MONDAY, Oct. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older adults who get together with friends, volunteer or go to classes have healthier brains, which could help them ward off dementia, according to a new study. Researchers who used brain imaging to examine brain areas involved in mental decline found that greaterContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Offering fresh insight into the deep-seated roots of dementia, new research finds that diminished blood flow to the brain is tied to buildup a protein long associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Called “tau,” high levels of the protein are “one of the hallmark pathologiesContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Oct. 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Learning to play a musical instrument helps fine-tune kids’ brains, researchers say. In a new study, 40 children (aged 10 to 13) performed memory and attention tasks while their brain activity was monitored with functional MRI. This type of imaging scan detects smallContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Black people who have a strong sense of psychological well-being may have better heart health, a new study indicates. It suggests that feelings of optimism and a sense of purpose and control — hallmarks of psychosocial resilience — are more important to heartContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Ordinary conversation releases airborne droplets that can spread widely through indoor spaces, a finding with big implications for transmission of the new coronavirus, researchers say. Their experiments showed that everyday talk can expel droplets farther than the typical “social distancing” limit of 6Continue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Revealing some good news for minorities, a new study found similar survival rates for Hispanic, Black and white COVID-19 patients at a New York City hospital system. “It is well-documented that communities of color have shouldered the heaviest burden of COVID-19 in theContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A life support technique called ECMO has saved the lives of many critically ill COVID-19 patients, a new study shows. The ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine takes over the function of the lungs and heart. Blood is pumped from the body into equipmentContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Pets helped many people cope with the mental stress of being locked down during the coronavirus pandemic, a new study finds. It included 6,000 people in Britain who were under lockdown between March 23 and June 1. About 90% had at least oneContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Isolation due to the pandemic and failure to get hearing aids checked has fueled anxiety, depression and more hearing loss for many seniors. “This has been a very difficult time as senior facilities and individuals try to balance poor health outcomes related toContinue Reading
SUNDAY, Sept. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — If you’re in an area of the United States at risk for flooding during one of the most active hurricane seasons ever, there are a number of precautions you should take, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says. Make a plan forContinue Reading
SATURDAY, Sept. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the risk of suicide, so it’s crucial to know the warning signs, a mental health expert says. Suicide is often preventable, because people considering suicide want help, according to Dr. Ahmad Hameed, a psychiatrist atContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Sept. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Over the years electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — commonly known as “shock therapy” — has gotten a bad rap. But new research out of Italy suggests that reputation may be unwarranted. Investigators found that among bipolar patients who fail to respond to standard treatments,Continue Reading
THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Dentists are drilling down on another worrying trend related to the coronavirus: more cracked teeth. Like sleepless nights and stomach jitters, teeth grinding is a telltale sign of stress. And the habit — which can damage and break your choppers — is sendingContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The loss of a pet may be a child’s first encounter with death, and new research suggests no one should underestimate the psychological trauma that the loss can bring. Previous studies have found that kids form deep emotional attachments to their pets andContinue Reading