The Trump administration is taking steps to roll back state laws that protect consumers from having medical debt appear on their credit reports. The move could impact millions of Americans already struggling with unpaid medical bills. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has drafted a rule that would give the federal government sole authority over… read on > read on >
Puberty is the time when children’s bodies start to make hormones that lead to physical changes and signs of maturation. It prepares the body for reproduction. It is also when significant growth occurs. In girls, it starts around age 8 and in boys, it starts around age 9, but there can be some variation. Puberty usually lasts about two to three… read on > read on >
Women benefit much more from exercise than men, reaping many more gains with considerably less work, a new study reports. With the same amount of exercise, women experience a three-fold reduction in their risk of death from heart disease compared to men, researchers reported Oct. 27 in Nature Cardiovascular Research. These results show that “one-size-fits-all”… read on > read on >
Deaths from heat and air pollution have surged as climate change continues apace, a new report says. Worldwide, the rate of heat-related deaths has risen by 23% since the 1990s, and now claim 546,000 lives each year, researchers reported today in The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Likewise, a record 154,000 deaths occurred… read on > read on >
Researchers have identified a surprising source for a significant number of urinary tract infections (UTIs): contaminated meat. A new four-year study found that almost 1 in 5 UTIs detected among a group of patients in Southern California were likely caused by E. coli bacteria found on chicken, turkey, pork or beef products. In the U.S.,… read on > read on >
A voluntary recall has been announced for some lots of Neutrogena Makeup Remover Ultra-Soft Cleansing Towelettes. Company testing detected the presence of a potentially harmful bacterium in the wipes. Kenvue Brands, the Summit, New Jersey-based maker of the disposable wipes, is removing the affected product from shelves following an assessment by the U.S. Food and… read on > read on >
The cost of employer-provided health insurance has surged for a third straight year, with the annual cost of a family plan approaching $27,000, according to a new survey from the nonprofit KFF. That’s the average one-year premium cost shared by one family and employer. Zoom out: This year’s 6% cost jump follows two years of… read on > read on >
Lousy sleep might be an early warning sign for suicide risk among teenagers, a new study says. Teenagers who didn’t get enough sleep on school nights or suffered from interrupted sleep had a significantly higher risk of suicide, researchers reported Oct. 23 in the journal Sleep Advances. “Adolescents who experience difficulties maintaining and obtaining sufficient… read on > read on >
A family riven by divorce or separation could triple the risk of a child developing psoriasis later in life, a new study says. The severe stress caused by such family upheaval might tax a child’s immune system in ways that increase their chances of this autoimmune skin disease marked by rapid cell growth that causes… read on > read on >
Artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to help doctors make glaucoma screening widely available, a new study says. A trained AI program correctly identified patients with glaucoma 88% to 90% of the time, compared with 79% to 81% for human graders, researchers reported Saturday at a meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in… read on > read on >
