Finally, more than two years into the pandemic, Americans are sleeping better. A new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that 31% of people have had insomnia since the pandemic began. That was much lower — a 25% decrease — compared to the 2021 survey that found 56% of people were… read on > read on >
Winter weather brings with it plenty of hazards, including risks from carbon monoxide poisoning, and fires. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offers suggestions for staying safe on those cold winter nights. When storms knock out power, a portable generator can be a go-to tool, but it does raise the risk of carbon… read on > read on >
With wind power picking up as a viable energy source, new research shows U.S. air quality is getting better, benefiting all Americans’ health. There was one caveat to the findings, however: Only about a third of the potentially enormous health benefit is being seen in low-income areas and those with a concentration of minority residents.… read on > read on >
It’s thought that for an HIV vaccine to be widely effective, it will have to spur the body to make special antibodies that can neutralize a broad range of HIV strains. Now scientists say they have taken an essential step in that direction. In an early study, researchers found that an experimental HIV vaccine was… read on > read on >
Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research. Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, largely because of third-generation and brand-name drugs, the study found. “While it’s very important that Medicare and Medicaid… read on > read on >
The winter holidays are a time of celebrating and sharing precious time with family and friends, but they can also be deadly: More people die of heart attacks on Christmas Day than on any other day of the year. Experts aren’t certain what’s behind that troubling fact, but they offer some suggestions to help ensure… read on > read on >
The nationwide shortage of health care professionals — a so-called “Great Resignation” of providers — is impacting patient care in ways large and small, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll shows. One in four Americans (25%) have noticed or personally experienced the impact of staffing shortages in health care, second only to staff shortages in the retail… read on > read on >
If you need a body image boost, go outdoors. Whether you’re in green space, a blue space near a river or the ocean or even a snowy environment, it can make a difference. “A body of evidence now exists showing that nature exposure — living close to, frequenting or engaging with environments such as forests… read on > read on >
Black adults who undergo a common procedure to open up clogged arteries are readmitted to the hospital more often than their white peers. They’re also more likely to die in the years after treatment, a new study finds. Researchers looked at how patients fared following balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting — “one of the most… read on > read on >
Corticosteroid injections to relieve pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis could actually be setting them back. Two new studies have discovered that, despite the temporary relief of symptoms, the injections were associated with continued progression of the disease. On the other hand, patients injected with another symptom reliever, hyaluronic acid, saw decreased progression of their… read on > read on >
