Want to make smoking less attractive to young people? Try taking menthol cigarettes off the market, a new analysis suggests. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned flavors in cigarettes in 2009 because flavors appeal to youth and young adults, and the agency recently announced that it also intends to ban menthol in cigarettes. To… read on >
The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up America’s approach to addiction treatment, but the fallout hasn’t been all bad, experts say. In-person support meetings either aren’t happening or have been severely curtailed, and addiction centers are facing financial ruin because folks are too afraid of the coronavirus to seek treatment. But paradoxically, people might have better… read on >
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, nearly 50% of Americans have used technology to communicate with their doctors, a new study finds. But less than one-quarter have talked with their doctors about using health information technology, the researchers found. “The results of our statewide survey indicate patients are using health information technology,” said researcher Joy Lee,… read on >
Stressed from home-schooling your kids? Lonely from lockdown? Worried about a sick loved one isolated in a nursing home? Worried you might lose your job? The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone’s mental health in ways small and large, and experts are concerned that for many, today’s anxiety will become a tidal wave of mental… read on >
Even the sickest COVID-19 patients make T-cells to fight the infection, a new study finds. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine will have to cause the body to make T-cells along with antibodies, researchers say. The immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, was the same in American and Dutch patients in the… read on >
You may enjoy the fireworks on the Fourth of July, but there’s a good chance Fido and Fluffy do not. “Even pets that are not usually sensitive to loud sounds and noise can become extremely stressed due to the sound of fireworks,” said John Howe, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “It’s hard not… read on >
With communities across the United States canceling Fourth of July celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, backyard fireworks are likely to be more popular than ever. And that has many health experts worried. They fear injuries will soar among amateurs who don’t know how to use fireworks safely. Even before the holiday, explosives are being… read on >
A new threat has been added to the risks posed by fireworks — they can release toxic metals that can damage your lungs. These metals give fireworks their colors, according to researchers who found harmful levels of lead in two of 12 types of commercially available fireworks they tested. “While many are careful to protect… read on >
When it comes to intelligence, men are more likely to be bestowed with the lofty attribute than women, a new study finds. These stereotyped views are a result of implicit bias that people don’t admit when asked directly, the researchers noted. “Stereotypes that portray brilliance as a male trait are likely to hold women back… read on >
Do you wonder if you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus in the recent past? Good luck finding out for sure: A new review finds there’s little good evidence of the accuracy of blood antibody tests for COVID-19, especially those performed outside a lab. The new findings “indicate important weaknesses in the evidence on COVID-19… read on >
