New studies add to the extensive body of research showing the many risks that lead poses to youngsters. The association between lead exposure and children’s IQ is well-documented, but these University of Pennsylvania studies revealed how lead affects children’s stress responses and behavior. One study found a significant association between lead exposure in early childhood…  read on >  read on >

Red tide is a scourge of Southwest Florida, often littering beaches with dead fish and marine life and disrupting plans for boating and bathing. But Mother Nature isn’t entirely to blame for this blight. A new study confirms what some have long suspected — that human activity helps sustain and intensify naturally occurring red tide…  read on >  read on >

Disability activist Gem Hubbard regularly shares her insights about life in a wheelchair with more than 75,000 Instagram followers, under the handle @wheelsnoheels_, and her YouTube videos boast more than 3.7 million hits. Hubbard, who hails from the U.K., is “increasingly known internationally for her work in furthering the horizons of people with and without…  read on >  read on >

Eating a healthy plant-based diet may help you head off type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Healthy plant-based foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee/tea, vegetable oils and legumes. Unhealthy plant-based foods include refined grains, fruit juices, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets/desserts. “Our findings support the beneficial role of healthy plant-based diets in diabetes prevention…  read on >  read on >

Life would be much better for farm animals if children were in charge, a new British study suggests. Unlike adults, children believe farm animals should be treated the same as people and pets, and children are less likely to view eating animals as morally acceptable. The study included 479 people in England from three age…  read on >  read on >

Dogs may be famous meat lovers, but canines who follow a vegan diet might be a bit healthier, a new survey suggests. British and Australian researchers found that dogs on vegan diets (one without animal products or byproducts) tended to have fewer health problems, based on their guardians’ reports, than those who ate “conventional” meat-based…  read on >  read on >

In 2019 alone, multiple sclerosis (MS) cost Americans an estimated $85.4 billion, a new study finds. That amount included over $63 billion in direct medical costs and $22 billion in indirect non-medical costs. “The findings of this study help underscore the burden of MS in the U.S. and our hope is our results will inform…  read on >  read on >

Rates of gonorrhea are on the rise, and this sexually transmitted disease is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, raising fears of a potential superbug. Luckily, while there isn’t a vaccine against gonorrhea yet, an available meningitis vaccine may offer some protection against this STD, two new studies suggest. There are two vaccines available in the…  read on >  read on >