Microplastic pollution is altering the gut microbiomes of wild seabirds and that could be a warning sign for humans, researchers report. Scientists from McGill University in Montreal, along with colleagues from around the world, found that tiny bits of plastic present in the gastrointestinal system of seabirds have modified the gut’s microbiome. The plastics are… read on > read on >
Your achy joints may suggest that you take it easy. Don’t listen to them, experts say. If it hurts when you get up from a chair or climb stairs, you might have osteoarthritis. If so, it’s best to keep moving. “While the pain from osteoarthritis worsens with activity and improves with rest, exercise is still… read on > read on >
Be cautious when heading to Florida’s beaches this summer, an expert warned, as a 5,000-mile floating mass of sargassum seaweed has begun washing up on the state’s shores. It can be low risk in some instances, but it also has the potential for triggering serious respiratory health issues. “The sargassum itself is not dangerous. It… read on > read on >
Emergency departments aren’t perceived as safe for professionals or their patients, according to an international survey from the European Society of Emergency Medicine (EUSEM). More than 90% of emergency professionals surveyed said they felt at times the number of patients exceeded the capacity the emergency department (ED) had to provide safe care. Overcrowding was a… read on > read on >
Vegetarian and vegan diets lead to lower blood levels of cholesterol and fats, according to a major new analysis of all evidence from clinical trials published since 1982. Compared to people eating an omnivorous diet, those following a plant-based diet experienced an average reduction in total cholesterol levels of 7% from levels measured at the… read on > read on >
U.S. health officials are bracing for the possibility that mpox could surge again this summer as cases mount in several states. On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 21 more cases of mpox, with Illinois, New York and Maryland reporting the most new infections. Illinois had nine, while New York and… read on > read on >
A federal website intended to help people choose a nursing home not only contains inaccurate information, but those inaccuracies appear to be at least partially driven by race, a new study reports. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Nursing Home Care Compare website in the 1990s to publicly report patient… read on > read on >
Smallpox vaccines, which were routinely given into the 1970s, seem to provide protection from mpox, a new study says. The mpox virus, responsible for a worldwide outbreak last year, could surge again this summer, public health experts have warned. It was previously called monkeypox. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden wondered whether the smallpox… read on > read on >
Older Americans are increasingly likely to log into “patient portals” to access their health care information — but confidence levels vary. About 78% of people aged 50 to 80 now use at least one patient portal, according to the new University of Michigan (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging. Five years ago, just 51% in… read on > read on >
When it comes to diagnosing sleep apnea, current screening methods may put Black patients at a disadvantage, new research suggests. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep. An initial screening tool might be an overnight pulse oximeter test — a small device clipped on to a fingertip… read on > read on >
