America’s kids are safer now than a decade ago when it comes to many types of injury, with two glaring exceptions: drugs and guns. That’s the crux of a new study that looked at injury trends among U.S. children and teenagers between 2011 and 2021. It found that nonfatal injuries from accidents and assaults fell…  read on >  read on >

Drinking dark tea daily may help balance blood sugar levels and stave off type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease most closely tied to obesity. This is the main message from a new study that looked at tea-drinking habits and diabetes risk among people in China. Folks who drank dark tea every day had…  read on >  read on >

In yet another reminder of the psychic toll the pandemic has taken on young people, new research shows spending on mental health services for U.S. children and adolescents has risen sharply since 2020. It climbed 26% for youths aged 19 and younger between March 2020 and August 2022, the RAND Corp. study found. Among a…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Oct. 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Exposure to ubiquitous chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, may delay puberty in girls, new research indicates. The study is the first to consider the role hormones play in the delay, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati. Delayed puberty can lead to negative…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to recommend use of a powerful antibiotic to prevent sexually transmitted infections. On Monday, the CDC issued draft recommendations, recommending doctors consider prescribing doxycycline to help prevent the spread of disease. Officials told CBS News the approach could mark a turning point in the nation’s…  read on >  read on >

Grandma knew it all along: Certain places on the body are “hot spots” for unhealthy microbes. That notion — which the authors of a new study dubbed “the grandma hypothesis,” after grandma’s admonitions to clean behind the ears — was tested by students in a genomics course at George Washington (GW) University in Washington, D.C.…  read on >  read on >

New research shows the COVID-19 virus can directly infect coronary arteries, inflaming fatty plaque inside them, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. This may explain why some people who get COVID-19 have a greater chance of developing heart disease. It also may shed light on why those who already have heart…  read on >  read on >

Mammograms have long offered early detection of breast cancer, which is why getting them regularly is crucial to women’s health, one expert says. “There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. As with many other diseases, risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older,” said Dr. Mridula George, associate program director of…  read on >  read on >