Health & Fitness

Story at a glance Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco looked at data from 263,697 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs patients who had completed their vaccines and had at least one COVID-19 test.  Slightly more than 51 percent received at least one psychiatric diagnosis within the last five years and 14.8 percent experienced breakthrough COVID-19. The breakthrough risk for patients over 65 was 24 percent higher for those with substance abuse disorder, 23 percent higher for those with psychotic disorders, 16 percent higher for bipolar disorder, 14 percent for adjustment disorder and 12 percent for anxiety. People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a history of certain mental illness may have an elevated risk of breakthrough infecti...

Americans are often advised to eat healthier, more nutritious foods in an effort to stifle the diabetes and the obesity epidemic striking the nation. Researchers find that many can not identify healthy foods in the grocery store aisle, though. A research team at Attest, a consumer research platform, found that when presented with multiple food options - all of varying levels of health and nutrition - only nine percent of people are able to correctly identify which was the healthiest. Even more worrying, 13 percent identified the least nutritious food option as the healthiest - more than the amount who properly identified the healthiest. Experts say that many are misled by labels on packaging like 'whole grain' and 'low calorie', and either do not bother to or cannot properly read the nutr...

Photo: Getty (Getty Images) A string of severe hepatitis cases in children has doctors across both sides of the pond spooked. Dozens of children in the UK and Europe, as well as some in the U.S., have come down with symptoms of hepatitis not currently explained by known causes. Theories for the outbreak include the resurgence of an existing but usually quieter germ, complications of covid-19, or even the arrival of a novel or mutated virus. Hepatitis is most often caused by a group of five unrelated viruses (hepatitis A through E), but it’s actually a formal term for any kind of liver inflammation. Various infectious diseases, heavy alcohol use, toxins, and even certain medications can all cause hepatitis. Symptoms range from fever and fatigue to jaundice (yellowed skin and eyes), nau...

With yet another COVID-19 booster available for vulnerable populations in the U.S., many people find themselves wondering what the end game will be. The mRNA vaccines currently used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been highly successful at preventing hospitalization and death. The Commonwealth Fund recently reported that in the U.S. alone, the vaccines have prevented over 2 million people from dying and over 17 million from hospitalization. However, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections – cases of COVID-19 infection that occur in people who are fully vaccinated. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently endorsed a second booster shot for individuals 50 years of age and older and people who are...

Dr Peter Hotez, who co-chairs the Lancet Commission on Covid-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Task Force, talks to Kaunain Sheriff M about the next phase in the development of Covid-19 vaccines, explains why heterologous boosters will give more “enduring and lasting protection”, says the Indian govt’s decision to “aggressively pursue a booster programme is wise”, and elaborates on the challenges of long Covid and the road ahead. 🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️ Why Hotez: Dr Hotez is an internationally recognised physician-scientist and among the most trusted voices on vaccine development. The Hyderabad-based Biological E’s Corbevax, which is being administered to children between the age group of 12-14 years in India, was develop...

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – To help mitigate the spread of bird flu, the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota is asking people to take down bird feeders and stop using bird baths this spring. “Because the science is unclear on the role of songbirds in this current H5N1 outbreak, one consideration is to not encourage birds to gather together at places such as bird feeders or bird baths,” Dr. Victoria Hall wrote on the Raptor Center’s Facebook page on Wednesday. Hall said this particular strain of bird flu is especially transmissible, and the Raptor Center sees the impact of the virus every day. The birds fall ill and and die quickly from the virus. Hall said to pause the use of bird feeders and baths “for the next couple of months,” or until the rate of transmission in wild birds d...

Abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) can be pretty difficult to drop. Thankfully, when coupled with a balanced, wholesome diet, these nutritious foods can help you get rid of this dangerous layer of pudge, and slim your midsection. Read on for nutritionists' top picks, and for more inspiration check out The 9 Best Foods That Melt Belly Fat. Summer will be here in a blink, friends. ShutterstockThe number one food recommendation for anyone who wants to lose belly fat? According to Kim Yawitz, RD, a registered dietitian and gym owner in St. Louis, Mo.: "Eat more foods that are high in soluble fiber—a nutrient that most Americans don't get enough of. In one study, visceral fat decreased by nearly four percent for every 10-gram increase in daily s...

The deaths occurred at the Baker's Lake forest preserve, the Forest Preserves of Cook County said in a statement on Thursday. The federal government, which provides the only declaration of incidences of avian influenza, is conducting further tests to determine the cause of death. Zoos across the country have been moving their birds indoors over the past couple of months to protect them from the spread of the potentially deadly strain. The Baker's Lake preserve is home to one of the most significant heron rookeries in the Midwest, according to the Forest Preserves organization. In addition, many other native and migratory birds nest and feed there. "Because of the nature of the local bird population, the avian influenza impact to date has only been observed among waterfowl an...

Our ability to look at abstract symbols and map them onto sounds is one of the key skills for becoming a competent reader. In the academic world, this is known as phonological processing, and this skill can vary from person to person, with conditions like dyslexia making it more difficult for some.    In a new study, a team of researchers tested two supposedly opposing hypotheses on how brain structures relate to reading skill, and rather strangely, found some support for both.  The human brain is naturally asymmetrical, and some of the structures on the left side are thought to be involved in language processing; according to the hypothesis called 'cerebral lateralization', the more asymmetry here, the better one's reading ability. On the other hand, it might also be that the presen...

A health worker prepares a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues amid talks of a fourth dose for high-risk groups including those over the age of 60, in Malcha shopping mall, Jerusalem, December 22, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register April 14 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Fourth vaccine dose protects vs Omicron for at least a month A fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) provided significant added protection against severe disease, hospitalization an...