Booster doses of COVID vaccines are needed as the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to spread worldwide, a World Health Organization expert group said Tuesday. The group’s statement that it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses contradicts the WHO’s previous stance that boosters aren’t necessary and contribute to vaccine inequality. In January,… read on > read on >
Palliative care can be a godsend in the final days of one’s life, but new research shows that Black and Hispanic nursing home residents are far less likely to receive it than their white peers are. Overall, nursing homes in the Northeast provided the most palliative care, while those in the South provided the least… read on > read on >
If you were born before 1996, there’s a good chance you were exposed to high levels of lead as a kid, and new research suggests this may have harmed your IQ and boosted your chances of lead-related health concerns down the road. “A significant proportion of Americans alive today had very high lead exposure as… read on > read on >
Here’s more evidence of the toll that COVID-19 takes on the human brain: A new study finds biomarkers of neuron damage and brain inflammation in the blood are associated with brain function changes in both hospitalized COVID-19 patients and people with long COVID. Combined blood biomarker evidence of damage to neurons and activation of cells… read on > read on >
Tighter restrictions on emissions from big trucks were proposed Monday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Seventy-two million people are estimated to live near truck freight routes in America, and they are more likely to be people of color and those with lower incomes. These overburdened communities are directly exposed to pollution that causes… read on > read on >
Health and fitness apps are growing in popularity, but not among the people who might benefit most from them — seniors and people with chronic health conditions. Nearly two out of three American adults are living with a chronic health problem like heart disease, diabetes or asthma, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll survey found. Health apps… read on > read on >
People who vape may be setting themselves up for developing diabetes, even if they don’t smoke traditional cigarettes, a new study suggests. Among more than 600,000 U.S. adults, researchers found that those who used electronic cigarettes were more likely to have prediabetes than people who’d never vaped or smoked. The link was seen even among… read on > read on >
While smoking has declined in the United States, the rate of tobacco use in poorer communities is double nationwide levels, according to a new study. It also linked smoking to mental health conditions and substance use disorders in these communities. The findings highlight the need for targeted smoking prevention and cessation programs in less advantaged… read on > read on >
An investigation into health misinformation on COVID-19 has been launched by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Misinformation has had a profound impact on COVID-19 and our response,” Murthy told CNN. “Studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of the American public either believes common myths about COVID-19 or thinks those myths might be true.… read on > read on >
Are you managing a chronic health problem, be it obesity or diabetes or heart disease or asthma? There’s likely an app for that. Health apps are becoming more and more sophisticated, offering smartphone users help in dealing with chronic ailments, said Dr. David Bates, chief of internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston,… read on > read on >
