Not getting enough sleep can cause a slew of health problems that generally are aware of, but research suggests it may cause a couple of other conditions you wouldn’t normally associate with sleep deprivation: loneliness and isolation.
What’s more, your lack of sleep doesn’t just affect you; sleep-related loneliness can be “contagious,” proving that the old saying “misery loves company” is entirely accurate.
An experimental new drug may now make it possible for some people with allergies to peanuts to build up a tolerance over time, saving countless lives. Could similar allergy-treatments be in the works for other major food allergens? [1]
The clinical trial, funded by Aimmune Therapeutics, included 551 participants ranging in age from 4 to 55 years who suffered from a peanut allergy. Most of the children involved were between the ages of 4 and 17.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new exercise guidelines on November 12 – for the first time in a decade. The recommendations state that Americans should sit less and move more, but there is good news for those who don’t particularly enjoy a 5-mile run: The guidelines say it’s perfectly fine to exercise in small doses. [1]
On November 12, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) updated the clinical guidelines for managing cholesterol for the first time since 2013. Unlike in the past, the new guidelines do not suggest a one-size-fits-all approach, but a more personalized one that allows patients to take a more active role in managing their health.
Oxford researchers said on November 7 that taxing meat could help off-set healthcare costs and save hundreds of thousands of lives. Additionally, taxing red and processed meat could allow hundreds of billions of dollars to be put toward healthcare costs each year, they suggest. [1]
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offered some good news on November 8 when it released data showing that smoking rates in the U.S. are the lowest they’ve ever been. Unfortunately, there was some bad news to go with it.
Americans went to the polls November 6 to vote in the midterm elections, giving the green light for marijuana either medical or recreational uses in 3 more states. [1]
On November 6, Michigan became the first Midwest state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, joining 9 other states and the District of Columbia: Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Alaska, Colorado, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. [1] [2]
Missouri and Utah approved medical marijuana measures, becoming the 32nd and 33rd state in the nation to do so. [1]
Many genetic engineers have been vocal in their concern over genetically modified (GM) potatoes, but perhaps the most surprising voice is that of Caius Rommens, the creator of 1 type of engineered spud.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the nation’s health watchdog, yet it has just approved a powerful new opioid, even as opioid overdoses continue to claim thousands of lives each year. [1]
The drug, approved November 2, is for use in healthcare settings. It will not be available in pharmacies. The medication is 5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, a painkiller sometimes mixed with heroin and other synthetic drugs. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in nearly 20,000 deaths in 2017. [1] [2]
The former school groundskeeper who alleged at trial that the popular herbicide Roundup caused his cancer will accept a reduced award of $78 million, instead of the $289 million award a jury originally decided on.
