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 >

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 >

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 >

Looking for a morale boost or some solid encouragement? If so, socializing the old-fashioned way — live and in-person — will likely do more to lift your spirits than online interactions, new research suggests. It’s the key takeaway from a survey of more than 400 college undergraduate students. “We wanted to see if the social…  read on >  read on >

Organ transplant recipients remain vulnerable to infection with the new coronavirus even after receiving both doses of two-dose vaccines, new research shows. That could mean they should continue following safety measures such as wearing a mask and physical distancing. In a previous study, the research team found that only 17% of transplant recipients produced sufficient…  read on >  read on >

Heart complications are rare among college athletes who have had COVID-19, according to a small study. “Our findings may offer reassurance to high school athletes, coaches and parents where resources for testing can be limited,” said senior author Dr. Ranjit Philip, assistant professor in pediatric cardiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, in…  read on >  read on >

Women who get pregnant within a year of having weight-loss surgery are more likely to have preterm and smaller-than-normal babies, a new study suggests. Dutch researchers said their findings support current recommendations to avoid pregnancy for 12 to 24 months after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery. “We should encourage women who wish to conceive after bariatric surgery…  read on >  read on >

Call it a silver lining of the pandemic: Asthma attacks fell sharply among Black and Hispanic Americans in the months after the coronavirus first surfaced. The study included nearly 1,200 participants who provided information about their asthma through monthly online, phone or mail questionnaires for 15 months between the first half of 2019 and first…  read on >  read on >