Treatments for gum disease may have little benefit for heavy smokers, new research shows. The study findings suggest the need to rethink treatment of the common gum disease periodontitis, according to researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark. “To our surprise, we could see that the disease had actually grown worse in some parameters in the… read on > read on >
Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer, but even during winter heating season, it’s possible to stay safe. This dangerous gas is produced when fuels burn incompletely. This can happen in furnaces, both gas- and wood-burning fireplaces, space heaters and vehicles that burn fossil fuel. It’s also possible in water heaters, gas clothes dryers and… read on > read on >
It’s possible to prevent heartworms in many of your furry friends — dogs, cats and ferrets, specifically. Heading off a severe and sometimes deadly illness simply requires regular, year-round preventive treatment through a pill, injection or topical medication, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Heartworms are parasitic worms that can grow to 12… read on > read on >
Natural gas stoves have become the latest flashpoint in America’s increasingly volatile political culture, after a top federal regulator publicly mulled over banning the appliances. “This is a hidden hazard,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) commissioner, Richard Trumka Jr., said in an interview. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel on Thursday voted unanimously to recommend that the agency phase out original versions of COVID vaccines for use in the unvaccinated, in favor of updated bivalent booster shots. Committee members also weighed a proposal to streamline the dosing schedule for COVID vaccines by turning them into… read on > read on >
Autism cases are surging in the New York-New Jersey metro area, mainly fueled by the diagnosis of autistic children who don’t have intellectual disabilities, a new study reports. The percentage of kids identified with autism spectrum disorder rose from about 1% in 2000 to 3% in 2016 in that region, said lead researcher Josephine Shenouda,… read on > read on >
In a finding that suggests the updated bivalent COVID booster shots are worth getting, new government data shows they cut the chances of infection with the new XBB variant by nearly half. While those ages 49 and under saw a 48% reduction in risk, the shots were slightly less effective in older individuals — about… read on > read on >
A mother-to-be’s exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may have a lasting impact on her baby’s brain development, new research indicates. Toddlers scored lower on assessments for thinking, motor and language skills when their mothers had more exposure to pollutants during pregnancy, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Our findings suggest that… read on > read on >
One-third of public health workers have endured threats, anger and aggression from the public during the pandemic, and that has come at a steep cost to their mental health, a new study finds. “The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers have been documented and the research on psychological impacts is building,” said lead… read on > read on >
Nearly 20% of American adults use a drug to help them sleep, either occasionally or regularly, health officials reported Wednesday. Sleep medications, sold both over-the-counter and by prescription, are a common treatment for sleep problems, said senior report author Lindsey Black, a health statistician at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center… read on > read on >
