You might decide your frizzy locks aren’t so bad after all, given a new warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that most hair straightening/smoothing products release formaldehyde gas, a human carcinogen. Being exposed to formaldehyde for longer periods of time and at higher concentrations increases the health risks, according to the FDA. Formaldehyde…  read on >  read on >

Can money buy you happiness? Maybe not, but a new study suggests it’s linked to greater feelings of confidence and pride. Researchers analyzed five past studies that included a survey of more than 1.6 million people in 162 countries. They found that higher income predicted whether people felt good about themselves, including feelings of confidence,…  read on >  read on >

Many women suffer through countless urinary tract infections (UTIs), but a new study in mice offers hope that a vaccine could one day bring their nightmares to an end. “Although several vaccines against UTIs have been investigated in clinical trials, they have so far had limited success,” said senior study author Soman Abraham, a professor…  read on >  read on >

There’s new evidence that fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccines. Researchers assessed variants first identified in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil and found that they can evade antibodies that work well against the original version of the coronavirus that triggered the pandemic. This…  read on >  read on >

While strokes strike many Americans, a new study shows the risk is particularly high among American Indians. Researchers already knew that American Indians had the highest risk of atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat (“arrhythmia”) that can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. The new study found that American Indians had a…  read on >  read on >

If your teen seems disinterested in school, new research suggests there’s a good chance that things will get better over time. “Our results point to a more hopeful picture for students who start out with lower levels of motivation,” said study senior author Kui Xie, a professor of educational studies at Ohio State University in…  read on >  read on >