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If you’re concerned that by hitting the snooze button multiple times in the morning you could be hurting your sleep, you can sleep easy: For most people, “snoozing” has no impact on sleep quality, a new study suggests. What’s more, for some, hitting the button multiple times over 30 minutes may spark alertness more quickly than sleeping through without a break, according to the study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Sleep Research. The study found “that snoozing for 30 minutes in the morni…
7 months ago
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People who have no choice but to sit at a desk for hours on end may have seen, in recent years, a slew of headlines about the scary consequences of sitting for long periods of time — and how even regular exercise couldn’t undo the damage. Research published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, however, finds that about 22 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity may provide an antidote to the ills of prolonged sitting. What’s more, the researchers found that, as a person’s ac…
7 months ago
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After an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to bring down a plane midflight said he had consumed “magic mushrooms” before boarding, psychedelic researchers say the event should be a cautionary tale, especially for people who think they might be able to overcome a tenacious mental illness by taking a psychedelic drug on their own. Over the last five years, research on psychedelic drugs as part of a therapy for mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anx…
7 months ago
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Only a fraction of people at high risk for lung cancer are getting screened for the disease even though it kills more in the United States than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers combined. New American Cancer Society guidelines will allow millions more to become eligible for regular scans that can detect tumors early enough to save lives. With one important exception, the new guidelines echo existing recommendations from the highly influential U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In 2021,…
7 months ago
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A 41-year-old who follows most of the guidelines for a healthy heart may have an actual biological age of 36. Then there’s the 53-year-old who doesn’t get enough sleep, doesn’t exercise regularly and has high levels of bad cholesterol who may actually have a biological age closer to 57, according to a new analysis presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association on Monday. Biological aging may be slowed significantly when people adopt the eight behaviors recommended by the heart…
6 months ago
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Deaths due to cardiac arrest in college athletes have been steadily declining over the last 20 years, a new study finds. An analysis of data from more than 2 million NCAA athletes revealed that 143 had died after a cardiac arrest that occurred while they were playing their sport and that there was wide variation in the risk of death after a sudden heart stoppage, depending on the player’s race, gender and sport, according to the research presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Hea…
6 months ago
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While most bugs die in the winter, ticks are relatively impervious to the freezing temperatures — and as the climate warms, they are becoming increasingly active in winter months, experts warn. The pestiferous little bloodsuckers just hunker down on cold days and wait for the temps to temporarily rise and then they’re out and about waiting for an opportunity to hop on you and your precious pets. Winters used to be more consistently cold, said Rafal Tokarz, an epidemiologist at the Center f…
6 months ago
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People who have large amounts of fat stored around their organs as they age may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. This type of fat isn’t necessarily reflected in a high body-mass index. Visceral fat, which can accumulate around the organs of even people at healthy BMIs, is associated with changes in the brain potentially decades before any symptoms of cognitive decline are seen, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological So…
6 months ago
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The mysterious respiratory illness that may have sickened scores of dogs across the country could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection that may be very good at evading the canine immune system, researchers say. Some dogs have died from the illness, which starts with causes a cough that can last for weeks, runny eyes and sneezing. In a development that might help shed light on the illness, which has affected a variety of dog breeds, researchers at the University of New Hampshire’s Veter…
6 months ago
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Veterinarians across the country are scrambling to treat the rising number of dogs sick with a severe type of respiratory illness. At the same time, scientists are trying to figure out what’s causing the current outbreak, how widespread it is, and how many previously healthy pups have become seriously ill or died. Maple was a happy, healthy 7-month-old Australian shepherd until last Saturday, when she began coughing. Her owner, Adrianna Deffenderfer of Fontana, California, became scared when the…
6 months ago
