COVID-19 booster shots appear to benefit folks 50 and older but less so for younger people, a new study suggests. For the study, researchers ran a statistical analysis using death rates from COVID, and looked at the vaccines’ effectiveness in protecting people from dying of the disease. While they were found to be very effective… read on > read on >
Exposure to wildfire smoke can increase the risk of premature birth, new research suggests. For the study, the researchers reviewed birth certificates and hospital delivery data for more than 2.5 million pregnant women in California from 2007 to 2012, and used satellite images and ZIP codes to compare daily estimates of wildfire smoke intensity. The… read on > read on >
Researchers studying well water found current monitoring practices often fail to reflect actual groundwater pollution risks. The problem: Spikes in harmful bacteria, like those from animal and human waste, vary depending on the season. They may be higher at times when testing is less likely to be done. “This is concerning because many residents and… read on > read on >
In the wake of natural disasters like wildfires that have destroyed whole communities with alarming speed, some folks are focused on the beloved pets left behind — and how to save others in the future. More than 1,000 pets died in the Marshall fire on Dec. 30, 2021, in Boulder County, Colo., according to new… read on > read on >
In 2021, U.S. emergency rooms treated more than 193,000 burn injuries caused by an array of products, ranging from cooking devices to fireworks and space heaters. Most of these burns were preventable, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children under age 10 are especially vulnerable, accounting for 26% of all burn injuries in 2021,… read on > read on >
Canned tuna is known to contain low levels of mercury, but a new Consumer Reports investigation has found spikes of the neurotoxin in some cans. The organization tested five popular tuna brands, CBS News reported. While the mercury levels were all within U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, Consumer Reports urged pregnant women to “avoid… read on > read on >
Email has become an easy and essential form of communication between patients and physicians — so much so that doctors are deluged daily with messages from patients. Now, some hospitals and health systems have started charging for doctors’ responses to those messages, depending on the amount of work needed to respond. Only a handful of… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) – U.S. health officials are considering using vaccines in poultry to stem an ongoing outbreak of bird flu. Scientists will begin testing the first vaccines for birds in years as the spread of avian influenza has killed about 58 million birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal… read on > read on >
Chemicals found in plastic personal care products, kids’ toys, and food and drink packaging could be raising the risk of type 2 diabetes among women, new research suggests. To study the impact of these chemicals, known as phthalates, researchers followed just over 1,300 U.S. women for six years to see if exposure contributed to the… read on > read on >
Parents in the United States may assume baby food is free of impurities, but a recent research review highlights the much different reality: Most foods made for babies and toddlers have some amount of toxic heavy metals. The contaminants include metals, such as lead and arsenic, that can harm brain development, and contribute to learning… read on > read on >
