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 >
Heart defects are often – but not always – detected at birth, so it’s important to pay attention when a child gets dizzy, passes out or says her heart is “beeping.” These and other warning signs, such as an apparent change in fitness, shouldn’t be overlooked, an expert says. Evaluating a child who has these… read on > read on >
It’s long been known that COVID-19 is more fatal for men than women, and new research links some of that excess risk to a gene known to cause a form of hair loss in males. A U.S. team of researchers first suspected the link when they noticed that men with a common form of hormone-sensitive… read on > read on >
As U.S. health officials prepare to authorize Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in younger children, a new poll shows that less than a third of parents would get their child vaccinated as soon as the shots are approved for kids. Only 29% of parents of children under age 18 said they would get their… read on > read on >
Air pollution isn’t hard on the hearts of adults only, suggests a new analysis that found it can raise blood pressure in kids as young as 5. Children experienced increases in blood pressure if they had short-term exposure to air polluted with coarser particles or long-term exposure to finer airborne particles, and that also happened… 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 >
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 >
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 >
