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☆ New Orleans saltwater: The toxic reason saltwater intrusion would be a catastrophe for New Orleans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But it’s a looming catastrophe for New Orleans, where officials estimate that tens of thousands of the city’s water pipes are made of lead. Many residents aren’t even aware they have lead pipes supplying their drinking water, said Jessica Dandridge, executive director of the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. Dandridge’s organization works both on water quality issues around the city’s lead pipes and stormwater management and flood control, and they are one of BlueConduit’s local partners working to map the pipes. As a result, lead drinking pipes are all over the country; some national estimates say the total number of pipes is around 9.2 million. It’s “almost a sleuthing or detective (work), trying to find out where the pipes are and where they go,” New Orleans City Councilmember JP Morrell told CNN.

Persons: it’s, Chris Granger, don’t, ” Eric Schwartz, Jessica Dandridge, “, Danielle Land, ”, Land, Dandridge, ” Dandridge, Biden, It’s, JP Morrell, Adrienne Katner, Justin Sullivan, ” Schwartz, BlueConduit’s, ” Grace Birch, “ It’s, Jeffrey Thomas, ” Thomas, “ There’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, Army Corps, Engineers, US Centers for Disease Control, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Times, New, University of Michigan’s, Michigan State University, Hurricane, city’s, Water Board, ” New, ” New Orleans City, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New, Army Corp, Biden Locations: Mississippi, New Orleans, Gulf, Mexico, “ New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Plaquemines, ”, ” New Orleans, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana

☆ Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó was 'demoted 4 times' at her old job. How she persisted: 'You have to focus on what's next'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On Monday, Karikó, along with her collaborator Drew Weissman, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. It's clear, and impressive, that Karikó didn't take those obstacles personally. Suhadolnik didn't receive the news well, she says. If you have a Ph.D. from an American Ivy League [university], that's better compared to if you have a degree from a foreign university." The type of work Karikó does, Feigl-Ding says, doesn't make splashy headlines, because groundbreaking work rarely does.

Persons: Pfizer Covid, Katalin, Drew Weissman, Karikó, didn't, Robert J, Suhadolnik, Susan, Suhadolnik didn't, Gregory Zuckerman's, I'm, wasn't, Eric Feigl, Ding, doesn't, Nobel, Albert Einstein didn't, Ding epidemiologist, Weissman Organizations: Pfizer, Moderna, CNBC, University of Pennsylvania, University of Szeged, Biological Research, Temple University, Uniformed Services University of, Health Sciences, New, Systems Institute, Harvard Medical School, American Ivy League, Universities, Systems, Harvard Medical Locations: Hungary, Philadelphia, Bethesda , Maryland, UPenn, United States, U.S, New England

☆ Cough syrup deaths overseas prompt US crackdown on toxic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Defendants and lawyers attend a court hearing in the case of child deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan August 16, 2023. Cough syrups made in India and Indonesia have been linked to deaths of more than 300 children globally. The medicines were found to contain high levels of DEG and EG, leading to acute kidney injury and death. IMPORT ALERTSThe FDA warning letters give manufacturers an opportunity to fix quality control problems or face penalties. In addition, 13 U.S. makers of consumer products like earwax removers, nasal spray, hand soap and shampoo, including Lex, were threatened with possible seizures and injunctions by the FDA.

Persons: Stringer, Paul Hastings, Peter Lindsay, syrups, Lex, Charlene Paz, Greg Landry, Patrick Wingrove, Rishika, Joyce Lee, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, FDA, Drug Administration, EG, Reuters, South, South Korea's LCC, LCC, Daxal Therapeutics, Herbals, South Korea’s KM Pharmaceutical, Sangleaf Pharma, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Thomson Locations: Tashkent, Uzbekistan, U.S, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Washington ,, Indonesia, United States, Florida, South Korea's, South, New York, Rishika Sadam, Hyderabad, Seoul

☆ Your Fitbit and Apple Watch may wind up hurting you
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen numbers take overThe 10,000-step benchmark has generally been the baseline goal for smartphone apps and fitness trackers. When the Fitbit tracker launched in 2009, 45 years after Yamasa's gadget cemented the 10,000-steps ideal in the public consciousness, it kick-started a boom in fitness wearables and spawned a frenzy for health data. This flood of easily accessible health data has certainly had some positive effects. Many fitness-tracking products also incorporate social-sharing features, which can give us a better perspective on how our exercise habits stack up against our friends', providing a little healthy competition as motivation. Many health- and fitness-tracking apps and wearables issue notifications throughout the day to urge their users toward their movement goals.

Persons: I've, Amanda Paluch, —, Paluch, John Toner, Toner, Cathleen Kronemer, Louis, she's, Kronemer, there's, I'm, Kelli María Korducki Organizations: Apple, US Department of Health, Human Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Hull, Health, Washington University School of Medicine, — Locations: East Asia, St, New York City

Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. The rejection and request for additional testing sharply contrasts the backing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) independent experts for the spray, neffy, in May. EpiPen-maker Viatris (VTRS.O) had in June petitioned the FDA to require that ARS conduct more trials that closely mimic real-world conditions. It did not test neffy in anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction, due to ethical concerns. ARS expects to re-submit its application in the first half of 2024, with an FDA decision likely in the second half.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, William Blair, Tim Lugo, Stacey Saiontz, anaphylaxis, James Tarbox, Christy Santhosh, Sriparna Roy, Jahnavi, Varun Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, REUTERS, ARS Pharmaceuticals, U.S . Food, Pharma, Regulators, ARS, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Thomson Locations: White Oak , Maryland, U.S, anaphylaxis, Bengaluru

☆ Exercising in the morning may be best for weight loss, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —If your main fitness goal is weight loss, you may want to consider the time of day you’re exercising. Positive links between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and weight loss have been previously reported by other researchers. In the latest study, morning exercisers were the most sedentary even though they had the lowest BMI and waist circumference. Greater weight loss can also result from doing exercise that’s more concentrated or structured, the authors said — another pattern they found among the morning group. If you can fit it in, “early morning aerobic exercise — such as biking, running or even brisk walking to start with — is a promising tool for weight loss,” Ma said.

