An active mind in old age may delay Alzheimer’s disease by up to five years, a new study suggests. Activities like reading, writing letters, playing cards or doing puzzles may prolong brain health even for those in their 80s, researchers say. “The key element is that you’re processing information,” said lead researcher Robert Wilson, a…  read on >  read on >

People who’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have a much stronger immune system response against the new coronavirus than those who’ve previously been infected, according to a new study. “Vaccinated individuals had the highest antibody levels, nearly three times higher than that of convalescent individuals recovering from symptomatic COVID-19,” an Israeli team reported. What’s more,…  read on >  read on >

Extreme heat strikes poor and minority neighborhoods in U.S. cities harder than those that are wealthier and mainly white, a new study finds. “The distribution of excess urban heat varies within cities, and as a result, communities do not share a city’s extreme heat burden equally,” said study co-author Jennifer Burney. She’s chair of global…  read on >  read on >

Here’s some reassuring news for parents: Most heart problems in children with a rare inflammatory condition triggered by COVID-19 infection resolve within a few months, a new study finds. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) causes inflammation throughout the body, and many patients develop a range of non-respiratory symptoms such as abdominal pain, skin rashes,…  read on >  read on >

More than half of students surveyed on a college campus in the heart of America’s meat-producing belt have tried a plant-based alternative. “Among the 1,400 students surveyed, we found about 55% had tried a plant-based alternative to meat,” said lead author Elizabeth Davitt of the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University. “Individuals who…  read on >  read on >

As many as two of every five Americans who’ve died from COVID-19 were suffering from diabetes, making the chronic disease one of the highest-risk conditions during the pandemic, an expert says. About 40% of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States were among diabetics, a “really quite sobering” statistic that should prompt people with the…  read on >  read on >

New coronavirus infections are once again climbing in the United States, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, lingering vaccine resistance and Fourth of July celebrations. Over the past three weeks, new cases per day have doubled, with data from Johns Hopkins showing that confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day…  read on >  read on >

Some think that romance begins when two strangers catch each other’s eye across a crowded room. Others seek it out by swiping right. But new research suggests that more than two-thirds of all romantic relationships begin as friendships. It’s a question that Danu Anthony Stinson and her collaborators have been asking for a long time…  read on >  read on >

The COVID-19 pandemic could leave a grim legacy for women’s health. New research suggests that disruptions in breast cancer screening and treatment in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to an increase in deaths from the disease. While mammography rates have accelerated in 2021, “facilities should prioritize screening women who missed their…  read on >  read on >

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has eased financial struggles for younger adult cancer survivors, a new study finds. University of Michigan researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 participants in the National Health Interview Survey and found that cancer survivors ages 18 to 64 were less likely to delay treatments and had less difficulty paying…  read on >  read on >