Pregnancy Changes the Brain, Study Finds

With implications for research around postpartum depression and other health issues, scientists have tracked the changes pregnancy brings to the female brain.

These changes weren't subtle: Big shifts in what's known as the brain's "white matter" versus "gray matter" were observed, according to a team from the University of California, Sant...

Breathing Could Bring Microplastics Into the Human Brain, Study Shows

For the first time, scientists have detected microscopic microplastics lodged in the human brain.

Researchers in Germany and Brazil say that 8 out of 15 autopsied adults had microplastics detected within their brain's smell centers, the olfactory bulb.

The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microp...

Ozempic Could Curb Progression of Diabetes-Linked Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease linked to diabetes and obesity can easily progress to liver cirrhosis, but new research suggests that GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic can help stop that.

In a new decades-long study, veterans with diabetes and what's known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) were 14% less likely to progress ...

Genetics Suggest Link Between ALS, Parkinson's Disease

People with rare genetic variants linked to degenerative brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease are at increased risk of developing ALS, a new study finds.

Further, having these genetic variants increases the risk of a person having faster-progressing ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and dying earlier, researchers found.

T...

Missouri Bird Flu Case Raises Possibility of Human Transmission

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 (Healthday News) -- In a disclosure that can't eliminate the possibility that bird flu may have spread from one human to another for the first time, U.S. health officials have reported that a person who lived with a Missouri resident infected with H5N1 became sick the same day.

That close contact "was also ill at the...

Vaping Is Harming College Students' Brains, Study Shows

Vaping may look cool when you're young, but it appears to be dulling the brains of college students, a new study warns.

College students who vape have lower cognitive function scores than those who don't, researchers reported Sunday at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

And the more students...

Poll Finds Many Parents Worry About Kids Finding Friends

Many parents worry that their kids aren’t popular enough, or that they aren’t making the right friends, a new survey finds.

About 1 in 5 parents say their child aged 6 to 12 has no friends or not enough friends, according to the results of the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Ch...

Polluting Puff: Asthma Inhalers Are Big Contributors to Climate Change

Tiny puffs from asthma inhalers could be causing big climate problems for Mother Earth, a new study warns.

Each inhaler dose contains some of the most potent greenhouse gases known, and they are adding up, researchers reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By the time some inhalers are empty, t...

One Part of Football Helmets Especially Linked to Concussion

Newfangled designs intended to make football helmets more protective have overlooked one key component, a new study suggests.

Nearly a third of concussions in pro football involve impacts to the facemask, a part of the helmet that has remained mostly unchanged during the past decade, researchers say.

Facemask enhancements could help ...

Expert Advice on Preparing for the Fall COVID, Flu Season

People should prepare for the fall cold and flu season by getting the updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations, an infectious diseases expert says.

“When my patients ask me if they should be getting a COVID vaccine this year, yes, essentially anybody over the ages of 6 months, I'm recommending it,” Dr. Nicholas Turner, an as...

Immunotherapy Drugs Extend Survival for Patients With Advanced Melanomas

A decade of patient follow-up finds a combo of two immunotherapy drugs can greatly extend survival for people with advanced melanomas.

In 2011, a diagnosis of advanced, metastatic melanoma typically meant death within 6.5 months, noted researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

By 2024, use of the two-drug combo -- nivol...

Ovarian Cancer in the Family? Know Your Risks

Nearly a quarter of all ovarian cancers are fueled by family genetics, so what should you do if your mom or sister are diagnosed?

According to one expert, knowing whether you are at high risk is the first step toward taking measures that can mitigate that increased danger. Getting a genetic test for yourself is how you find that out.

Why Beans Are a Natural Superfood

Beans may sometimes give you gas, but one expert says that shouldn't stop you from finding ways to include them in your diet.

Why? Because they are packed with nutrients that contribute to good health.

“Beans are in a unique category because they are a protein source, but they are also complex carbohydrates,” said Dr. Mop...

Boar's Head Will Close Virginia Plant Linked to Listeria-Tainted Deli Meats

Boar's Head announced Friday that its Jarratt, Va. deli meat manufacturing plant, found to be the source of a deadly outbreak of listeria infections, will be closed indefinitely.

Boar's Head added that it also believes it has located the source of contamination.

"Our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination a...

Ozempic or Saxenda for Weight Loss: Which Works Best?

Ozempic and its weight-loss cousin, Wegovy, outperform another longstanding weight-loss drug that targets the same hormone associated with blood sugar and appetite, a new study finds.

Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) promoted the loss of 10% or more body weight in 61% of people being treated for obesity and 23% being treated for diabetes a...

1 in 3 Store-Bought Cinnamon Samples Tested Have Elevated Lead Levels

One third of cinnamon products tested by Consumer Reports contained elevated levels of lead, the watchdog agency warned Thursday.

The finding follows concerns about metals in foods after tainted cinnamon applesauce poisoned hundreds in 44 states last year, most of them children.

In the new study, Consumer Reports tested 36 cinn...

Over 5 Million Americans Could Benefit If Psilocybin Approved for Depression: Study

Over 5 million Americans could benefit if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the "magic mushroom" psychedelic psilocybin as a treatment for depression, researchers estimate.

“While our analysis is a crucial first step, we've only scratched the surface in understanding the true public health impact psilocybin therapy may h...

Source of Missouri Bird Flu Case Still Unknown, Could Be a 'One-Off': CDC

In a case that continues to confound scientists, U.S. health officials said Thursday that they still don't know how a Missouri patient caught the bird flu and that the case may just be a rare anomaly.

As bird flu continues to spread through dairy cow herds and poultry flocks, the Missouri case has raised the possibility of huma...

A-Fib Risk Drops Soon After Quitting Smoking

Smokers who make the decision to quit will see almost immediate health benefits, including a quick drop in their risk for atrial fibrillation, new research shows.

“The findings provide a compelling new reason to show current smokers that it’s not too late to quit and that having smoked in the past doesn’t mean you’r...

Ozempic, Mounjaro Help People With Type 1 Diabetes Control Blood Sugar, Lose Weight

Initially approved to treat type 2 diabetes, Ozempic and Mounjaro also can help people with type 1 diabetes lose weight and control their blood sugar levels, a new study finds.

Overweight or obese type 1 diabetics taking Mounjaro were able to reduce the amount of daily insulin they needed, researchers reported Thursday at the European Asso...