Fewer temptations at checkout? People may spend more money when they buy their groceries online, but they also tend to buy fewer unhealthy, “impulse-sensitive” foods like candy and cookies, new research shows. For the study, the researchers looked at the shopping habits of 137 primary household shoppers in Maine to compare their in-store and online…  read on >  read on >

New research suggests that many people who’ve undergone an organ transplant do not get an immune response from COVID-19 vaccines that’s strong enough to ward off a “breakthrough” infection. In a new review of 14 such cases, these breakthrough COVID-19 infections occurred in 10 recipients of new kidneys, two liver recipients, one lung recipient and…  read on >  read on >

Women whose diets tend to feed inflammation may have a heightened risk of breast cancer, a preliminary study suggests. The study, of more than 350,000 women, found that the more “pro-inflammatory” foods women consumed, the higher their breast cancer risk. The term refers to foods thought to contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body…  read on >  read on >

Bots, not individual users, drive much of the COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook, according to a new study. Bots are large numbers of automated accounts controlled by single users. “The coronavirus pandemic has sparked what the World Health Organization has called an ‘infodemic’ of misinformation,” said study leader John Ayers, a scientist who specializes in public…  read on >  read on >

Plunging vaccination rates are imperiling President Joe Biden’s goal of getting COVID shots into the arms of at least 70% of American adults by July 4, while public health experts worry that Southern states, where immunization numbers are the lowest, could see a spike in cases over the summer. The United States is averaging fewer…  read on >  read on >

People hospitalized for COVID-19 are often discharged in much worse shape than before their illness — underscoring the value of preventing severe cases with vaccination. In a new study, researchers found that during the pandemic’s early months, almost half of COVID-19 patients discharged from their health system had some degree of “functional decline.” That’s a…  read on >  read on >

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen your doctor, it may be time to schedule a visit to catch up on preventive health screenings or discuss any health concerns and chronic medical conditions. During the 15 months since people began quarantining, many have avoided leaving their homes except when necessary, including not going to…  read on >  read on >

U.S. teens are getting their COVID shots — how does that change their daily lives? Besides letting teens resume many of their normal activities, U.S. authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people as young as 12 is crucial to slowing the spread of the coronavirus, one expert says. “We know that teenagers can not…  read on >  read on >