The U.S. fast-food industry has boosted spending on ads targeting kids, especially Black and Hispanic youth, new research shows. For the study, the researchers analyzed data on ad spending and TV ad exposure for 274 fast-food restaurants and found that annual spending hit $5 billion in 2019, up more than $400 million between 2012 and…  read on >  read on >

Your health and fitness apps may have privacy issues that put your personal information at risk, researchers warn. “This analysis found serious problems with privacy and inconsistent privacy practices in mHealth [mobile health] apps. Clinicians should be aware of these and articulate them to patients when determining the benefits and risks,” lead study author Muhammad…  read on >  read on >

Exposure to mold both in and out of the home may worsen breathlessness and other symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new research suggests. More than 16 million Americans have COPD, according to the American Lung Association. COPD is an umbrella term for chronic lung diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema, which literally take…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. coronavirus death toll topped 600,000 on Wednesday, even as the country’s vaccination campaign is finally curbing the spread of COVID-19. “We’ve made enormous progress in the United States. Much of the country is returning to normal, and our economic growth is leading the world, and the number of cases and deaths are dropping…  read on >

In normal times, a sunny day can lift your mood while a stormy one can darken it, but new British research shows that weather had little effect on people’s spirits during the pandemic. “We know that lockdown restrictions, and the resulting impact on social life and the economy, are linked to at least two major…  read on >  read on >

A polished, perfectly put-together face can be a huge boost to your confidence, but a new study shows that many of the cosmetics that help achieve that look might also be harmful to your health. In the United States and Canada, plenty of beauty products appear to contain high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances…  read on >  read on >

Researchers say an extra dose of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines may improve immune system protection for organ transplant patients, a group that’s so far responded poorly to two-dose vaccines. “Our findings suggest clinical trials are warranted to determine if transplant recipients should receive COVID-19 vaccine booster doses as standard clinical practice, similar to what is currently…  read on >  read on >