Environmental contaminants may be driving higher rates of breast cancer in urban areas compared to rural locales, a new North Carolina study finds. “Our analyses indicate significant associations between environmental quality and breast cancer incidence,” said lead author Larisa Gearhart-Serna, who led the research as a Ph.D. candidate at the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, N.C. … read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Holiday Travel Sends Stress Levels Sky High: Here’s Tips to Cope
TUESDAY, Nov. 21, 2023 Traffic, crowds and unforeseen delays and disruptions can turn holiday travel from celebratory to chaos in a flash — especially if you’re prone to anxiety. Being aware of your triggers can help you be ready for any glitches that arise. “Triggers might include uncertainty of traffic, flight delays, being in public… read on > read on >
Hate Driving Your Cat to the Vet? FDA Just Approved a Drug for That
If you belong to one of the 46 million American households with a cat, you already know how stressful a trip to the vet can be for your feline — and you. Rescue might be on the way: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new medicine to help calm cat anxiety.… read on > read on >
Teens With Multiple Concussions Face Higher Risk of Suicidal Thoughts
A year after suffering a concussion, teens, especially boys, are more likely than their peers to think about, plan and even attempt suicide, new research finds. With more concussions, the risk grows. Teen boys who reported two or more concussions in the past year were two times more likely to report a suicide attempt than… read on > read on >
Most Americans Know Little About Harmful PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’
Nearly half of Americans have never heard of health-threatening PFAS “forever chemicals,” a new survey has found. PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a category of thousands of manufactured chemicals that have become an emerging concern to environmental and human health, researchers from Texas A&M University said. Nonetheless, 45% of survey participants had never heard… read on > read on >
‘Tis the Season to Be Stressed, New Poll Finds
The song says ‘tis the season to be jolly, but many Americans find it to be more the season of stress and worry, a new survey reports. The strain of inflation and world affairs this year are adding to the other holiday-time stressors to create a toxic mental health cocktail, according to findings from Ohio… read on > read on >
Pill-sized Device Tracks Breathing, Heart Rate From Inside the Body
A new ‘technopill’ can safely monitor a person’s vital signs from inside their bodies, researchers report. The vitals-monitoring (VM) Pill works by tracking the small vibrations in the body associated with lungs breathing and the heart beating. It can detect if a person stops breathing, which gives it the potential to provide real-time information about… read on > read on >
Taking Antibiotic After Sex Could Slash Your Risk for an STI. Here’s What to Know
SATURDAY, Nov.18Data showing that the antibiotic doxycycline might prevent a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if taken soon after sex made headlines earlier this year. As surging numbers of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea affect more Americans, here’s what you need to know about using the drug. “If you’re actively having sex and not using condoms… read on > read on >
Eye-to-Eye Contact in Conversation Is Rarer Than You Might Think
Have a hard time looking others in the eye? You aren’t alone, Canadian researchers report. Eye-to-eye contact rarely occurs when two people are talking, they found. “We discovered that participants spent only about 12% of conversation time in interactive looking, meaning that they gazed at each other’s faces simultaneously for just 12% of the interaction… read on > read on >
CDC to Release Infants’ RSV Shots to Help Ease Shortage
THURSDAY, Nov. 16, 2023 — To address a continuing nationwide shortage, more than 77,000 doses of RSV shots for infants were released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The additional doses are of Beyfortus, a long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to protect infants too young… read on > read on >