America’s mental health woes essentially serve as an annual economic downturn for the nation, a new study says. Mental illness costs the U.S. economy $282 billion every year, equivalent to the average economic recession, researchers report. That estimate amounts to about 1.7% of American annual spending, and is about 30% larger than previous attempts to… read on > read on >
About six out of 10 working-age adults hit with a cancer diagnosis say it put real pressure on their financial survival, a new report finds. “Today’s findings reiterate the critical role access to affordable, quality care and paid family medical leave plays in reducing the financial toll of cancer on those diagnosed — particularly while… read on > read on >
The first-ever minimum staffing rule has been set for nursing homes, the Biden administration announced Monday. Central to the final rule, first proposed in September, is a requirement that a registered nurse be in every skilled nursing facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also mandates that there be enough staff to… read on > read on >
Measles infections continue to spread across the country, with 125 cases now reported in 18 states, new U.S. government data shows. That is more cases than were reported in all of 2022, the most recent annual peak for measles infections, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. So far this year, there have… read on > read on >
Two common PFAS “forever chemicals” have been deemed hazardous substances by the Environmental Protection Agency. The new designation, enacted under the country’s Superfund law, will let the EPA investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, agency officials said Friday. It will also mean polluters can be charged for the clean-up of… read on > read on >
A strong relationship can help a breast cancer survivor thrive in the aftermath of their terrible ordeal, a new study finds. Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer places tremendous stress on the women and their partners, researchers said. Those women in a solid relationship with their partner tend to have less depression and fatigue following… read on > read on >
Counterfeit or mishandled Botox shots have triggered harmful reactions in 19 people in nine states, U.S. health officials warned Monday. In its alert, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nine people had been hospitalized and four were treated with an antitoxin because of concerns that the botulinum toxin had spread beyond the… read on > read on >
Genetics-based “one-and-done” vaccines for the flu and COVID could prove more effective and easier to craft than current jabs, researchers report. These new vaccines would target viruses using a different response to infection than what is prompted by current vaccines, researchers said. Instead of teaching the immune system to create antibodies to fight off a… read on > read on >
Dogs and cats can pass antibiotic-resistant bacteria to their owners, raising concerns that household pets could be contributing to the world’s antibiotics crisis, a new study says. Cases of these “superbugs” being passed between sick dogs and cats and their healthy owners have been identified in the U.K. and Portugal, according to research presented at… read on > read on >
Quiet preteens who feel they’re a burden on others are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and behaviors, a new study reports. Criticism from parents or caregivers also increased the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, researchers found. Preteen girls with these traits are at especially high risk, according to the study published recently in… read on > read on >
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