Folks hoping to quell their anxiety would do best to use cannabis products that don’t get them high, a new clinical trial has found. The non-intoxicating marijuana compound CBD appears to help manage anxiety better than THC, the chemical in weed that gets people high, researchers say. Patients with anxiety randomly assigned to smoke CBD-dominant… read on > read on >
Perhaps by reducing anxiety, a service dog can help reduce seizures in people with tough-to-treat epilepsy, a new study finds. A group of 25 study participants had an average 31% fewer seizures after months of owning a service dog trained to help people with epilepsy. And seven of those patients experienced a 50% to 100%… read on > read on >
Once thought to be a bygone disease, measles is making a comeback in the United States and globally as folks shun a safe, surefire way to prevent it: The measles vaccine. But what is measles, and how easily does it spread? Drs. Aaron Milstone and Lisa Lockherd Maragakis, two infectious disease experts at Johns Hopkins… read on > read on >
Rural homeowners face a greater threat from odorless, radioactive radon gas than people living in urban areas, and it’s likely due to the wells they rely on for their water supply, a new study shows. On average, people living in rural communities are exposed to 30% higher residential radon levels than people in cities and… read on > read on >
For nearly a week, prescription drug orders have been disrupted at thousands of pharmacies as the largest health insurer in the United States tries to fully restore services following a cyberattack. The security breach was first detected last Wednesday at Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, and two senior federal law enforcement officials told… read on > read on >
One out of every five adults who attempt suicide never met the criteria for a mental illness by the time the attempt happened, new research shows. “This finding challenges clinical notions of who is at risk for suicidal behavior and raises questions about the safety of limiting suicide risk screening to psychiatric populations,” concluded a… read on > read on >
Weather disasters driven by climate change are stressing out U.S. teenagers, a new study warns. Teens with the most firsthand experience of events like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, droughts and wildfires were more likely to show signs of mental distress than peers who hadn’t been confronted with the effects of climate change, researchers report. “We know… read on > read on >
Well-to-do American families are more likely than poorer families to increase their children’s risk of cervical cancer by skipping the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a new study has found. Nearly two-thirds of well-off parents (65%) do not intend to seek out the HPV vaccine for their teens, compared with 40% of disadvantaged parents, researchers report.… read on > read on >
Data from dozens of studies supports the notion that mental health crises are a big factor behind rising rates of maternal deaths during and around pregnancy in the United States. “We need to bring this to the attention of the public and policymakers to demand action to address the mental health crisis that is contributing… read on > read on >
Of course grief can ravage your mind, but science shows it can also weaken your body, leaving you open to illness. “As humans, we are strongly motivated to seek out social bonds that are warm, dependable, friendly and supportive,” explained George Slavich. He directs the Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research at the Semel Institute… read on > read on >
