Vaccinations have been given to the first volunteers in a Phase 1 trial of Moderna’s experimental HIV vaccine, the company has announced. The vaccine uses mRNA technology — similar to that utilized in breakthrough COVID vaccines — to deliver HIV-specific antigens that could trigger an immune response against the virus that causes AIDS, the company…  read on >  read on >

Colon cancer rates are increasing for younger Americans, along with rates of obesity. Could slimming down reduce young people’s risk for malignancy? A new study suggests that even a small amount of weight loss may cut your odds for benign growths in the colon known as adenomas, or polyps. Left unchecked, these growths can lead…  read on >  read on >

Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday. It’s the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by the Trump administration. “The science is clear: we must limit mercury and toxic air pollution to protect…  read on >  read on >

Telling people to isolate in a bedroom when COVID-19 strikes may not be enough to keep the virus from spreading to others in the household, a new study suggests. Airborne coronavirus particles were found both inside and outside the rooms of people with COVID-19 who were supposed to be self-isolating at home, according to researchers…  read on >  read on >

Hospitalizations for dangerously high blood pressure more than doubled in the United States from 2002 to 2014, new research shows. This jump in hospitalizations for what’s called a “hypertensive crisis” occurred even though data show overall progress in Americans controlling their blood pressure and a decrease in blood pressure-related heart problems during that period. “Although…  read on >  read on >

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has received full approval for use in people 18 and older, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. The vaccine, which has been available for that age group under emergency use authorization (EUA), will be marketed as Spikevax. It’s not yet fully approved or authorized for use in people younger than…  read on >  read on >

The images are never-ending: Celebrities like Kim Kardashian posting one sultry shot after another on social media. But new research warns this constant barrage of “perfect” bodies can undermine the self-esteem of young women. They’re apt to feel their own figures come up short by comparison — whether those influencers and celebrities are super-thin, super-fit…  read on >  read on >