A U.S. hospital has seen a surge in the number of kids with a life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes. The trend at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic may be affecting kids’ health in unexpected ways, according to a new study led by Dr. Lily Chao, interim medical diabetes director. Her… read on > read on >
That college degree may be useful in many ways, but new research suggests it probably won’t keep your brain from shrinking with age. Over the years, a number of studies have suggested that education might buffer people against age-related declines in memory and thinking. But those findings did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. In the… read on > read on >
In rare cases, people hospitalized for COVID-19 can develop heart failure, even if their hearts were previously healthy, new research shows. The researchers found that of over 6,400 COVID-19 patients at their hospital, 0.6% newly developed heart failure. That included eight patients — mostly relatively young men — with no history of heart disease or… read on > read on >
Raising the legal age for buying tobacco is effective in cutting teen smoking rates, a new study shows. Researchers compared teen and young adult smoking patterns before and three years after a 2016 California law that increased the legal age for tobacco sales from 18 to 21. The University of California, Davis team found that… read on > read on >
Having preeclampsia during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future risk of stroke, researchers say. Preeclampsia happens when a woman with previously normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure, protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks into pregnancy. The condition occurs in about one in 25 pregnancies in the United States, according… read on > read on >
An experimental COVID-19 vaccine could potentially provide universal protection against future COVID variants as well as other coronaviruses — maybe even the ones responsible for the common cold. And it’s dirt cheap — less than $1 a dose, researchers say. The vaccine targets a part of the COVID virus’ spike protein that appears to be… read on > read on >
Women who use marijuana heavily during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely or have an underweight newborn, a new study suggests. Researchers found that babies born to moms with problem marijuana use — what doctors call cannabis use disorder — faced some higher risks than other newborns. They were 6% more likely to… read on > read on >
A strong immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19 by the placenta may help explain why infected pregnant women face a higher risk of complications, such as preterm birth and preeclampsia, researchers say. The Yale University team analyzed blood and placental tissue from 39 women at different stages of pregnancy. They detected evidence of… read on > read on >
The risk of mother-to-newborn transmission of COVID-19 is low, but the illness in pregnant women can trigger preterm birth, researchers say. The new study looked at 255 babies born in Massachusetts last year to mothers with a recent positive test for COVID-19. Only about 2% of the 88% of babies who were tested for COVID-19… read on > read on >
Not even your beloved feline is safe from COVID-19. Using in-depth genetic analyses, a new investigation in the United Kingdom suggests that people can pass COVID-19 on to their cats. “We identified two cats that tested positive,” said study lead author Margaret Hosie. “Both of them were from suspected COVID-19 households.” One case involved a… read on > read on >
