Having trouble getting your shut-eye during the COVID-19 pandemic? You may be at increased risk for anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles. That’s the key takeaway from an analysis of data collected from nearly 5,000 people who wore a digital sleep device before and during the pandemic. The authors also examined responses to a…  read on >  read on >

It’s known that certain chronic health conditions up the odds of death from COVID-19. Now, new research identifies another risk factor. Shorter telomeres are associated with an increased likelihood of death from COVID-19, particularly in older women, researchers say. Telomeres are protective caps on the end of chromosomes (DNA) that shorten with age. Previous research…  read on >  read on >

Scientists have long known that as the Earth warms due to climate change, plants produce more pollen, making allergy season longer and more pronounced. Now, a new survey finds that hay fever sufferers are increasingly taking notice. In a poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by the Harris Poll in partnership with HealthDay,…  read on >  read on >

Two in five adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder say their mental health is excellent, which is significantly lower than people without the disorder, but still an encouraging finding, according to the authors of a new study. Their analysis of a Canadian government mental health survey found that 42% of 480 respondents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) termed…  read on >  read on >

Many kindergartners fell behind on their childhood vaccinations during the pandemic, U.S. health officials warned Thursday. The drop has not been precipitous: About 94% of kindergarteners had their required vaccines during the 2020-2021 school year, a drop of about one percentage point and just below the 95% vaccination target, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control…  read on >  read on >