Compared with middle-aged individuals who did not play contact sports or any sport in high school, those who played high school football were more likely to have sleep problems and to take medication for either chronic pain or headaches during the last year. However, the study did not find that former high school football players…

According to a recent study, only about 70% of adults in the United States and Canada can identify chestpain/discomfort as a symptom of myocardial infarction. Other common heart attack symptoms include shortness of breath; arm/shoulder pain/discomfort; feeling weak, lightheaded, or faint; and jaw, neck, and back pain. Korean Circulation Journal, December 2021

An analysis of data concerning more than 5 million emergency room (ER) visits found that if delays in admission exceed five hours, an individual’s risk of death in the next 30 days increases by 8%. Emergency Medicine Journal, January 2022

According to a study that followed stroke survivors for nearly eight years, 40% will experience at least one episode of depression with half of such individuals reporting recurrent depression. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, March 2022

A lab analysis of commonly used plastic products revealed that a third contained chemicals known to interfere with human metabolism and contribute to fat cell development. Study co-author Dr. Martin Wagner adds, “Our experiments show that ordinary plastic products contain a mix of substances that can be a relevant and underestimated factor behind overweight and…

Prediabetes is a term used to describe elevated blood sugar levels that have not yet reached the threshold for diabetes diagnosis. An umbrella review of 95 meta-analyses found evidence that prediabetes is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer,…

Following a review of data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort concerning nearly 53,000 hypertensive patients, researchers report that participants who developed five or more dental caries during an eleven-year time frame were 37% more likely to have a stroke or heart attack. On the other hand, those who brushed at…

Experts project that the number of dementia patients worldwide will increase to 152 million by 2050, up from 57 million in 2019, largely due to the aging populace in richer countries. Lancet Public Health, January 2022

Scientists conducted an experiment in which older adults with an overactive bladder were asked to walk under normal conditions, while performing a distracting mental task, and while needing to urinate. The investigators observed that both the need to urinate and mental distraction resulted in similar changes in gait that can increase the risk for a…

Using data from the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, researchers report that increased exposure to air pollutants in the six months before pregnancy and during the first trimester elevate the risk for gestational diabetes mellitus by as much as 30%. Environmental Research, March 2022