Surgery in older adults does not up risk for Alzheimer disease

(HealthDay)—Older adults who have surgery with general anesthesia may experience a modest cortical thinning in the brain, but it does not appear to be tied to Alzheimer disease, according to a study recently published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia. Juraj Sprung, M.D., Ph.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues assessed brain […]

Heartburn medication tied to higher COVID-19 risk — but don’t panic

Taking a common form of heartburn medication may moderately raise the risk of contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. Based on an online survey of more than 86,600 people, more than 3,300 of whom caught COVID-19, the results suggest that those who take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be about 2.2 to 3.7 times […]

‘Very low’ risk of unknown health hazards from exposure to 5G wireless networks

Experts weigh in on recent online reports that warn of frightening health consequences from new fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. Within current exposure limits, there appears to be little or no risk of adverse health effects related to radiofrequency (RF) exposure from 5G systems, concludes an evidence-based expert review in the June issue of Health […]

Study details use of extreme risk protection orders in California over first four years

In the first four years since California established extreme risk protection order (ERPO) policies, use of the relatively new violence prevention tool has increased substantially, a UC Davis Violence Prevention Program (VPRP) study has found. The majority of orders were requested by law enforcement officers for recipients who are male and white. In 2016, California […]

Scientists uncover immune cells that may lower airway allergy and asthma risk

The world is full of house dust mites. Do some cleaning, and you’ll probably stir some up. While everyone has immune cells capable of reacting to common allergens like house dust mites, most of us have no allergic symptoms. Still, many people do react with the typical allergic symptoms: sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, […]

Study finds older physicians and those of Asian ancestry are at highest risk of suicide

Health care professionals who die by suicide are more likely to be older and nearing the end of their careers, or be of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry, or confronting physical, mental health or medical malpractice issues, according to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital. In a study published in JAMA Surgery, researchers identified […]

People are optimistic about own COVID-19 risk, pessimistic about society

Most people believe themselves to be less at risk from COVID-19 than others of their own age and gender, indicating an optimism bias, according to a recent UCL survey conducted in the US. The findings, published as a pre-print on PsyArXiv ahead of peer review, also show that most people surveyed see COVID-19 as a […]