The Talk. It’s an anxiety-producing proposition for just about every parent — and as you might expect, opinions vary widely about when and how to have The Talk with a child nearing puberty. Parents are evenly split in thinking it’s best to start talking about puberty before age 10, at age 10, or when children… read on > read on >
Babies exposed to air and light pollution have a higher risk of developing childhood thyroid cancer, a new study says. Airborne particle pollution and outdoor artificial light both increased babies’ risk of developing thyroid cancer before they turned 20, researchers recently reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. “These results are concerning, especially given how… read on > read on >
A panel of federal health experts on Wednesday recommended expanded vaccine options for several diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), meningitis and a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. The panel, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), makes vaccine use recommendations to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),… read on > read on >
Hepatitis A vaccinations could be lagging among men who have sex with men due to a mistrust of medicine, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, a new study says. Only about 60% of surveyed gay and bisexual men were fully vaccinated for hepatitis A, even though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… read on > read on >
People might think they can reduce their risk of cancer by occasionally swapping their cigarettes for a vape pen — but they would be wrong, a new study says. So-called “dual users” — folks who both smoke and vape – are exposed to the same levels of nicotine and cancer-causing toxins as those who only smoke… read on > read on >
Newfangled eyedrops for dogs might be better at helping them fight off infections, a new study says. Eyedrops containing hyaluronic acid helped antibiotics better coat the eyes of healthy dogs, compared to traditional eyedrop formulations, researchers recently reported in the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology. As a result, higher concentrations of the antibiotics remained longer in the… read on > read on >
