A bit of booze may help protect your heart by reducing stress-related brain activity, a new study suggests. “The thought is that moderate amounts of alcohol may have effects on the brain that can help you relax, reduce stress levels and, perhaps through these mechanisms, lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Dr.… read on > read on >
Poor mental health after a heart attack may increase young and middle-aged adults’ risk of another heart attack or death a few years later, a new study suggests. The study included 283 heart attack survivors, aged 18 to 61 with an average age of 51, who completed questionnaires that assessed depression, anxiety, anger, stress and… read on > read on >
Many American workers remain in jobs they’d rather leave — simply because they don’t want to lose their health insurance, a new Gallup poll reveals. That’s the situation for 16% of respondents in a nationwide poll of more than 3,800 adults conducted March 15-21. The fear is strongest among Black workers. Pollsters found they are… read on > read on >
That growling dog may actually be terrified of you. Fear and age-related pain are among the reasons why dogs are aggressive toward people, a new study suggests. The findings could help two-legged folks better understand and prevent aggressive behavior, such as growling, barking, snapping and biting, according to Finnish researchers. “Dogs’ fearfulness had a strong… read on > read on >
Survivors of the intensive care unit (ICU) have a higher risk of self-harm and suicide after discharge than other hospital patients, a Canadian study shows. Researchers compared the health records of 423,000 ICU survivors in the province of Ontario with those of with 3 million patients who were hospitalized but not in intensive care between… read on > read on >
Young Black American women have high rates of lifestyle-related risk factors for heart disease, a new study indicates. The findings show the need to help them adopt healthy eating and physical activity habits, as well as make it easier for them to access health care, the researchers said. “Young people should be the healthiest members… read on > read on >
The risk of dying within five years of a heart attack is notably higher among poor Americans than their wealthier peers, but race also plays a role, a new study reveals. While Black residents of poor neighborhoods appear to face a higher risk of death than their counterparts in wealthier ZIP codes, poor Black patients… read on > read on >
When prescription drug “list” prices go up, patients often take a hit in the wallet, a new study shows. Researchers found that while some people are buffered against drug price hikes by their health insurance plan, many are not. Those in plans that require co-insurance or a deductible for prescriptions typically watch their out-of-pocket expenses… read on > read on >
The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will support a controversial proposal to waive patent protections for coronavirus vaccines, while the drug industry warned such a move would actually dampen the development of vaccines. The United States had been a holdout at the World Trade Organization over the proposal, which could give drugmakers around… read on > read on >
In two real-world studies, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to be standing up well against the challenges posed by more contagious coronavirus variants from Britain and South Africa. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine showed about 90% documented effectiveness in protecting against infection with the British B.1.1.7 variant and 75% effectiveness against the South African B.1.351 variant, according… read on > read on >