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Women who use marijuana during pregnancy may be putting their babies’ health at risk, with risk increasing as use goes up, a new study suggests. An analysis of data from more than 9,000 moms-to-be from across the U.S. revealed that cannabis exposure during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of unhealthy outcomes, especially low birth weight. Moreover, the more cannabis moms-to-be consumed, the higher the risk, according to the report, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American…
5 months ago
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Evidence continues to mount that Covid isn’t the only viral illness that can lead to persistent and sometimes debilitating symptoms. Research published Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases finds that the flu virus may also have long-lasting effects on health. With the arrival of the pandemic and the resulting rash of long Covid cases, doctors had to rethink their ideas about viral infections, said senior study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis…
5 months ago
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For people with multiple food allergies, new research suggests that a drug already approved for asthma and chronic hives may protect against severe reactions to peanuts, eggs, milk and other foods. In an early analysis of data from a clinical trial backed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 165 children and adolescents who received injections of the drug Xolair were able to consume higher doses of the foods without triggering an allergic reaction, compared to those who…
5 months ago
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Eating fewer carbohydrates can slow weight gain over time. But it’s not enough to just cut back on carbs. An analysis of data from nearly 125,000 healthy adults revealed that replacing refined carbs — white bread, white rice or sugary cereals —with whole grain foods and cutting back on animal-based fats and proteins appeared to lessen the amount of weight people gained over a four-year period, according to the report published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. “When it comes to a low-carbohydrat…
5 months ago
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As pickleball’s popularity has skyrocketed, so have the number of serious injuries among players. Bone fractures related to pickleball have increased 200% over the last 20 years, according to an analysis of a large government injury database presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on Monday. Pickleball, which is played with a perforated plastic ball and wooden paddles on a badminton-sized court, is the fastest growing sport in the U.S., with the number of…
3 months ago
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People who lower the amount of salt in their diets by using a salt substitute may significantly decrease the risk of developing high blood pressure, a study published Monday suggests. The report, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, analyzed data from hundreds of men and women, ages 55 and older, who were in elder care facilities in China. The data came from an earlier, larger study, called DECIDE-Salt, which included 1,612 participants. For the new analysis, researchers focu…
3 months ago
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High levels of niacin, an essential B vitamin, may raise the risk of heart disease by triggering inflammation and damaging blood vessels, according to new research. The report, published Monday in Nature Medicine, revealed a previously unknown risk from excessive amounts of the vitamin, which is found in many foods, including meat, fish, nuts, and fortified cereals and breads. The recommended daily allowance of niacin for men is 16 milligrams per day and for women who are not pregnant is 14 mill…
3 months ago
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When Brittany Mahomes recently advised moms to take care of their pelvic floors, she raised awareness of a condition that is more common than many young women realize. “Women don’t get educated about this, especially when they are younger, when they are of childbearing age,” said Dr. Deepanjana Das, a urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Earlier this week, Mahomes, who has two young children with her husband, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick M…
2 months ago
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Memory can be mysterious. Certain life events remain clear in our minds no matter how long ago they occurred, while episodes from the prior day may already be fuzzy and difficult to recall. A study, published Thursday in Science, reveals why this happens. Scientists have found that the brains of humans and other mammals have a system for choosing which life experiences are important enough to be cemented into long-term memory — and which will be allowed to fade away. Experiments in mice revealed…
about 2 months ago
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Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of autism, and ADHD in children in some research. A new study suggests that it is not acetaminophen that is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, but likely other issues such as genetics. The new report, published in JAMA on Tuesday, focused on data from more than 2 million Swedish children who were followed for up to 26 years. After an initial analysis that revealed a very small increased risk of neurodevelopment…
about 1 month ago
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Nearly 90% of adults over age 20 in the United States are at risk of developing heart disease, an alarming new study suggests. While the unexpectedly high number doesn’t mean that the majority of adults in the U.S. have full-blown heart disease, it does indicate that many are at risk of developing the condition, even younger people. Researchers identified people at high risk using a recently defined syndrome that takes into account the strong links between heart disease, obesity, diabetes and…
11 days ago
