Insomnia may significantly increase the risk that older adults will be unable to shake off depression, researchers say. For the study, the investigators analyzed data on nearly 600 people over age 60 who visited primary care centers in New York City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. All had some level of depression. Compared to patients whose sleep… read on >
In a finding that illustrates how distracted driving laws are saving lives, researchers report that car crash deaths among teens plunged by one-third during a period when the number of U.S. states with such laws on the books tripled. “We found that states which had primary enforced distracted driving laws had lower fatal crashes involving… read on >
COVID-19 hits smokers much harder than nonsmokers, according to a new review. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), analyzed 19 studies that included data on smoking and severity of COVID-19 among nearly 11,600 patients in the United States, China and Korea. Most patients were hospitalized, but two studies also included outpatients. Just… read on >
During the current coronavirus pandemic, U.S. hospitals are seeing fewer people for signs of stroke, a new study finds. Evaluations for stroke have dropped nearly 40%, said researchers who looked at data from more than 850 hospitals across the country. “Our stroke team has maintained full capacity to provide emergency stroke treatment at all times,… read on >
More than one-quarter of popular English-language COVID-19 information videos posted to YouTube are misleading, researchers warn. There are posts, for example, falsely claiming that drug companies already have a cure for COVID-19, but won’t sell it, and that different countries have stronger strains of coronavirus, a new study finds. YouTube viewers “should be skeptical, use… read on >
Women who drink a lot of sodas, sweetened juices and other sugary drinks are at greater risk of developing heart disease, a new study finds. Those who drink one or more a day have nearly a 20% higher risk than women who never do. And it’s not just soda that’s problematic: Fruit drinks with added… read on >
Most Americans voluntarily stayed at home during the early days of the COVID-19 tsunami, before states began issuing official “shelter-in-place” orders, new research indicates. Why? Because statewide emergency declarations coupled with news — of first infections, first fatalities and school closures — were motivation enough to get folks to stay home. This was more motivating… read on >
Nursing is not a profession for the fainthearted, but new research shows that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can strike nurses, and suggests the new coronavirus may make things even worse for those on the front lines of the pandemic. Though the study was conducted a year ago, the results are particularly timely as nurses around… read on >
Efforts to create a COVID-19 vaccine are proceeding at an unprecedented pace, with eight different candidates now being tested in humans around the world. But to have a vaccine available for widespread use by early next year could entail bending some rules regarding safety and testing — actions that might put the health, and possibly… read on >
There’s good news for women: Getting a mammogram regularly can cut their odds of advanced and sometimes fatal breast cancers, a new study says. European researchers tracked data from nearly 550,000 women in Sweden who were eligible for mammography screening. The team compared rates of advanced and breast cancers that were fatal within 10 years… read on >
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