Regular mammograms might offer a “two-for-one” opportunity to protect women’s health, a new study says. Mammograms can be used to successfully predict heart disease risk in women, on top of their ability to detect early breast cancers, researchers reported Sept. 16 in the journal Heart. A new AI model using mammogram scans can provide heart… read on > read on >
Hormone replacement therapy might protect a woman’s brain against Alzheimer’s disease, but only if the timing’s right, researchers say. Women who start hormone therapy within five years of menopause can lower their Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 32%, researchers reported this week at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in Baltimore. But… read on > read on >
Federal health officials are reviewing safety data on COVID vaccines in pregnant women and children, and may also reconsider recommendations for older adults. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is analyzing reports of possible birth defects after vaccination during pregnancy, while also preparing a presentation on deaths in children following COVID vaccination. The meeting… read on > read on >
High levels of THC — the compound in marijuana that causes a “high” — may affect how eggs develop and could lead to fertility problems, miscarriages and chromosome issues in embryos, new research shows. The findings were reported Sept. 9 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers analyzed more than 1,000 samples of ovarian fluid from… read on > read on >
Cases of self-harm involving 6- to 12-year-olds have risen sharply, and researchers warn that common household products are often involved. Their findings appear in the Sept. 8 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed more than 1.5 million reports made to U.S. poison control centers from 2000 to 2023. … read on > read on >
Your morning cup of coffee might harm the quality of a blood donation provided later in the day, a new study says. Caffeine appears to impair donated blood in ways that reduce the effectiveness of future transfusions, researchers report in the journal Haemotologica. Specifically, they found that red blood cells are more prone to damage… read on > read on >
Kids are more likely to become couch potatoes — or enthusiastically active — based on what they see their parents doing day-to-day, a new study says. The example set by moms and dads appears to contribute to sedentary or active behavior in their children, researchers report in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science. “Parents’… read on > read on >
Extreme morning sickness during pregnancy, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), can have a devastating emotional and physical impact on pregnant women. A survey of close to 300 Australian women with HG reveals that more than half thought about terminating their pregnancies due to their distressing symptoms. The findings — published Sept. 3 in… read on > read on >
Using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other substances during pregnancy can harm the developing fetus, even when the risks are not always obvious, a West Virginia University psychiatrist warns. “Many substances can harm a fetus, including substances many falsely perceive to be harmless, like marijuana,” said Dr. Aliana Abascal of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and… read on > read on >
Busy moms might be sending their babies the wrong signal if they feed evening breast milk that was expressed in the morning, a new study suggests. The composition of breast milk changes throughout the day, including hormones thought to influence babies’ wake/sleep patterns, researchers reported today in Frontiers in Nutrition. A mother might unintentionally disturb… read on > read on >
