Routine screening can help find kids who are suffering from undiagnosed asthma in communities with high levels of the breathing disorder, a new study says. Asthma screening during well-child visits found that more than two-thirds (35%) of children with no previous diagnosis of asthma had at least one risk factor for the disease, researchers will report Monday at an American Academy of Pediatrics’ meeting in Denver. Further, about 24% of kids with risk factors were subsequently diagnosed with asthma, researchers said. Those diagnosed with asthma reported coughing or shortness of breath at night, previous use of an inhaler or difficulty exercising due to breathing problems, researchers said. “Asthma is often diagnosed late or not at all because parents may not think of certain symptoms such as night-time cough or needing to stop activity to catch your breath, as being related to asthma,” researcher Dr. Janine Rethy, division chief of community pediatrics at MedStar Health, a not-for-profit health care provider in the Baltimore-Washington D.C., metropolitan area, said in a news release. For the study, researchers screened 650 children ages 2 and older for asthma during well-child visits performed in a mobile medical clinic between 2021 and 2024. The mobile clinic performed these screens in urban areas with a known high prevalence of asthma. Overall, about 8% of children screened were found to have previously undiagnosed asthma,…  read on >  read on >

The march of time may be relentless, but aging is not entirely hopeless if you have the right mindset, according to a Canadian study. Seniors who lose a step health-wise are capable of regaining their well-being, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal PLOS One. Nearly a quarter of folks 60 or older who initially reported poor well-being had regained their optimal level within three years, results showed. Those with strong levels of psychological and emotional wellness were nearly five times more likely to regain optimal well-being, researchers found. “What’s powerful about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods,” said lead researcher Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning, and joy we have in our lives,” she added in a news release. For the new paper, researchers tracked the health of more than 8,300 older adults participating in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.  All of these folks did not have optimal well-being at the start, suffering either from physical health problems, psychological or emotional issues, social isolation or a poor outlook on their own aging, researchers said. The team then checked back in on them after three years, to…  read on >  read on >

The march of time may be relentless, but aging is not entirely hopeless if you have the right mindset, according to a Canadian study. Seniors who lose a step health-wise are capable of regaining their well-being, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal PLOS One. Nearly a quarter of folks 60 or older who initially reported poor well-being had regained their optimal level within three years, results showed. Those with strong levels of psychological and emotional wellness were nearly five times more likely to regain optimal well-being, researchers found. “What’s powerful about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods,” said lead researcher Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning, and joy we have in our lives,” she added in a news release. For the new paper, researchers tracked the health of more than 8,300 older adults participating in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.  All of these folks did not have optimal well-being at the start, suffering either from physical health problems, psychological or emotional issues, social isolation or a poor outlook on their own aging, researchers said. The team then checked back in on them after three years, to…  read on >  read on >

About 19 million U.S. adults take fish oil supplements, often to protect against chronic diseases. But new research suggests their ability to lower colon cancer risk may depend on a single gene. Scientists at the University of Michigan and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that the gene 15-lipoxygenase-1 (ALOX15) is critical for omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil (EPA and DHA) to fight colon cancer. The study — recently published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology — showed that without ALOX15, fish oil could actually raise the risk of colon tumors in mice. “Not all fish oil supplements are the same,” senior researcher Imad Shureiqi, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, said in a news release. “It is also important to ask whether the person who is taking the supplement has the required enzymes to metabolize these products to prevent chronic inflammation and subsequently cancer development,” he added. Researchers compared mice fed fish oil diets with mice on control diets. To their surprise, fish oil increased colon tumors in mice exposed to chemicals that cause inflammation and speed tumor formation. That’s because the omega-3 fatty acids need ALOX15 to be broken down into anti-inflammatory molecules called resolvins, researchers explained. Chronic inflammation is a major factor in cancer. The study…  read on >  read on >

