The smoke from wildfires is dangerous for your lungs, but tiny particles from the smoke can also enter your brain and cause lifelong neurological issues, a new animal study suggests. Once that happens, the particles may put people at risk for everything from premature aging and various forms of dementia to depression and even psychosis,… read on > read on >
Public health experts have long recommended getting a seasonal flu shot, but a new study suggests there’s hesitancy about that vaccine, too. Physicians and pharmacists can play a key role in flu shot uptake, the research shows. Only about 44% of people who had a health care provider got their flu shots, the study found,… read on > read on >
Dirty air could cancel out some of the brain benefits of exercise, a new study suggests. “Physical activity is associated with improved markers of brain health in areas with lower air pollution,” said study author Melissa Furlong. “However, some beneficial effects essentially disappeared for vigorous physical activity in areas with the highest levels of air… read on > read on >
Booster doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine set recipients up to effectively withstand the ravages of both the Delta and Omicron variants, a group of new studies suggest. Boosted folks are 90% less likely to die from a Delta infection than people relying solely on the initial two-dose vaccination, Israeli data show. That protection will be… read on > read on >
People who get cochlear implants to treat severe hearing loss may develop new bone growth in the ear — and it may lessen any hearing they have left, a new study hints. The researchers found that among 100-plus adults with cochlear implants, two-thirds showed evidence of new bone formation near the implant within four years.… read on > read on >
First, the COVID-19 pandemic brought panic, with successive waves of infection and death, including the emergence this year of the Delta variant. Then vaccines offered the promise of a recovery, with a speed — and on a scale — never before seen. But now, the Omicron variant is sending Americans on another emotional roller-coaster ride… read on > read on >
Pfizer/BioNTech said Wednesday that while two doses of their coronavirus vaccine may not offer good protection against the Omicron variant, adding a booster shot does the trick. According to a statement from the companies, blood tests from people who had only two doses of the vaccine showed a 25-fold reduction in antibody levels generated against… read on > read on >
The pandemic has intensified mental health struggles that were already widespread among American teens, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned Tuesday. The pandemic and other major issues faced by their generation are causing “devastating” mental health effects in young people, he warned in a new report. Emergency room visits for suicide attempts by adolescent… read on > read on >
Can the time of day you get your COVID-19 vaccine affect how many antibodies you’ll make? A new study suggests that it can. Researchers found higher antibody levels in health care workers who received their vaccines in the afternoon, and they suggest that response to the vaccine may be affected by circadian rhythms. “Our observational… read on > read on >
When a woman’s periods begin to slow down and finally stop, digestive problems often pick up — and new research suggests race and ethnicity play a role. With menopause, levels of estrogen decrease, while cortisol levels increase, triggering an adrenaline boost that changes digestive function. It can set off symptoms such as bloating, nausea, diarrhea,… read on > read on >
