Out-of-pocket costs can leave Medicare patients with the most common type of liver cancer in financial distress. While Medicare payments in the first year after diagnosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeded $65,000, out-of-pocket costs were more than $10,000, a new study found. “As has been shown for other cancer types, we found patients with liver…  read on >  read on >

Black and Hispanic women who work as hairdressers are exposed to an array of chemicals, including many that have not been previously identified, a small study finds. Researchers found that compared with women of color in office jobs, hair stylists had higher levels of various chemicals in their urine. Those substances included expected ones —…  read on >  read on >

The two COVID emergency measures declared by the White House at the start of the pandemic will end in May. President Joe Biden informed Congress of the plan on Monday, as part of a statement opposing House Republicans’ plan to immediately end the protections. “An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos…  read on >  read on >

Tying the knot is now tied to healthier aging brains: People who stay married for the long haul may gain some protection from dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers found that compared with both divorced people and lifelong singles, older adults in a long-term marriage were less likely to develop dementia. Roughly 11% were diagnosed…  read on >  read on >

The “love hormone” oxytocin might not play the critical role in forming social bonds that scientists have long believed, a new animal study suggests. Prairie voles bred without receptors for oxytocin display the same monogamous mating, attachment and parenting behaviors as regular voles, according to researchers. “While oxytocin has been considered ‘Love Potion No. 9,’…  read on >  read on >

The pandemic has reached a “transition point,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. Still, that doesn’t mean the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) designation declared by the WHO in January 2020 is over yet. The organization’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee met last week to discuss COVID-19, saying in a statement released…  read on >  read on >

If you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam and you start to feel fuzzy-headed, the diesel exhaust from the truck in front of you might be to blame. New research found that just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust impaired the brain’s functional connectivity, which can lower your ability to think and remember.…  read on >  read on >