Each hour a person spends squinting into a smartphone or staring at a screen increases their risk of nearsightedness, a new evidence review suggests. Every daily one-hour increment in digital screen time is associated with 21% higher odds of myopia, researchers reported recently in JAMA Network Open. What’s more, the risk continues to increase as…  read on >  read on >

With measles cases on the rise and flu season straining the nation’s hospitals, health experts urge adults to check their vaccination status and get any missing shots. Health experts agree that vaccines are the best defense against many infections, but keeping track of vaccines received decades ago can be challenging. “If you’re a 57-year-old adult…  read on >  read on >

A parent’s mental health appears to influence their kids’ chances of developing anxiety, ADHD and other behavioral disorders, a new study says. Children were more than four times as likely to develop severe ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) if their caregiver had poor or fair mental health, compared to kids of caregivers in excellent mental health, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Adding a personalized mRNA vaccine to standard treatment could offer new hope for pancreatic cancer patients, a small yet promising study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The study followed 16 patients, including Barbara Brigham, who joined the trial after a routine scan discovered her early-stage pancreatic cancer. Alongside surgery and chemotherapy, patients received a…  read on >  read on >

The current flu season is shaping up to be the worst in a decade. So far, there have been at least 29 million illnesses and 370,000 hospitalizations related to the flu — the most since the 2015-2016 season, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly flu report. There have also…  read on >  read on >

Social media often tempts teenagers with non-surgical ways to improve their appearance, such as laser hair removal, skin and teeth whitening, chemical peels, botox, and face and lip fillers. And a new poll finds that a substantial number of parents are ready to support their teen’s pursuit of beauty through a trip to a med…  read on >  read on >

U.S. hospitals could face a bed shortage as early as 2032, with occupancy remaining elevated even as the country recovers from the COVID pandemic, a new study suggests. Average hospital occupancy following the pandemic has been about 75%, researchers found, dividing the average daily number of patients by the number of staffed hospital beds. That’s…  read on >  read on >

After three years, $40,000 in medical bills and five insurance denials, April and Justin Beck finally won their battle to get life-changing treatment for their 9-year-old daughter, Emily. Emily, once an energetic kindergartner in Georgia, began experiencing severe behavior issues after battling COVID in 2021. Known for her love of reading and keeping her classmates…  read on >  read on >