Rising temperatures caused by climate change could trigger a worldwide increase in stillbirths, researchers warn. The team at the University of Queensland in Australia analyzed 12 studies on the subject. They found that exposure to extremely high temperatures throughout pregnancy appeared to increase risk of stillbirth, particularly late in pregnancy. “Overall, risk of stillbirth appears…  read on >  read on >

A ban on flavored vaping products in San Francisco may have increased high school students’ use of conventional cigarettes, according to a new study. In 2018, voters in the city overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. An analysis of 2011-2019 data on high school students younger than 18 found…  read on >  read on >

A widely used medicine for autoimmune diseases may lower people’s immune response to the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, a new study suggests. The drug, called methotrexate, is often given to patients with immune-mediated inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis. “Our findings suggest that different strategies may need to be explored in patients…  read on >  read on >

Half of America’s adults are now fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus, U.S. officials announced Tuesday. “This is a major milestone in our country’s vaccination efforts,” White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said during a White House media briefing, noting that only 1% of Americans were vaccinated when President Joe Biden entered office in…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – – Teenage girls who use over-the-counter diet pills and laxatives to lose weight run a very high risk of developing eating disorders, researchers say. In a new U.S. study, girls who used diet pills had a 258% greater risk of being diagnosed with an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia within five…  read on >  read on >

Moderate use of hair relaxers doesn’t increase a Black woman’s risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. “While there is biologic plausibility that exposure to some components contained in hair relaxers might increase breast cancer risk, the evidence from epidemiologic studies to date continues to be inconsistent,” said lead author Kimberly Bertrand, an…  read on >  read on >

Newfangled marijuana products — edibles, concentrates, vapes — are driving an overall increase in pot-related calls to U.S. poison control centers, a new study shows. There were more than 11,100 calls related to marijuana use in 2019, up from about 8,200 in 2017, researchers said. More and more of those calls are related to manufactured…  read on >  read on >