Could asking teens a simple, but pointed, question about their mental health reveal whether they are at risk for suicide? It might, new research suggests. Since suicide is now the second leading cause of death among American teens, any strategy that could lower that risk may be worth trying. “The depression screening tool we used… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
TikTok Videos on Abortion Pills Are Largely Accurate: Study
While you can’t trust everything you read or see on social media, some information is reliable. Researchers from Duke University studied popular videos on the social media site TikTok. The videos offered information on ways to obtain a medication abortion. These were typically informative and useful, the study authors said. “When we started the study,… read on > read on >
Pregnant Women in Rural America Often Lack Health Insurance, Upping Risks
New research suggests that pregnant women and new moms in rural U.S. areas are at greater risk of adverse outcomes, including death, because they are more likely to be uninsured. Women living in rural communities had lower rates of uninterrupted health insurance before, during and after pregnancy compared to those in urban areas, a University… read on > read on >
Weed-Friendly Posts on Social Media Get Teens Using Cannabis
Laws bar advertising cannabis to teens, but that doesn’t mean they always work. In a new survey, researchers found that teens still see a lot of positive cannabis messages through social media posts. These messages influenced their intentions and actual use of cannabis, the survey found. When young people saw anti-cannabis messages, the intent to… read on > read on >
How Phone Calls Could Boost Survival for Heart Failure Patients
A phone call from a nurse may be the lifeline needed to help improve survival for heart failure patients. New research from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles finds that check-in calls may help save lives. “There’s a lot of new technology and new ideas about how to manage people who have… read on > read on >
Do You Live in a ‘Food Swamp’? It Could Be Raising Your Heart Risk
Americans who live near a “food swamp” may have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, a preliminary study finds. A number of studies have looked at the health consequences of living in a so-called food desert — areas with few grocery stores or other options for buying fresh food. Food swamps are different: The… read on > read on >
Androstenedione: A Banned Bodybuilding Supplement You Should Avoid
Androstenedione is one of those supplements that was peddled to athletes for years as a quick path to bulging muscles and high testosterone levels, but it carries some grave dangers. Also known as “andro,” the dietary supplement was once touted to enhance athletic performance by stimulating muscle growth and boosting testosterone levels. But once it… read on > read on >
Cancer in Dogs: Breed & Size Matter, Study Shows
If your dog is bigger, male and a purebred, it may get a diagnosis of cancer earlier in its life compared to other dogs, a new study finds. A dog’s size, gender and breed appear to affect its average age at cancer diagnosis, researchers found. This should inform canine cancer screening guidelines, they wrote in… read on > read on >
Fighting Liver Cancer Takes Big Financial Toll: Study
Out-of-pocket costs can leave Medicare patients with the most common type of liver cancer in financial distress. While Medicare payments in the first year after diagnosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeded $65,000, out-of-pocket costs were more than $10,000, a new study found. “As has been shown for other cancer types, we found patients with liver… read on > read on >
Ozempic: Dieters Who Use Scarce Diabetes Drug Could Face Side Effects
Mila Clarke started taking Ozempic in 2020 to help manage her diabetes, but was pleasantly surprised to find herself soon shedding pounds. “I was like, this is really weird because I’m not having to try very hard to do this,” said Clarke, who has been diagnosed with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and… read on > read on >