Inherited Alzheimer's: Whether It's From Mom or Dad Could Matter

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Genetics can play a role in a person's odds for Alzheimer's disease, and new research suggests differences in that risk are based on which parent had the illness.

In a study of 4,400 people still "cognitively unimpaired," there was higher buildup of amyloid protein plaqu...

Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Sites

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

The U.S. Surgeon General announced Monday that he will push for warning labels on all social media platforms, stating that they may harm teens' mental health.

"The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency -- and social media has emerged as an important con...

Trouble Getting Your Kids to Sleep? You're Not Alone, Poll Finds

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Nearly 1 in 4 parents struggle to get their child to sleep, a new poll reports.

Some of this is related to poor sleep hygiene, but some also is due to dark worries harbored by the kids, researchers report.

Parents of sleepless children are less likely to have a bed...

There May Be 6 Types of Depression, and Brain Scans Can Sort Them Out

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Depression can be sorted into six distinct types using brain scans, a revelation that could improve treatment for many suffering the debilitating mood disorder.

Researchers analyzed brain scans to identify six different biological types of depression, based on difference...

Getting Your Exercise in Nature May Bring Added Benefits

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Exercising in natural surroundings -- a jog through a park, a bicycle ride along a trail -- could be more beneficial than working out indoors, a new review suggests.

However, access to natural areas that are public varies widely, with not everyone having the chance to ex...

Rate of Chronic High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Doubled in U.S. Since 2008

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

The number of pregnant women with chronic high blood pressure doubled during the past decade and a half, but treatment remains low among them, a new study found.

About 3.7% of pregnant women were diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2021, up from 1.8% in 2008, researche...

Pet Bearded Dragons Pose Salmonella Danger, CDC Warns

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Lizards called bearded dragons may not breathe fire, but they can be a source of one nasty infection: Salmonella.

So warned the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a health advisory on Friday, noting there have been reports of 15 salmonella illnesses linke...

What Are Nicotine Pouches, and Are They Less Harmful Than Smoking?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Nicotine pouches might be less harmful than smoking or chewing tobacco, but they still pose an addiction risk to users, a new review finds.

These pouches are filled with crystallized nicotine, and are placed between the gums and lips, researchers said. They are sold in v...

Help for Women Battling ADHD & Opioid Addiction in Pregnancy

• June 17, 2024
• Full Page

Opioid overdoses in pregnant women are at an all-time high in the United States, and researchers think they’ve figured out one way to counter this phenomenon.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is strongly tied to substance use disorders, which means some ...

International Travel: Don't Forget Your Child's Vaccinations

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 16, 2024
• Full Page

Exploring Europe, taking an African safari, going on a trip to the tropics: In many cases, vaccines are needed for travel, and that's doubly true for children.

According to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Nguyen, researching what vaccines are needed and preparing well befo...

Protect Your Eyes From Summer's Dangers

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 15, 2024
• Full Page

Summertime is primetime for the great outdoors, but that can mean new hazards for your eyes, one expert warned.

Simple steps can help cut the risk, said ophthalmologist Dr. Masih Ahmed, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston...

'Good Days and Bad:' Catherine, Princess of Wales, Gives Cancer Update

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has released the first update on her cancer journey since announcing her diagnosis in late March.

In a message posted to her Instagram account on Friday, the princess, 42, said that, "I am making good progress, but as anyone going through ch...

Loaded, Unlocked Guns Common in American Homes, Study Finds

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

In half of American homes containing a loaded gun, that gun is kept unsecured and ready for potential use, often with children in the home, new research shows.

The finding is especially troubling given the link between gun accessibility and accidental child deaths, as we...

ADHD Patients Could Face Disrupted Access to Meds Following Fraud Case

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

The two top officers of a telehealth company that began to distribute ADHD drugs widely during the pandemic have been charged with health care fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The arrests will likely worsen ongoing shortages of Adderall ...

FDA Tells Vaccine Makers to Target New COVID Variant for Fall

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

COVID vaccine makers will be advised to update their shots to target the KP.2 variant, an offshoot of the JN.1 variant that spread widely last winter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.

It's a turnaround for the agency: The new recommendation follo...

Poll Finds Many Young Workers Feeling Stressed, Isolated

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

Many younger workers feel stressed, isolated and unappreciated at their jobs, a new survey has found.

The 2022 Work in America survey, conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), found that young adults are struggling in the workplace:

• Nearly...

GLP-1 Meds May Help Extremely Obese Qualify for Weight-Loss Surgery

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

Taking a cutting-edge weight-loss drug could help extremely obese patients drop enough pounds to be eligible for bariatric surgery, a new study shows.

Patients with extreme obesity -- a BMI of 70 or more -- are at higher risk of complications from surgery compared to peo...

Dolphins Off Florida, Georgia Have High Levels of Mercury

• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

Dolphins living off the coasts of Georgia and Florida have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies, new research shows.

That could have implications for people, said a team led by Colleen Bryan, a research biologist at the National Institute of Standards and Technolog...

Even Temporary Loneliness Can Harm Physical Health

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

You don't consider yourself a lonely person generally, but sometimes have days where feelings of loneliness set in.

If you're one of those people, even that transient loss of connection with others could be impacting your physical health, a new study finds.

“A ...

Just 1 in 20 Animal Studies Yield Treatments That Make it to Humans

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2024
• Full Page

Animal studies are often considered a first step in finding new drugs and treatments for human diseases, but a new review has discovered that precious few actually produce real-world therapies.

Only 5% of therapies tested in animals wind up being approved by regulators f...