Some menstrual products — pads, tampons, cups and underwear — contain harmful “forever chemicals,” according to new research into the contents of these essential items. Researchers analyzed more than 100 period products looking for fluorinated compounds, an indicator of potentially harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The products typically don’t list ingredients on their… read on > read on >
If you’re moving into a home where smokers lived, the first thing you should do to protect your lungs is rip out any old carpeting, new research suggests. Scientists found that tobacco smoke clings to carpet fibers long after smoking has stopped, and ozone generators that purify the air and surfaces can’t remove it completely.… read on > read on >
A single hardwired brain circuit might be responsible for male sexual drive, a new mouse study reports. Researchers have singled out in lab mice a brain region that controls sexual interest, libido, mating behavior and pleasure, said senior researcher Dr. Nirao Shah, a professor of psychiatry and neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, in… read on > read on >
The mental health crisis hitting Americans shows no sign of abating, with provisional numbers for 2022 showing suicides rose by another 2.6% last year. That follows on an overall 5% increase in suicides in 2021, noted officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which on Thursday released the early data for 2022.… read on > read on >
People with autism are over three times more likely than their peers without the developmental disorder to experience self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or death by suicide, new research shows. “In general, I think there needs to be more support for individuals with autism. And this shows that there are life-threatening consequences in terms of… read on > read on >
The heart risks posed by air pollution have grown worldwide over the past three decades, a new study claims. The annual number of premature heart-related deaths and years of disability attributable to particulate matter (PM) air pollution increased 31% between 1990 and 2019, the researchers reported. Men suffered more than women, experiencing a 43% increase… read on > read on >
Microplastics appear to be everywhere, including within the tissues of the human heart. A new Chinese report describes doctors finding microplastics in heart tissue both before and after heart surgery. The researchers also noted there is evidence suggesting that microplastics may have been unexpectedly introduced during the heart procedures. The researchers, who included Kun Hua… read on > read on >
A large new study challenges the long-held idea that depression makes people more vulnerable to cancer, finding no association between the mental health condition and most types of cancer. The study, of more than 300,000 adults, found that neither depression nor chronic anxiety were linked to increased odds of developing cancer in the coming years.… read on > read on >
It seems obvious that texting and walking can be a dangerous duo, but now a new Australian study offers solid evidence of the dangers. Emergency room doctors Dr. Michael Levine and Dr. Matthew Harris, who were not involved in the study, weren’t surprised by the findings. “I think we’ve had, this summer, several people who… read on > read on >
New research links air pollution to a variety of cancers, not just lung cancer. Long-term exposure to fine-particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may also increase the risk of developing colon, prostate and other cancers, researchers found. “What we’re seeing is that with air pollution we’re looking at thousands of additional cases of… read on > read on >
