Although blood pressure levels among Americans rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests things could have been far worse. “We expected blood pressure control to be worse due to decreased physical activity, stress, poor sleep and other cardiovascular disease risk factors that worsened during the pandemic,” said study leader Dr. Hiroshi Gotanda, an assistant… read on > read on >
When you set your clocks back on Sunday, do some simple at-home safety checks that could save your life. Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to be sure they’re working. This is also a good time to replace their batteries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends replacing batteries once a… read on > read on >
Screening tests routinely catch cases of breast and colon cancer early, but a screening test for lung cancer is sorely underused in high-risk people and that needs to change, more than 50 cancer organizations said in a joint statement issued Tuesday. What prompted the move? Low-dose CT screening is recommended for people who are more… read on > read on >
Poor sleep may be linked to glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, new research suggests. The study drew on a database of more than 400,000 people to explore links between sleep and vision loss. Glaucoma is marked by progressive loss of light-sensitive cells in the eye and optic nerve damage. Left untreated, it can cause… read on > read on >
A new analysis illustrates the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: In numerous states, women now have no choice but to travel long distances to get an abortion. One-third of American women of reproductive age must now drive excessive distances, the researchers reported. Twice as many women must now… read on > read on >
Doctors could soon have access to a new weapon in the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. An experimental combination antibiotic appears to offer a new option for doctors treating stubborn drug-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to new clinical trial results. The new combo of cefepime and enmetazobactam outperformed an established antibiotic drug regimen in… read on > read on >
Experts are once again advising doctors and women against using menopausal hormone therapy to ward off chronic diseases — 20 years after a landmark trial dashed those hopes. In updated recommendations, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is reiterating its past advice on menopausal hormone therapy: It should not be prescribed as a way… read on > read on >
More than 10,000 nerve fibers — many more than expected — power the human clitoris, according to Oregon researchers who were able to count them for the first time while performing gender-affirming genital surgery. That’s about 20% more than previous estimates, they said. “It’s startling to think about more than 10,000 nerve fibers being concentrated… read on > read on >
A bad marriage can break your heart — literally. Heart attack survivors in a stressful relationship are more likely to have a rocky recovery, a new study reports. “We found there’s an independent association between severe marital stress and worse outcomes within their first year of recovery,” said lead researcher Cenjing Zhu, a doctoral candidate… read on > read on >
Protecting pregnant women from air pollution may improve the birth weight of their babies, a new study suggests. This is especially important for stressed-out mothers who live in neighborhoods burdened by poor air quality. A mother-to-be’s exposure to both air pollution and psychological stress during early to mid-pregnancy can disrupt delicate fetal growth, according to… read on > read on >
