Steaks and burgers could be killing thousands of Americans each year, but in a way most people wouldn’t expect — via air pollution. That’s the conclusion of a new study estimating that airborne particles generated by food production kill nearly 16,000 Americans each year. Pollution related to animal products — most notably beef — accounts… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Sleep Disorders Cost U.S. Health Care System Nearly $95 Billion Per Year
Sleep problems cost America’s health care system nearly $95 billion a year and raise the cost of health care by 60%, a new study finds. Researchers discovered the number of doctor visits and prescriptions was nearly doubled in people with sleep problems such as sleep apnea and insomnia, compared to people without these conditions. People… read on > read on >
Most Severe COVID Cases Involve Neuro Issues, and They’re More Often Fatal
Neurological problems are occurring in a very high percentage of hospitalized COVID-19 patients — and what’s worse, those symptoms foretell a bad end for many sufferers, a new study finds. About four out of five people sick enough to be hospitalized for COVID-19 suffer some sort of neurological problem, ranging from headache and a loss… read on > read on >
FDA Approves Emergency Use of Pfizer Vaccine for Those Aged 12 to 15
In a move that should hasten the country’s recovery from the pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s two-dose coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy… read on > read on >
Alcohol Is No Friend to Social Distancing
Maintaining adequate social distance from strangers — a key COVID-19 preventive measure — can be tough when you’re drinking alcohol, researchers say. In a new study, the researchers put more than 200 young social drinkers in different social situations in laboratory settings. They drank either alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages. In half of the cases, participants… read on > read on >
Women Get Help Later Than Men When Heart Attack Strikes
When young women land in the emergency room with chest pain, they wait longer and get less treatment than their male counterparts, a preliminary study finds. Using a federal survey of U.S. hospitals, researchers found that younger women with chest pain were treated less urgently than men their age. That included a lower likelihood of… read on > read on >
Road to Healthy Middle-Aged Brain May Begin in Childhood
Could having heart disease risk factors in childhood sow the seeds of thinking declines in middle-age? It looks like it might, new research claims. “I think it was not so big of a surprise for us, but maybe for the scientific community who have been focusing mainly on the midlife risk factors and old-age cognition,”… read on > read on >
Vegetarian Diet Could Help Fight Off Disease: Study
There’s more evidence that a switch away from meat in your diet could cut levels of unhealthy “biomarkers” that encourage disease, researchers say. A new study reported Saturday at the virtual European Congress on Obesity (ECO) found that people on vegetarian diets have lower blood levels of disease-linked biomarkers, such as “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and… read on > read on >
Pfizer, Moderna or J&J? An Expert Answers Your Questions
Enough COVID-19 vaccine doses are available in the United States that many Americans may now have the freedom of choice. Unvaccinated folks going to their local clinic or pharmacy could choose between the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines that have been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for emergency use. Picking… read on > read on >
Fauci Says Relaxed Indoor Masking Rules Could Be on the Way
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday opened the door to the possibility of relaxing indoor masking rules as more Americans are vaccinated against the coronavirus. As immunizations climb, “we do need to start being more liberal” in terms of rules for wearing masks indoors, though the nation is still averaging about 43,000 cases of the virus… read on > read on >