Too many U.S. seniors are skipping their prescription meds due to cost, and the problem is most acute among the poor and chronically ill, new data shows. Almost all (88.6%) Americans age 65 or older have been prescribed at least one prescription medicine, according to 2021-2022 data from an annual federal survey. That percentage rises… read on > read on >
City living may be tough on couples wanting to conceive: New data shows that air pollution appears to be linked to lower fertility in men, while noisy traffic could harm the fertility of women. “If our results are confirmed in future studies, it suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be… read on > read on >
Thinking about quitting smoking? There are three top ways to help you stop, a new review finds. According to the study, folks wanting to quit should turn to: Varenicline, a prescription nicotine-blocking drug sold under the brand names Chantix and Champix Cytisine, a plant-based compound sold as an over-the-counter supplement in Canada and Europe Nicotine… read on > read on >
‘Fetch’: It’s not just for dogs. New research finds that lots of cats — 41% — love retrieving toys tossed by their human. “Although cats and dogs are very different in many aspects of their behavior and in how they ended up being companion animals, we find it fascinating that so many of them share… read on > read on >
Current vaccines against mpox were designed to fight an older, rarer cousin of the virus, smallpox. Now, new research from the drug company Moderna suggests its new mpox vaccine, based on mRNA technology, might do a better job at shielding recipients from harm. The findings were published Sept. 4 in the journal Cell. “With the… read on > read on >
In news that should reassure folks glued to their cellphones all day, a new international review finds no link between cellphone use and brain cancer. Commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), the review included 11 experts from 10 countries who sifted through decades of research — 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022 to… read on > read on >
People who can cope with challenges as they grow older are more likely to live longer, a new study shows. Seniors with higher levels of mental resilience are 53% less likely to die within the next 10 years than those with the lowest levels, researchers found. Even with chronic health problems or an unhealthy lifestyle,… read on > read on >
Your cellphone might be harming your heart, a new study warns. People who regularly use a cellphone have a higher risk of heart disease, researchers found in a large-scale study. And the more time someone spends on their phone, the greater their risk for heart problems, researchers report. Risk of heart disease was about 21%… read on > read on >
A survey of Australian adolescents finds those who are experiencing depressive symptoms have double the risk of taking up vaping. “In the short term, nicotine may reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, and young people may be reaching for vapes as a coping mechanism,” said study co-author Emily Stockings. “Regardless of whether mental ill health… read on > read on >
Teaching schoolkids to practice mindfulness can boost their mental health — and, maybe, even their grades. That’s the takeaway from a new review of more than three dozen research studies on school-based mindfulness interventions, such as seated or slow-walking meditation. In a nutshell, these programs teach kids to pay attention to the present moment and… read on > read on >
