The first U.S. case this year of a rare and potentially fatal virus known as monkeypox has been diagnosed in a man in Massachusetts who recently traveled to Canada, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. The illness does occasionally arise in the United States, but the Massachusetts case comes on the… read on > read on >
Folks often believe that video games rot a kid’s mind, but a new study argues the opposite could be true. Children actually might get a brain boost from playing hour after hour of video games, researchers report. American kids between 9 and 10 years of age who spent more time playing video games experienced a… read on > read on >
Many people who are overweight or obese avoid cancer screening for fear of stigma and judgment about their weight, British researchers report. In a review of 10 published studies, researchers found that many doctors around the world don’t look kindly on patients with obesity, an attitude that can affect treatment and screening for breast, cervical… read on > read on >
Getting a COVID-19 shot after you’ve been infected could reduce your risk of developing prolonged COVID symptoms, or so-called long COVID, according to a new study. “Our results suggest that vaccination of people previously infected may be associated with a reduction in the burden of long COVID on population health, at least in the first… read on > read on >
Many women remain sexually active into their 70s, but for others, menopause symptoms and chronic health issues get in the way. That’s among the findings from the latest University of Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, which surveyed more than 1,200 U.S. women ages 50 to 80. Overall, 43% said they were sexually active, be that… read on > read on >
Hormone replacement therapy may offer women significant protection against dying from COVID-19, new research suggests. British researchers who tracked more than 5,400 women with COVID during the first half of 2020 report that those who received the supplemental estrogen were 78% less likely to die within six months of their COVID diagnosis. Nearly 5% of… read on > read on >
After four new cases of typically rare monkeypox infection were spotted in Britain earlier this week, the illness has now been confirmed in five young men in Portugal and 15 other suspected cases are being investigated, health officials in that country said Wednesday. The patients in the confirmed cases have skin lesions and are in… read on > read on >
As the United States faces critical shortages of baby formula, parents are being cautioned against watering down formula in an effort to stretch out what they have. “Adding extra water to baby formula to try and make it last longer can put a child at risk of a seizure or another medical emergency,” said Dr.… read on > read on >
Americans will soon be able to self-test at home to find out whether they have COVID-19, the flu or another common germ, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The first nonprescription test that can spot all three respiratory viral illnesses was approved Monday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and will be available at retail stores… read on > read on >
Rates of childhood obesity in the United States are soaring, and new research suggests child care programs may be part of the problem. Most tots in these programs aren’t getting nearly enough exercise. National guidance for child care programs calls for providing at least two opportunities a day for physical activity, totaling 60 to 90… read on > read on >
