THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018Anxiety, depression and panic attacks are sending U.S. college students to mental health clinics in record numbers, a new study finds. Between 2009 and 2015, treatment and diagnoses of anxiety increased by nearly 6 percent among these students, followed by depression and panic attacks, which each increased about 3 percent. Anxiety is…  read on >

Young children are more likely to be awakened by a smoke alarm that uses their mother’s voice than one with a typical high-pitched alarm, a new study finds. The mother’s voice alarm also resulted in much quicker escape times. “Children are remarkably resistant to awakening by sound when asleep,” explained study co-author Dr. Mark Splaingard,…  read on >

In a finding that might come as a surprise, a new study suggests that people may stay in unfulfilling relationships because they feel they’re doing their partner a favor. People trying to decide whether to end a relationship consider not only themselves but also how important the relationship is to their partner, according to the…  read on >

Has stroke hit your family particularly hard? A healthy lifestyle may be your best defense, new research shows. The study of more than 306,000 white British people found that exercising, eating right and not smoking lowered stroke risk — even for those whose DNA predisposed them to the attacks. The findings “highlight the potential of…  read on >

Exercise is a great way to preserve mental fitness and reduce stress and anxiety, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America says. Research has shown that physically active people have lower amounts of anxiety and depression than sedentary people, the group reports. It offers these suggestions to help get you started: Jog, walk, bike, or…  read on >

Polluted air may trigger as many as 33 million asthma-related emergency room visits globally each year, a new study finds. “Millions of people worldwide have to go to emergency rooms for asthma attacks every year because they are breathing dirty air,” said study lead author Susan Anenberg, of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “Our…  read on >

Many women living with advanced breast cancer face significant financial strains — from paying for their care to simply covering monthly bills, a new survey finds. Researchers found that of the more than 1,000 women they surveyed, nearly 70 percent said they were worried about the financial fallout related to their cancer. Many said they’d…  read on >

There’s a good chance a dose of tiny plastic particles has taken up residence in your gut, a new, small study argues. Microplastics, as they are called, were found in stool samples from a handful of volunteers located across Europe and Asia, researchers report. Every single person out of the group of 8 had microplastics…  read on >

With flu season imminent, U.S. health officials urge everyone 6 months and older to get a flu shot. Already, one unvaccinated child in Florida has died from flu, the officials warned. Not many cases have been reported so far, so it’s too soon to know if this year’s strains will be as severe as last…  read on >