• Drink Up: Coffee Won’t Affect Your Heart Rhythms

    A new study has some heartening news for coffee lovers: That morning cup is unlikely to make your heart skip a beat. The study, published March 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that drinking...

    • Posted March 23, 2023
    • 6
  • Feds Propose Overhaul of U.S. Organ Transplant System

    A single nonprofit has what amounts to a monopoly over all organ transplants performed in the United States, but the federal government said Wednesday that it plans to change that. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA),...

    • Posted March 23, 2023
    • 12
  • Living Near Noisy Roads Can Raise Your Blood Pressure

    That road noise outside your window could be wreaking havoc on your blood pressure. A new study published March 22 in JACC: Advances found that the roaring engines, blaring horns and wailing sirens can themselves elevate high...

    • Posted March 23, 2023
    • 13
  • New Parasite Is Killing Sea Otters, and Might Pose Threat to People

    A rare strain of the parasite Toxoplasma has killed four sea otters along the California coast, raising concerns about a potential public health risk. “The appearance of this lethal type of Toxoplasma in coastal California is concerning...

    • Posted March 23, 2023
    • 6
  • Health Highlights: March 23, 2023​

    Coffee won’t affect your heart rhythms. A study pitting days of coffee drinking against days of abstaining found no significant difference in the number of premature atrial contractions — when the heart seems to “skip a beat.”...

    • Posted March 23, 2023
    • 3
  • When Kids Lose a Parent, New Therapy Might Prevent Long-Term Mental Harm

    The death of a parent is heartbreaking for a child or teenager, and those who experience it are known to be at an increased risk for depression and other mental health issues later in life. But a...

    • Posted March 22, 2023
    • 3
  • Dealing With Caregiver Stress & Burnout: A Guide

    If you’ve been suffering from caregiver stress, you’ve got plenty of company. It affects about 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States, according to a recent report by the AARP and the...

    • Posted March 22, 2023
    • 12
  • ‘Muted’ Immune Response May Explain Why COVID Is Tougher for Obese People

    Obesity is a well-known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and researchers think they’ve uncovered a possible reason why. Obese folks appear to have a blunted inflammatory response to COVID, leaving their immune systems less capable of fighting...

    • Posted March 22, 2023
    • 16
  • New Technique 80% Effective in Selecting a Baby’s Gender

    It’s a controversial notion, but couples undergoing fertility treatments may soon be able to select the sex of their baby — with an 80% chance of success, doctors say. Sperm-sorting techniques have been tried and offered before,...

    • Posted March 22, 2023
    • 7
  • Florida Bill Would Ban Elementary School Kids From Learning About Menstruation

    A proposed bill in Florida would prevent children from learning about menstruation in elementary school, even though some girls get their first periods in those years. The bill would also ban other sex education topics through the...

    • Posted March 22, 2023
    • 16