Working in an already dangerous environment, the blood pressure of firefighters jumps when they get an emergency call, new research shows. That could be risky for those who already have high blood pressure, experts say. “All emergency and first responders should be aware of their health,” said senior author Deborah Feairheller, director of the clinical…  read on >  read on >

Setting your clocks back an hour this Sunday also means it’s time to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says. Working alarms are especially important because people are spending more time at home due to the pandemic, which means furnaces, fireplaces and other…  read on >  read on >

At a veterinary clinic in the United Kingdom, the staff noticed a sudden and atypical increase in cats and dogs who were experiencing myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. Was it a coincidence that these animals were showing up severely ill from a condition that has been linked to COVID-19 just as the highly…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Nov. 5, 2021 The risk of serious illness or death is lower among vaccinated people who get breakthrough COVID-19 infections than among unvaccinated people who get infected, two new studies confirm. An ongoing study of 780,000 U.S. veterans found that all three vaccines available in the United States provide strong protection against severe disease…  read on >  read on >

Why is it so easy for bilingual folks to switch back and forth from one language to another? Researchers have discovered that the brain uses a shared mechanism that makes using multiple languages completely natural. “Languages may differ in what sounds they use and how they organize words to form sentences,” said lead study author…  read on >  read on >

All U.S. adults younger than 60 should be vaccinated against hepatitis B, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended Wednesday. Until now, the shots were recommended only for certain groups of adults, including prisoners, health care workers, international travelers, people with diabetes and certain other conditions, and those who inject drugs or who have multiple…  read on >  read on >