The tiny particles inhaled from air pollution stick to our red blood cells, hitching a ride to do damage throughout our bodies, a new small-scale study says. These particles — produced by motor vehicles and industrial emissions — recently have been found in the brain and the heart, where they are linked to increased risk… read on > read on >
A new Commonwealth Fund report offers the first state-by-state ranking of how vulnerable individual health and health care systems are to climate risks. The report analyzed all 50 states and Washington, D.C., looking at factors like extreme heat, flooding and air quality, as well as policies to combat these threats. Vermont was ranked the best… read on > read on >
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is protecting women from the cervical-cancer-causing virus — including those who don’t get the jab, a new study says. Depending on which vaccine they received, HPV infections fell by 76% to 98% over 17 years among vaccinated women, researchers reported in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. But infections also fell by… read on > read on >
Air pollution could be making matters worse for people with sleep apnea, according to a new study. Sleep apnea patients have more episodes of reduced or stopped breathing during their slumber in areas with heavier air pollution, researchers reported Tuesday at an European Respiratory Society meeting in Amsterdam. Further, these sleep apnea episodes increased as… read on > read on >
People with aching knees might receive relief from a course of low-dose radiation therapy, a new study suggests. People with mild to moderate wear-and-tear knee arthritis felt less pain and had better mobility after radiation treatment, researchers reported Sunday at a meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology in San Francisco. “People with painful… read on > read on >
The early warning signs of multiple sclerosis appear to be the same for everyone, regardless of their background. The pain, mood changes, brain decline and neurological problems associated with early MS can appear years before diagnosis, but appear to affect all types of people in similar ways, according to a new study. “Our study shows… read on > read on >
Babies who grow up around dogs might be less likely to develop childhood asthma, a new study says. However, they don’t get the same protection from growing up around cats, according to findings presented Sunday in Amsterdam at a meeting of the European Respiratory Society. “We found that, while cat allergens showed no association, exposure… read on > read on >
Routine screening can help find kids who are suffering from undiagnosed asthma in communities with high levels of the breathing disorder, a new study says. Asthma screening during well-child visits found that more than two-thirds (35%) of children with no previous diagnosis of asthma had at least one risk factor for the disease, researchers will… read on > read on >
Air pollution is known to raise the risk of heart disease, strokes and breathing problems, but new research suggests it may also harm something else: kids’ vision. In a study of nearly 30,000 schoolchildren in Tianjin, China, researchers found that kids exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were… read on > read on >
More people appear to die in emergency rooms (ER) after hospitals have been bought by private equity firms, a new study says. About 13% more deaths occur among Medicare patients in the emergency rooms of hospitals after their acquisition by private equity, researchers estimate in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Hospitals purchased by a private… read on > read on >
