Latest science news in Health & Medicine
I covered the L.A. fires in the Palisades. So I had my blood tested for lead
The Los Angeles County wildfires unleashed all kinds of contaminants once locked away in paints, plastics and elsewhere. Among the most concerning is lead, so, like hundreds of Angelenos, a...
Life expectancy in California still hasn't rebounded since the pandemic
A new study released in JAMA finds life expectancy has still not bounced back from pre-pandemic 2019 levels, attributing the remaining gap to drug overdoses and cardiovascular diseases and hitting...
How a Supreme Court win for public health bolstered RFK Jr. and threatens no-cost vaccines
Texas lawsuit over drugs and vaccines provided by insurers ends with a win for the government — and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The mother of an L.A. teen who took his own life is fighting for a new mental health tool for LGBTQ+ youth
A state bill would add an LGBTQ+ youth crisis number to student IDs after Trump cut that service from the national suicide hotline.
Immigration crackdown could stymie efforts to fight bird flu outbreak, experts fear
Farm workers facing possible arrest would likely resist getting tested for bird flu should there be a resurgence this fall, as many anticipate
What to know about chronic venous insufficiency — President Trump's health diagnosis
Earlier this week, President Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, after he noted mild swelling in his lower legs.
Computerized games offer hope for patients with traumatic brain injuries
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left hundreds of thousands of veterans and active duty service members truggling with traumatic brain injuries. Even mild cases can have lasting effects. Dr....
Trump mocks those wearing face masks, calling it "politically correct"
As the number of COVID-19 deaths reaches 100,000, President Trump continues to criticize people who wear face masks, calling it politically correct. Ben Tracy reports.
Health departments develop apps to help track the spread of the coronavirus
Health Departments in many states are developing apps to help track the spread of the coronavirus. But will people use them? Tony Dokoupil reports.
Cellphone data used to find remains of missing Idaho kids
Newly released court documents reveal that authorities in Idaho used data from the cellphone of Lori Vallow's brother to locate the remains of her two missing children. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.
Russian hackers accused of targeting coronavirus vaccine developers
Intelligence agencies from the U.S., Canada and Britain say Russian hackers are once again targeting foreign governments. But this time, they say, they're accused of trying to steal research on...
New test differentiates between Lyme disease, similar illness
There is now a way to distinguish Lyme disease from similar conditions, report scientists. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States. But it can...
Heavily-used pesticide linked to breathing problems in farmworkers' children
New study finds that elemental sulfur is linked to reduced lung function, more asthma-related symptoms and higher asthma medication use in children living about a half-mile or less from farms...
Heart failure patients, clinicians have differing perceptions of risk level
Physicians identified a majority of patients with advanced heart failure as at high risk for transplant, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or death while few of those patients considered themselves...
Daily e-cigarette users had highest rates of quitting smoking
Among US adults who were established smokers in the past five years, those who use e-cigarettes daily were significantly more likely to have quit cigarettes compared to those who have...
Scientists discover powerful potential pain reliever
Chemists have discovered a powerful pain reliever that acts on a previously unknown pain pathway. The compound is as effective at relieving neuropathic pain in injured mice as a drug...
New strategy to treat aggressive lung cancer
Research on a novel therapeutic avenue for an aggressive and difficult to treat subgroup of lung cancer has now been shared in a new article.
In a nutshell: Walnuts activate brain region involved in appetite control
Double-blind test bolsters observational data that walnuts promote feelings of fullness. Results provide a quantitative measure for testing other compounds' ability to control appetite, including potential medications for the treatment...
Probiotics can prevent sepsis in infants, study shows
A special mixture of good bacteria in the body reduced the incidence of sepsis in infants in India by 40 percent at a cost of only $1 per infant, new...
Opioids overused in migraine treatment, regardless of race
African-Americans are more likely to experience debilitating migraine headaches than whites, but a new study probing the issue found no evidence of racial disparities in treatment practices. Instead, researchers report...
Noninvasive retinal imaging may improve early detection of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Currently, challenges in making an early and definitive diagnosis of AD limit opportunities to intervene with disease-modifying therapies before substantial...
Smoking linked to frailty in older adults
A recent article finds that current smoking in older people increases the risk of developing frailty, though former smokers did not appear to be at higher risk.
Simulation shows the high cost of dementia, especially for families
A new simulation of the dementia epidemic estimates the economic impact the disease has on households and public insurance programs and provides a tool for projecting the impact that different...
Energy dense foods may increase cancer risk regardless of obesity status
While there is a proven link between obesity and certain types of cancer, less is known about how the ratio of energy to food weight, otherwise known as dietary energy...
Cardiac ICU patient composition is changing over time
A new study finds slightly more than half of heart patients are admitted to the CICU for noncardiac conditions, such as sepsis or renal failure, rather than for a heart...
Smoking raises risk of aneurysm recurrence after endovascular treatment
A history of smoking significantly increases the chance that survivors will experience recurrence of a brain aneurysm, according to a new study. Researchers say it's a serious reminder about the...
Experiences of stroke survivors with visual impairments examined
A new study identifies simple measures that could substantially improve the quality of life of stroke survivors with visual impairments.
Estrogen-mediated brain protection directly linked to intake of fatty acids found in oils
Scientists are increasingly appreciating estrogen's role in brain health. The latest research connecting DHA synthesis to estrogen production, and consequentially brain health, backs up further the old adage that a...