The risks of screening mammograms to catch breast cancer may outweigh the benefits for certain women aged 70 or older, new research indicates. The main risk? Overdiagnosis and treatment of a breast cancer that likely wouldn’t have caused any symptoms during a woman’s lifetime. “For women who are on the younger end of the age… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
Menstrual Discs Could Help Women With Heavy Periods, Study Finds
For women with heavy periods, some newer menstrual products may offer more security than old-fashioned pads and tampons. That’s among the findings of a new study that tested the absorbency levels of a range of period products — from traditional pads and tampons, to newer options such as period underwear and reusable menstrual discs and… read on > read on >
New COVID Variant EG.5 Now Dominant in U.S., CDC Says
TUESDAY, Aug. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) – A variant nicknamed Eris now accounts for the largest proportion of new COVID infections across America. About 17.3% of U.S. COVID cases are believed to have been caused by the variant, formally known as EG.5, in early August, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.… read on > read on >
Step Up to a New School Year: Tips for Buying Shoes for Your Kids
Buying back-to-school shoes should be more about the right fit than the right look — but with luck you can combine the two. Shoes play a big part in how kids’ feet function and should be selected with care, say orthopedists at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. “When parents bring their… read on > read on >
Polluted Air Linked to Dangerous Antibiotic Resistance
Doctors who overprescribe antibiotics are often blamed for medication-resistant illnesses, but new research points to another potential culprit: air pollution. Controlling air pollution could reduce antibiotic resistance, greatly reducing deaths and economic costs, according to a new in-depth global analysis were published Aug. 7 in The Lancet Planetary Health.. “Antibiotic resistance and air pollution are… read on > read on >
When Cities Get a Pro Sports Team, Flu Deaths Rise
Bringing a professional sports team to a new city often includes a big taxpayer-funded stadium subsidy, but new research shows that has a health downside: a spike in flu deaths. “Most, if not all, of the sports venues in the cities we studied received direct and/or indirect public financing,” said researcher Brad Humphreys, a professor… read on > read on >
Police Often Fail to Enforce Laws on Underage Drinking: Study
Underage drinking is an issue in many U.S. communities, but the number of law enforcement agencies using alcohol-related enforcement strategies has remained low or dropped in the past decade. In a new study, researchers tracked law enforcement strategies for underage drinking, impaired driving and sales to obviously intoxicated persons between 2010 and 2019. The research… read on > read on >
Rate of Preterm Births Is Higher for Black Americans
Black women have significantly more preterm births than white women do, and though almost a third of these extra cases can be explained by heart issues and social factors, the rest remain a mystery. However, targeting those known factors could improve birth outcomes, a new study suggests. Social determinants of health include factors such as… read on > read on >
Some Schools Respond to Child Obesity by Focusing on Water
In the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic, a new study is pointing to a way to help school kids maintain a healthier weight: clean, accessible drinking water. The decidedly low-tech solution emerged in a study of 18 California elementary schools that serve largely low-income minority families. Researchers found that when they kicked off a… read on > read on >
Spotting Heart Defects While Baby Still in Womb Is Crucial, Study Shows
Diagnosis of congenital heart defects while a baby is still in the womb offers opportunities for earlier corrective surgery. And that can mean better outcomes for an infant’s neurodevelopmental and physical health, new research shows. “For infants with critical disease especially, getting surgery a week earlier can make a big difference in the development of… read on > read on >