Greater numbers of women are dying of alcohol-related conditions, study finds

A rising number of women are succumbing to alcohol-related deaths, a new study published in JAMA Network on July 28 found. While males historically have been more than twice as likely to die from alcohol-related conditions than females, the gap appears to be narrowing. Researchers from Hofstra University in New York, Harvard Medical School and the...

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Georgia resident dies from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater lakes

A Georgia resident has died from a rare "brain-eating amoeba," the state’s health department confirmed last Wednesday.  The resident likely became infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond in Georgia, the health department said.  "Naegleria fowleri" is a rare infection that destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually...

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Lead and other metal contaminants increase heart disease risk, AHA warns: ‘We need to do better’

There are a total of 9.2 million lead pipes across the country, with an estimated 1.16 million of them located in Florida, according to a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  These pipes potentially deliver contaminated drinking water to millions of households, the EPA said.  While the adverse health effects of lead...

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Just 4 minutes of intense daily activity could slash cancer risk among ‘non-exercisers,’ study finds

Logging hours in the gym isn't the only way to reap the health benefits of exercise.  Just four to five minutes of "vigorous physical activity" could reduce cancer risk significantly among people who have been generally inactive, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Oncology. Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia,...

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COVID hospitalizations are on the rise, could signal ‘late summer wave,’ says the CDC

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is rising this summer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hospitalizations of people with the virus are up 10%, per CDC data — the sharpest increase since December 2022. More than 7,100 patients with COVID were hospitalized in the week of July 15, up from 6,444 the...

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Errors in disease diagnosis lead to nearly 800,000 deaths, disabilities in US each year: study

Misdiagnoses in the U.S. lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths and major disabilities each year, according to a recent report from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland. Each year, an estimated 795,000 Americans become permanently disabled or die due to a misdiagnosis, the study found. It was published in The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical trade...

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Dementia-depression connection: Early sadness can lead to later cognitive issues, study finds

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). People who suffer from depression are more than twice as likely to develop dementia later in life, a new study from Penn Medicine found. It was published in JAMA Neurology. The link...

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CDC likely to recommend annual COVID booster shot, director says

The new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that her agency would likely come out with guidance in the fall that Americans should get an annual COVID-19 booster shot.  "We’re just on the precipice of that, so I don’t want to get ahead of where our scientists are here and doing that evaluation work, but...

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Mysterious illness triggered by tick bite could affect thousands, yet many doctors are unaware of it

A little-known, life-threatening food allergy that is triggered by a tick bite could be affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday.  The condition is called Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) — also known as the "red-meat allergy"...

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AI tech aims to detect breast cancer by mimicking radiologists’ eye movements: 'A critical friend'

Researchers in the U.K. are training artificial intelligence models to "read" mammogram images by mimicking the gaze of human radiologists, according to Hantao Liu, an associate professor at Cardiff University who is leading the initiative. The goal is for the AI solution to improve the accuracy and efficiency of scans, thus leading to earlier detection...

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Kids are behind on vaccines, heat wave raises heart attack risk, and 'girl dinners' trend sparks concern

SUMMER SADNESS – Keep the "sunny blues" at bay with these expert tips. Continue reading… DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS – A finger-prick blood test could hold answers. Continue reading… ‘A PERFECT STORM’ – Extreme heat and high pollution could be a recipe for heart attacks. Here's how to reduce the risk. Continue reading… ‘CATCHING’ COVID – Air...

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COVID air monitor from scientists can detect virus in indoor settings within 5 minutes

A research team said it is paving the way for an easier detection of virus variants within indoor spaces.  Scientists have developed a novel air monitor with special technology that is said to quickly detect — within five minutes — if any of the virus variants that cause COVID-19 are lurking in an indoor room.  The results were published...

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Heart attack death risk can double during heat waves and high pollution, study finds: ‘A perfect storm’

Certain groups of people may have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack during heat waves and high levels of fine particulate pollution, according to a new study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). Researchers analyzed the specifics of over 202,000 heart attacks that occurred in the Chinese province...

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Many young kids are not getting ‘life-saving’ vaccines, study finds: 'Concerning trend'

More than one in six toddlers are not getting all of the doses of the recommended early childhood vaccines, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics on July 25. A team of researchers from the University of Montana analyzed vaccination records from 2019 for several childhood immunizations — measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis...

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These are the best prebiotic-packed foods for boosting gut health, new study finds

Consuming more prebiotic foods may help to regulate the body's blood sugar while boosting immunity, digestion and the absorption of calcium and other minerals, a new study has shown.  Incorporating more prebiotic-packed foods may be easier than one might think, according to researchers from San Jose State University in California. They presented...

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Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef in Northeast sickens 16, hospitalizes 6

An outbreak of Salmonella linked to ground beef has sickened 16 people in the Northeast and hospitalized six others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The agency said nine people who had taken ill were from New Jersey, with others in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Investigators are working to identify...

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Be well: Stop ‘summer sadness’ with these expert tips

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Summer is typically associated with carefree fun — but for some people, sunny days can spark sadness. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — a condition that causes depressive symptoms...

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Tuberculosis at the border: Doctors issue warnings of ‘drug-resistant strains’

Cases of tuberculosis (TB) — an illness that kills more people than any other infectious disease — rose in the U.S. during 2022, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And some doctors are concerned that limitations of testing at the border could be partly to blame for the surge. In 2021, the disease infected nearly 11 million people...

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