The Canadian wildfires that are burning out of control have brought hazy skies and polluted air to parts of the United States unprepared for it — and that’s affecting not just the people, but their pets and livestock, too. An animal welfare expert from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers some advice for animal caregivers…  read on >  read on >

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 >