For older adults, friendship might be the best medicine. Researchers say that doing small favors for close friends — like offering a ride or lending a hand — can boost happiness and give people a greater sense of purpose. A University of Michigan study found that older adults who provide practical help to close friends… read on > read on >
A new analysis reveals how deeply the U.S. drug supply chain depends on China, and experts warn that a trade war could leave American patients at risk. Nearly 700 medicines used in the U.S. contain at least one chemical sourced only in China, according to U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit that monitors the drug supply. Those… read on > read on >
Experts argue it’s never too late to quit smoking, and a new study says that applies to people with late-stage cancer as well. Patients with advanced cancer gained nearly a full year of additional life if they quit smoking, compared to those who kept lighting up, researchers reported Oct 9 in the Journal of the… read on > read on >
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YouTube or TikTok might offer a solid alternative to meditation when it comes to stress relief. People’s stress dropped about as much from watching a short inspirational video as it did through guided meditation, researchers reported in the journal Psychology of Popular Media. “What we found is that even a few minutes of watching content… read on > read on >
The acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling on vaccine makers to create separate measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shots, though public health experts saying there’s no scientific reason to do so. “I call on vaccine manufacturers to develop safe monovalent vaccines to replace the combined MMR and… read on > read on >
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dropped its recommendation that all Americans receive routine COVID-19 shots, leaving the decision up to patients and doctors. The shift follows new guidance from a panel of vaccine advisers appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who fired the CDC’s longstanding vaccine advisory… read on > read on >
Seniors who get a concussion are more likely to develop dementia or falter as they age, a new study says. Older folks who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) had a higher risk of dementia, requiring home care services or admission to a long-term care facility, researchers reported Oct. 6 in the Canadian Medical Association… read on > read on >
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 >
