Landing in the hospital with COVID or the flu can put your heart health at dire risk, a new study suggests. Adults hospitalized for a severe infection are more than twice as likely to develop heart failure years later, according to findings published Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The results…  read on >  read on >

Cold showers or ice baths have become a trendy way to recuperate after a heavy-duty workout, but do they actually help? A new evidence review suggests there’s some science to back up the hype. People report lower stress, improved sleep and better quality of life following cold-water immersion, researchers reported Jan. 29 in the journal…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 continues to be a threat to America’s health, causing more illness and death than either influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a new study suggests. COVID accounted for 3 of 5 (60%) respiratory illnesses among military veterans treated by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration during the 2023-2024 cold and flu season, researchers reported Jan.…  read on >  read on >

That busy highway could be contributing to depression, and not just because you’re snarled in a traffic jam. Air pollution from traffic appears to increase risk of depression among women, according to a new study published Jan. 21 in the journal Menopause. Further, researchers think this air pollution might be raising depression risk by affecting…  read on >  read on >

A proposed ban on formaldehyde in chemical hair straightening products — linked to cancer and other health risks — has hit a roadblock after an executive order from President Donald Trump paused all new regulations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been considering banning formaldehyde and ingredients that release formaldehyde when heated from…  read on >  read on >

Hesitancy over the COVID-19 vaccine is leading some parents to skip important vaccinations for their children. Young children of parents who declined the COVID vaccine are about 25% less likely to get the standard measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, researchers reported in a new study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health. Public health officials…  read on >  read on >

Preventing or treating infections could be a key means of warding off dementia, a new evidence review says. Vaccines, antibiotics, antiviral medications and anti-inflammatory drugs are all associated with a reduced risk of dementia, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 21 in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. These results…  read on >  read on >

Pumping iron and hitting the treadmill can improve your odds against cancer, a new evidence review says. People with more muscle strength and better cardio fitness are less likely to die from cancer, researchers reported recently in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This survival benefit extends even to people with advanced-stage cancers, results show.…  read on >  read on >

A broken home seems to set a ticking time bomb in the brains of some children of divorce. Seniors have a 61% higher risk of stroke if their parents divorced when they were children or teenagers, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 22 in the journal PLOS One. The level of added risk is…  read on >  read on >