Adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a common mental health condition known as OCD, may have more than triple the risk of having a stroke, according to a new report from Taiwanese researchers. As to why, the study authors aren’t sure. The investigators speculate that other mental health problems suffered by OCD patients — “comorbidities” such as… read on > read on >
Angry outbursts at the office, threats made in everyday interactions: New research using data from hundreds of studies suggests folks who act out in this way often have narcissistic traits. They don’t even have to rate high in narcissism to be prone to aggressive behavior, the research team found. “Those who are high in narcissism… read on > read on >
A third antibody treatment designed to keep high-risk COVID-19 patients from winding up in the hospital was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. Importantly, in lab tests the newly authorized drug, dubbed sotrovimab, neutralized the highly infectious virus variant that is crippling India, as well as variants first… read on > read on >
Patients facing relatively simple outpatient surgeries are nonetheless being told to undergo a number of preoperative tests that just aren’t necessary, a new study reports. More than half of a group of patients facing low-risk outpatient surgery received one or more tests — blood work, urinalysis, an electrocardiogram (EKG), a chest X-ray — prior to… read on > read on >
There was a sharp drop in testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that could translate into a future rise in cases, researchers say. “The quickest way for people to spread STIs is to not know that they have one,” said study author Casey Pinto, an assistant… read on > read on >
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 >
If you land in the hospital with a COVID-19 infection, there’s a good chance you’ll still be suffering symptoms months later, researchers report. A wide swath of lingering health issues plagued more than 70% of these patients, investigators found. “Early on, we completely ignored the long-term consequences of getting sick with this virus,” said study… 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 >
