College students who misuse prescription drugs do so more often during the week and when they are alone at home, according to a recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The longitudinal study, “College-based social and situational predictors of real-time prescription drug misuse in daily life,” surveyed…
CHOP-led network receives NIH-supported resources to unlock mysteries behind pediatric brain tumors
Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind pediatric brain tumors is at the heart of the mission of the Center for Data Driven Discovery in Biomedicine (D3b) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), a multi-institutional brain tumor research program with its operations center housed at D3b,…
Research suggests beneficial impact of hormone replacement therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reduces women’s risk of an early death—according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new in-depth study found that for healthy women taking combined HRT, the overall risk of death from all causes is reduced by an average nine percent. For healthy women…
Personality traits associated with hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease
New research from the Florida State University College of Medicine found that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease are often visible early on in individuals with personality traits associated with the condition. The study focused on two traits previously linked to the risk of dementia: neuroticism, which measures…
Pioneering research of first published African American doctor revealed
New evidence has emerged of the first known paper to be published in a British Medical Journal by an African American. Nineteenth century doctor James McCune Smith was a pioneer in the use of medical statistics which he used to expose a scandal that saw women subjected to a harmful…
Study reveals differential effects of UK COVID-19 lockdowns across social groups
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in the UK, the virus and its related lockdown measures had unequal and varying impacts on people's income, time use, and subjective well-being based on their gender, ethnicity and educational level, according to a new study of around 51,000 UK adults. The study is published…
$6 million CDC grant to support U-M researchers in reducing youth firearm violence
Middle- and high school-age children across the United States are more likely to die as the result of a firearm injury than from any other single cause of death. A $6 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded this week to the University of Michigan will…
Preliminary research finds that even mild cases of COVID-19 leave a mark on the brain
With more than 18 months of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, researchers have been steadily gathering new and important insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the body and brain. These findings are raising concerns about the long-term impacts that the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as…
Research finds ‘very low rates’ of dental fluoride varnish treatment for young children
Fewer than 5% of well-child visits for privately insured young children included a recommended dental fluoride varnish application, despite mandatory insurance coverage for this service, according to a University of Massachusetts Amherst study. Fluoride varnish helps reduce tooth decay, which affects nearly 25% of 2- to 5-year-olds and more than…
New research shows COVID vaccines still protect against severe disease
(HealthDay)—Two new government reports confirm that while the power of coronavirus vaccines wanes over time, they still protect strongly against severe disease, even as the highly contagious Delta variant overtakes America. One study that looked at Los Angeles County reaffirmed that fully vaccinated people are far less likely than unvaccinated…
People with cognitively stimulating jobs have lower risk of dementia in old age, study finds
People with mentally stimulating jobs have a lower risk of dementia in old age than those with non-stimulating jobs, finds a study published by The BMJ today. One possible explanation is that mental stimulation is linked to lower levels of certain proteins that may prevent brain cells forming new connections…