Measles cases this year total 626 — close to recent record high, CDC says
This year, measles cases have been identified in 22 states. Minnesota, fortunately, is not among them.
Health
Many dental procedures lack scientific backing, data review finds
The “truth about dentistry,” writes Ferris Jabr in the Atlantic, is that “common dental procedures are not always as safe, effective, or durable as we are meant to believe.”
Myths about sleep are common — and potentially harmful
Americans aren’t good at separating myths from fact about many health issues, and sleep is no different.
Workplace wellness programs: Study casts doubt on effectiveness
After participating in workplace wellness programs for 18 months, employees in the study did not score better on objective health indicators like blood pressure, blood sugar levels and BMI.
Celebrity fat-shaming intensifies women’s negative feelings about their own bodies, study finds
“These cultural messages appeared to augment women’s gut-level feeling that ‘thin’ is good and ‘fat’ is bad,” says Jennifer Bartz, the study’s senior author.
Listing added sugar on food labels would improve health and extend lives, study suggests
Americans’ overconsumption of sugar is considered a major risk factor for obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases, including heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Phone and web counseling outperform medications at relieving IBS symptoms, study finds
An estimated 12 percent of American adults have irritable bowel syndrome. There is no cure for IBS, but treatment can help relieve the symptoms.
Stress of caregiving may not be as harmful to health as previously thought, study suggests
A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that people who care for a family member or loved one with a serious illness have only an “extremely small” risk of inflammation and weakening of the immune system.
Diets high in red meat linked with greater health risks in two new studies
Both studies come with important caveats, so they aren’t going to end the often-heated dispute over whether red meat has a role to play in a healthy diet.
Getting enough nutrients from food (but not from supplements) linked to longer life
This result adds to a long line of studies that have shown most people receive no health benefits — but may experience harm — from taking vitamin and mineral supplements.
Medical marijuana is helping cancer patients, Minnesota study finds
Cancer patients enrolled in Minnesota’s medical marijuana program reported significant improvement in their symptoms within four months after they started taking the medication, the study found.
Screen time has minuscule effect on teens’ psychological health, study finds
The study also found that spending time in front of a screen before bedtime had no effect on young people’s well-being.
No, 1 to 2 drinks a day does not protect against stroke, study finds
The evidence for the idea that moderate drinking is not only good for us, but better than abstaining, has always been weak. This new study shows just how weak that evidence may have been.
Just 20 minutes in an urban park helps lower stress-hormone levels, study finds
“Our study shows that for the greatest payoff, in terms of efficiently lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides you with a sense of nature,” writes says MaryCarol Hunter, the study’s lead author.
How Big Pharma became the biggest villain of the 2019 Minnesota Legislature
Pharma has become such an inviting target that in a Legislature that can’t agree on anything, multiple bills taking on the industry are still alive in both the DFL-controlled House and a GOP-controlled Senate.
No, Mr. President, wind turbines do not cause cancer
Health concerns about wind turbines stem from a decades-old misunderstanding about inaudible noise, or “infrasound,” writer Philip Jaekl points out.
Long work commutes of pregnant women linked to low birth weights
The researchers believe the higher risk of adverse birth outcomes is most likely the result of the chronic stress induced by the long, daily commutes to work.
Just an hour a week of brisk walking reduces risk of knee-arthritis disability, study finds
“This is less than 10 minutes a day for people to maintain their independence,” said Dorothy Dunlop, the study’s lead author.
Do drivers consider cyclists to be fully human?
A new Australian study suggests that for some drivers, the answer is “no.”
‘Embarrassment’ tweets jumped after Trump became president, study finds
“We found that people felt the need to share their emotions related to Donald Trump’s politics, and embarrassment was the emotion that most clearly described what people felt,” said study co-author Sören Krach.