Good sleep might be the best prescription for sexual satisfaction among older women, a new study suggests. Women who did not routinely get restful slumber were nearly twice as likely to report sexual problems, such as lack of desire or arousal, researchers found. “Sexual dysfunction…is defined as the presence of sexual problems associated with distress,…  read on >  read on >

Could your genes be to blame for your hot flashes? New research suggests that’s so, with genetics playing a role in both the severity and frequency of those hallmarks of menopause. While hot flashes are common, they don’t affect all women to the same degree and the reasons for those differences are unclear. Genetics have…  read on >  read on >

Most young people do want to protect others from COVID-19, according to polls of 14- to 24-year-olds that suggest focusing on this message may be effective. “Public health campaigns should leverage youths’ desire to protect others and not be the cause of spread,” said Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University…  read on >  read on >

Bullied and mistreated teens are much more likely to fantasize about hurting or killing others, a new study warns. “One way to think about fantasies is as our brain rehearsing future scenarios,” said lead author Manuel Eisner, director of the University of Cambridge Violence Research Center in the U.K. His research included more than 1,400…  read on >  read on >

Fully vaccinated Americans can now go without masks when walking, jogging or biking outdoors, or when dining with small groups at outdoor restaurants, U.S. health officials announced Tuesday. The latest guidance, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, followed growing calls from infectious disease experts to drop mask mandates outside because breezes rapidly…  read on >  read on >

In rare cases, people hospitalized for COVID-19 can develop heart failure, even if their hearts were previously healthy, new research shows. The researchers found that of over 6,400 COVID-19 patients at their hospital, 0.6% newly developed heart failure. That included eight patients — mostly relatively young men — with no history of heart disease or…  read on >  read on >

So, you’re trying desperately to quit smoking, using e-cigarettes while still using traditional cigarettes. Sound like a good idea? Maybe not, according to a new study that shows that combining vaping with smoking raises the risk for respiratory wheeze and cough. “To help people quit smoking, FDA-approved medications, such as the nicotine patch or the…  read on >  read on >

Having preeclampsia during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future risk of stroke, researchers say. Preeclampsia happens when a woman with previously normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure, protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks into pregnancy. The condition occurs in about one in 25 pregnancies in the United States, according…  read on >  read on >