Why does your cat purr when you pet it — or meow when dinner’s late? A new study from the Wildlife Research Center at Kyoto University in Japan suggests the answer could be in its genes. Researchers looked at the androgen receptor gene in 280 spayed or neutered mixed-breed cats. They compared the DNA to… read on > read on >
A new injection to prevent HIV is expected to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this month. If approved, the shot — lenacapavir — would be given twice a year and could be a big step forward in the fight against HIV. Drugmaker Gilead Sciences tested the shot in a… read on > read on >
People who get weight-loss surgery experience an improvement in their mental health, but not because of the weight they lose, a new study says. Rather, these patients face much less societal stigma over their weight, and it’s that – not the actual weight loss – that boosts their mental health, researchers reported today in the… read on > read on >
Policy change could have significant implications for health care providers and patients read on >
Americans planning to travel outside the country should make sure they’re vaccinated against measles — no matter where they’re headed, U.S. health officials say. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance last week to recommend measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shots for all international travelers, The Associated Press reported. In the past, the… read on > read on >
Starting breast cancer screening in women’s early 40s will save more lives, a new study argues. Nearly 3 in 4 women (73%) in their 40s find out they have breast cancer only after they’ve developed symptoms, researchers reported May 30 in the journal Radiology: Imaging Cancer. These women are less likely to survive compared to… read on > read on >
Declining vaccination rates are making more and more U.S. children vulnerable to measles and mumps, a new study says. A national decrease in MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccinations among American children has occurred since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported June 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. More than three-quarters of U.S.… read on > read on >
Wildfire smoke could make it harder for people with lung cancer to survive, a new study says. Californians with lung cancer who breathed smoke from wildfires had a 20% increased risk of dying from their cancer, researchers reported Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. Wildfire smoke contains particle… read on > read on >
Federal health officials have pulled back a key recommendation that pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine — causing sharp criticism from doctors and other experts. The announcement came Tuesday from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said the government will no longer recommend COVID shots for healthy children or pregnant women.… read on > read on >
