Taking a stroll through a city park can give your mood a significant boost, but parks in some cities provide a bigger benefit than those in others, researchers say. In a new study, investigators measured the happiness effect of city parks in the 25 most populous U.S. cities and found that it was roughly equal… read on > read on >
The “love hormone” oxytocin may be able to turn highly territorial lions into social sweethearts, researchers say. Lions typically guard their turf fiercely, which can be a problem when they’re on reserves or in captivity and have less space to share than they do in the wild. The authors of a study published online March… read on > read on >
A handful of “locked-in” amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients can now work a laptop computer using their brain waves, thanks to an implant lodged in a major vein inside their skull. The implant — a stent lined with 16 miniscule electrodes — is nestled in a vein located near the motor cortex of completely paralyzed… read on > read on >
COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe for kids who have had a rare complication called MIS-C after being infected by the coronavirus, according to a new small study. Some kids get MIS-C — shorthand for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children — four to six weeks after a bout with COVID. Many have few or no… read on > read on >
Hours after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a second booster shot of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for people 50 and older, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced its support for the move. Echoing the FDA, the CDC also recommended a second booster for “certain immune-compromised Individuals.” “Boosters are… read on > read on >
Your child’s risk of harm from social media is higher at certain ages and it’s different for girls and boys, researchers report. To figure out how social media use affected “life satisfaction” among 10- to 21-year-olds, the investigators analyzed long-term data on 17,400 young people in the United Kingdom. The new study found key periods… read on > read on >
Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis, and now two new studies show these patients are at increased risk for anxiety, depression and suicide. The findings highlight the need for oncologists to pay more attention to their patients’ mental health needs, the authors said. In the first paper, researchers reviewed 28 studies that included more than… read on > read on >
Warm summer nights may leave you tossing and turning in bed, but that could be the least of your worries. Just a slight rise in summer nighttime temperatures increases the risk of heart-related death for men in their 60s, a new study shows. “Considering the growing likelihood of extreme summers in Western USA and the… read on > read on >
Heart attack survivors with depression have an increased risk of stroke, and more research is needed to find out why, according to the authors of a new study. “There could be a multitude of depression-related factors that are leading to these outcomes,” said lead author Frank Annie, a research scientist at Charleston Area Medical Center… read on > read on >
Yearly flu shots are especially important for kids with asthma as any virus can trigger an asthma attack. But in the not-too-distant future, these kids might be able to get a spritz instead of a jab, new research hints. Current recommendations suggest children with asthma get an inactivated flu shot (the flu virus is dead)… read on > read on >
