ArcaMax

COVID-19 hits some people harder than others, with more severe or longer-lasting symptoms and consequences. Gene hunters are beginning to turn up clues as to why by probing dozens of parts of the human genome for evidence that some genes confer greater susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe illness.

Findings thus far aren't changing...Read more

Overall, cancer deaths continue to decline, but the news isn't universally good. Between 2001 and 2018, lung cancer deaths steeply declined, as did rates for melanoma, female breast and colorectal cancers.

Cancer incidence rates are higher for men, but increasing among women. Black people have lower rates of cancer incidence than white people...Read more

It's a question often asked these days: Who will take care of the caregivers? Usually, it's asked in the context of health care workers laid low by COVID-19, resulting in severe staff shortages at hospitals and elsewhere.

But the question applies as well to mental health. New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research surveying more ...Read more

That's Happy Meal in Spanish, but you already know that if you've been paying attention to TV ads. A new report says the fast food industry spent $5 billion on advertising their products in 2019, most of which targeted Black and Hispanic youth.

That's $400 million more than in 2012. Spending on Spanish advertising in 2019 increased 33% since ...Read more

Scientists recently sent freeze-dried mouse sperm into low-Earth orbit to study the effects of space radiation on fertility and reproduction. After spending between three and six years aboard the International Space Station, the researchers brought the sperm samples back and thawed them to produce healthy mouse pups.

They found gene ...Read more

Researchers say that for patients with clinical depression who do not improve with antidepressant medications, the remedy might be nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas.

A small study found that a low dose of laughing gas was just as effective at improving depression as a higher dose of standard medications in patients with treatment...Read more

In the early months of the pandemic, telehealth use rose dramatically. But fewer people are using digital tools to connect with their doctor these days. Claims for telehealth service fell 5% in March of this year from February, which fell 16% from January.

Possible reasons include the use of vaccines, which has made it easier for patients to ...Read more

It's estimated that more than one billion people worldwide suffer from migraines, which doctors define as a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

It's estimated that 157 million workdays are lost ...Read more

The nonprofit Lown Institute has ranked 3,200 hospital systems across the country based on racial inclusivity, i.e., what their patient mix was in terms of race and socioeconomic status. It found stark differences between the most and least inclusive hospitals, which often were just miles apart.

For example, the most racially inclusive hospital...Read more

In 2019, there were roughly 54 million Americans aged 65 and older. By 2050, there will be nearly 86 million, a population increase of nearly 60%. The future, according to the latest Senior Report by United Health Foundation, looks mixed.

On the plus side, geriatric services and providers are increasing, as are vaccination and exercise rates....Read more

Last year's lockdowns, which were enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19, may have saved up to 32,000 lives due to lowered emissions from vehicles and coal-powered electricity plants.

Researchers looked at 252 regions around the world and found a reduction in airborne pollutants. The benefit was most pronounced in China, where nitrogen ...Read more

Adolescent marijuana use and binge drinking did not significantly change during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record decreases in the substances' perceived availability, according to a federal survey of high school seniors in the United States.

Analyses of responses from 3,770 high school seniors surveyed by the National Institute on Drug ...Read more

A study of more than 41,000 U.S. nurses found that daily consumption of two or more sugar-sweetened beverages was linked to double the risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 50.

High amounts of sugar is associated with risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and obesity, both risk factors for bowel cancer. The longitudinal study asked ...Read more