Kids growing up in poverty show the effects of being poor as early as age 5 — especially those who are Black, a new study suggests. The research adds to mounting evidence that children of Black parents who are also poor face greater health inequities than whites. “Our findings underscore the pronounced racialized disparities for…  read on >

The new coronavirus holds no political views. The pathogen’s only aim is to infect, spread and thrive. But in what is surely no surprise in a deeply divided America, it turns out that your political views play a large role in your attitude towards COVID-19 prevention efforts. Republicans tend to be much less worried than…  read on >

As most of America prepares for the Nov. 1 return of standard time, 63% want one fixed, year-round time, a new survey finds. “Evidence of the negative impacts of seasonal time changes continue to accumulate, and there is real momentum behind the push to end seasonal time changes,” said Dr. Kannan Ramar, president of the…  read on >

Homeless people are three times more likely to die after a heart attack than other patients, a new study finds. “Our study shows a dramatically higher rate of mortality after heart attacks in people experiencing homelessness compared to non-homeless patients,” said researcher Dr. Samantha Liauw of the University of Toronto. “More research is needed to…  read on >

One of the reasons women may be less vulnerable to COVID-19 is because they’re more likely to adhere to social distancing policies, a new survey suggests. A survey conducted in eight countries in March and April found substantial gender differences both in numbers of people who considered COVID-19 to be a serious health crisis and…  read on >

About 30 million U.S. adults live with osteoarthritis and the pain and stiffness it causes, a new survey finds. And nearly one-third of these people said their symptoms are not well-managed, according to the Arthritis Foundation survey of almost 2,000 adults. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage cushioning the joints gradually wears down, leading to swelling, and…  read on >

A recently approved rheumatoid arthritis medication appears to be an effective second-line therapy when biologic treatments start to fail, a new clinical trial reports. Arthritis sufferers treated with upadacitinib had a significantly greater reduction in their symptoms and disease activity than people treated with a standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), said co-researcher Dr. Aileen Pangan.…  read on >

Older adults who get together with friends, volunteer or go to classes have healthier brains, which could help them ward off dementia, according to a new study. Researchers who used brain imaging to examine brain areas involved in mental decline found that greater social engagement made a difference in brain health. Being socially engaged —…  read on >

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be safe and triggered an immune response in healthy people, according to preliminary results of a small, early-stage clinical trial. The study of the vaccine based on inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus (BBIBP-CorV) included more than 600 volunteers in China, ages 18 to 80. By the 42nd day after vaccination,…  read on >