U.S. regions with weak gun laws face the highest hospital costs from gun injuries, with the South leading the way in injuries and fees, a new study says. Taxpayers cover nearly half of the cost of gun injuries nationwide, said researchers led by Dr. Sarabeth Spitzer, of the surgery department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital… read on > read on >
For some children with autism, there’s a connection between gastrointestinal problems and stress, anxiety and social withdrawal, a new study suggests. The findings could help efforts to develop personalized treatments for autism patients with gastrointestinal problems such as stomach pain and constipation, the University of Missouri researchers suggested. Such problems tend to occur more often… read on > read on >
Vegetarian diets are a healthy choice for growing kids — though they may slightly raise the odds of youngsters being underweight, a new study suggests. The study, of nearly 9,000 young children, found that those on vegetarian diets were, on average, of similar weight and height as their peers who ate meat. They were also… read on > read on >
Adults who suffer from asthma often need to take corticosteroids to open up their airways, but the medications may have an unintended side effect: New research shows the treatment, particularly when taken in pill form, raised the risk of patients becoming obese. “Oral corticosteroids are often given to asthma patients, particularly those who had a… read on > read on >
There could be far fewer U.S. doctors trained to provide an abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court in a decision that is expected by the end of June, researchers report. That’s because nearly 45% of 286 obstetrics and gynecology residency programs across the United States are in the 26 states… read on > read on >
People with hypothyroidism who are undertreated are at increased risk for longer hospital stays and higher rates of readmission, a new study warns. In people with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. It’s common in the United States, and millions of patients take thyroid hormone replacement medications. But treatment can be… read on > read on >
For the past couple of centuries, humans have been breeding dogs to meet specific physical characteristics — to make Golden Retrievers fluffy, to make Rottweilers muscular, or to make Chihuahuas tiny. Dog enthusiasts have thought they also were passing along specific behavioral traits within breeds, giving rise to certain stereotypes — Golden Retrievers are affectionate… read on > read on >
Thousands of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. South could have been avoided if more people masked, social distanced, kept kids from school and made other behavioral changes to reduce the spread of the virus, researchers say. In other words, if they had acted more like folks up North. The study authors suggested that if the… read on > read on >
If you’re unlucky enough to need hospitalization for COVID-19, it won’t really matter which variant you’re infected with: The same level of care is required for patients with either Delta or Omicron, a new study reveals. This is true even though people infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are much less likely to be… read on > read on >
Land parasites that pose a risk to human and wildlife health can hitch rides on the millions of pounds of microplastics that float between oceans, a new study shows. “It’s easy for people to dismiss plastic problems as something that doesn’t matter for them, like, ‘I’m not a turtle in the ocean; I won’t choke… read on > read on >