About 19 million U.S. adults take fish oil supplements, often to protect against chronic diseases. But new research suggests their ability to lower colon cancer risk may depend on a single gene. Scientists at the University of Michigan and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that the gene 15-lipoxygenase-1 (ALOX15) is critical for omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil (EPA and DHA) to fight colon cancer. The study — recently published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology — showed that without ALOX15, fish oil could actually raise the risk of colon tumors in mice. “Not all fish oil supplements are the same,” senior researcher Imad Shureiqi, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, said in a news release. “It is also important to ask whether the person who is taking the supplement has the required enzymes to metabolize these products to prevent chronic inflammation and subsequently cancer development,” he added. Researchers compared mice fed fish oil diets with mice on control diets. To their surprise, fish oil increased colon tumors in mice exposed to chemicals that cause inflammation and speed tumor formation. That’s because the omega-3 fatty acids need ALOX15 to be broken down into anti-inflammatory molecules called resolvins, researchers explained. Chronic inflammation is a major factor in cancer. The study…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Sept. 23  2025Extreme pregnancy symptoms like excessive nausea and vomiting can dramatically increase a woman’s risk for mental health and neurological problems, a new study says. Women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) were more than 50% as likely to develop a range of 13 conditions that included postpartum psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers reported Sept. 18 in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health. They also had a nearly tripled risk for postpartum depression, as well as a more than doubled risk for eating disorders, researchers found. “Many pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting but for women with HG this occurs at a level which is far from ‘normal’ and as such it can be profoundly debilitating,” lead researcher Hamilton Morrin said in a news release. Morrin is a doctoral fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. Hyperemesis gravidarum isn’t simple morning sickness. Women with the condition experience prolonged and severe nausea and vomiting, leading to dehydration and weight loss, researchers said in background notes. Hyperemesis gravidarum affects just under 4% of all pregnancies, and is the most common cause of hospitalization in the first trimester of pregnancy, researchers siad. Most cases resolve from the second trimester, but it can leave women feeling anxious, isolated and unsure of their ability to cope with the rest of their…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Sept. 23  2025Extreme pregnancy symptoms like excessive nausea and vomiting can dramatically increase a woman’s risk for mental health and neurological problems, a new study says. Women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) were more than 50% as likely to develop a range of 13 conditions that included postpartum psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers reported Sept. 18 in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health. They also had a nearly tripled risk for postpartum depression, as well as a more than doubled risk for eating disorders, researchers found. “Many pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting but for women with HG this occurs at a level which is far from ‘normal’ and as such it can be profoundly debilitating,” lead researcher Hamilton Morrin said in a news release. Morrin is a doctoral fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. Hyperemesis gravidarum isn’t simple morning sickness. Women with the condition experience prolonged and severe nausea and vomiting, leading to dehydration and weight loss, researchers said in background notes. Hyperemesis gravidarum affects just under 4% of all pregnancies, and is the most common cause of hospitalization in the first trimester of pregnancy, researchers siad. Most cases resolve from the second trimester, but it can leave women feeling anxious, isolated and unsure of their ability to cope with the rest of their…  read on >  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 2025Children with chronic illnesses face extra challenges, and measuring stress through hair samples may help doctors predict which kids are at highest risk for mental health problems. Researchers studied 244 Canadian children with chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis and cystic fibrosis. Over four years, the team measured cortisol — a hormone released during stress — using hair samples. Cortisol is a chemical marker that reflects stress over time. More than two-thirds of the kids had consistently high cortisol levels. Those children were more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety, depression or behavior problems than peers whose cortisol levels declined over time, the study found. “Living with a chronic illness means facing daily challenges such as taking medications, missing school and adjusting activities, all of which can take a serious emotional toll,” lead author Emma Littler said in a news release. She’s a doctoral candidate in Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. The study also found that children whose stress hormone levels decreased showed fewer emotional and behavioral symptoms. “Identifying these risk factors early could help doctors and families intervene before emotional and behavioral difficulties take hold,” study co-author Mark Ferro, a professor of public health sciences at the university, explained. He added that hair cortisol is “non-invasive and easy to collect” and could one day…  read on >  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 2025Children with chronic illnesses face extra challenges, and measuring stress through hair samples may help doctors predict which kids are at highest risk for mental health problems. Researchers studied 244 Canadian children with chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis and cystic fibrosis. Over four years, the team measured cortisol — a hormone released during stress — using hair samples. Cortisol is a chemical marker that reflects stress over time. More than two-thirds of the kids had consistently high cortisol levels. Those children were more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety, depression or behavior problems than peers whose cortisol levels declined over time, the study found. “Living with a chronic illness means facing daily challenges such as taking medications, missing school and adjusting activities, all of which can take a serious emotional toll,” lead author Emma Littler said in a news release. She’s a doctoral candidate in Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. The study also found that children whose stress hormone levels decreased showed fewer emotional and behavioral symptoms. “Identifying these risk factors early could help doctors and families intervene before emotional and behavioral difficulties take hold,” study co-author Mark Ferro, a professor of public health sciences at the university, explained. He added that hair cortisol is “non-invasive and easy to collect” and could one day…  read on >  read on >

The benefits of psilocybin treatment for depression might last as long as five years for some, a new study says. Two-thirds of participants in an early psilocybin clinical trial remained in complete remission from their depression when researchers checked in on them five years later, according to results published in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies. “Five years later, most people continued to view this treatment as safe, meaningful, important and something that catalyzed an ongoing betterment of their life,” said lead researcher Alan Davis, director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at Ohio State University in Columbus. “It’s important for us to understand the details of what comes after treatment,” he said in a news release. “I think this is a sign that regardless of what the outcomes are, their lives were improved because they participated in something like this.” Psilocybin is the main psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms. Research has shown that psilocybin could potentially be effective in treating alcoholism, anxiety and depression, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.  In the original clinical trial, 24 people with major depressive disorder received two doses of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy. Overall, the participants experienced a significant reduction in their depression symptoms. Of those participants, 18 agreed to the five-year follow-up, in which they filled out a series of…  read on >  read on >