Persons: ”, Rebecca Krukowski, —, Dr, Tongyu Ma, Krukowski, they’re, “, ” Ma Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, US Center for Disease Control, National Health, BMI, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Equity Center, University of Virginia’s School of Medicine, “, —

☆ Exclusive-A Close Encounter With the 'Alien Bodies' in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Maussan claims they were found around 2017 in Peru, near the pre-Columbian Nazca Lines. They have the same physical appearance, they are the same," Maussan said of Victoria and the two bodies he presented in Mexico. How the bodies arrived in Mexico is a question he says he cannot answer. Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Director of the Health Sciences Research Institute of the Secretary of the Navy, participated in the congressional hearing, bolstering Maussan's claims. (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City; additional reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Rosalba O'Brien)

Persons: Cassandra Garrison, Jaime Maussan, Maussan, Elsa Tomasto, David Spergel, Rodolfo Salas, Gismondi, Leslie Urteaga, I'm, Clara, Mauricio, Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Julieta Fierro, Fierro, Marco Aquino, Stephen Eisenhammer, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Cassandra Garrison MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Nazca Lines, Princeton, NASA, Peruvian, Peruvian Culture, Health Sciences Research, Navy, University's, of Astronomy, UNAM Locations: Cassandra Garrison MEXICO, Mexican, Mexico City, Santa Fe, Peru, Peruvian, Victoria, Mexico, UNAM, Lima

The bodies appear ancient and share characteristics with humans: two eyes, a mouth, two arms, two legs. Maussan claims they were found around 2017 in Peru, near the pre-Columbian Nazca Lines. They have the same physical appearance, they are the same," Maussan said of Victoria and the two bodies he presented in Mexico. How the bodies arrived in Mexico is a question he says he cannot answer. Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Director of the Health Sciences Research Institute of the Secretary of the Navy, participated in the congressional hearing, bolstering Maussan's claims.

Persons: Jaime Maussan, Raquel Cunha, Maussan, Elsa Tomasto, David Spergel, Rodolfo Salas, Gismondi, Leslie Urteaga, I'm, Clara, Mauricio, Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Julieta Fierro, Fierro, Cassandra Garrison, Marco Aquino, Stephen Eisenhammer, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Nazca Lines, Princeton, NASA, Peruvian, Peruvian Culture, Health Sciences Research, Navy, University's, of Astronomy, UNAM, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Mexican, Santa Fe, Peru, Peruvian, Victoria, UNAM, Lima

☆ 5-Minute Morning Yoga
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Melinda Wenner Moyer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

‌If possible, start your morning yoga routine right after you wake up — and ideally before you reach for your phone, said Laura Schmalzl, a neuroscientist and certified yoga instructor at the Southern California University of Health Sciences. Here is a yoga routine recommended by experts to get your day going. Half cobraRelease your legs and roll onto your chest, allowing your forehead or cheek to rest on the floor. Feel your spine gently stretch as you continue to slowly breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. It’s also a pose you can return to in any yoga class if you need to rest or reset.

Persons: you’re, ”, Neha Gothe, Laura Schmalzl, Natalie Nevins, ‌, . Nevins Organizations: University of Illinois, Southern California University of Health Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences Locations: University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign

☆ Does the MIND Diet Prevent Dementia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alice Callahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

What is the MIND diet? The MIND diet was first described in a 2015 study led by Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University, who died in 2020. The MIND diet is unique, however, in that it calls for at least six servings of leafy greens and two servings of berries each week. Does the MIND diet benefit the brain? But these studies can’t prove that the MIND diet itself leads to better brain health.

Persons: Martha Clare Morris, Morris, ”, Debora Melo van Lent Organizations: Rush University, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Locations: San Antonio

☆ Fact Check-Ivermectin still not FDA-approved to treat COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ivermectin is not FDA-approved for COVID treatment, but misleading posts cast the attorney’s statement as though it represented a change in the drug’s status. Referring to ivermectin, a post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “The FDA now says the Nobel Prize winning drug is approved to treat COVID” (here). Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA, said that “FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID” (see 22:26 timestamp) and “FDA is clearly acknowledging that doctors have the authority to prescribe human ivermectin to treat COVID” (see 31:30 timestamp). “In general, off-label uses have evidence for efficacy and safety that is less than that required to have an indication FDA-approved. Ivermectin is not FDA-approved to treat COVID but the agency does not prohibit physicians from prescribing the drug off-label.

Persons: ivermectin, Ivermectin, COVID, Ashley Cheung Honold, Randall Stafford, ”, ” Stafford, “, Stafford, Ryan Abbot, ” Abbot, Read Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Twitter, Facebook, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Department of Health & Human, COVID, YouTube, Justice, Stanford School of Medicine, University of Surrey, University of California, al, “, Reuters Locations: Los Angeles, Apter

☆ Marijuana users have more heavy metals in their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Users of marijuana had statistically higher levels of lead and cadmium in their blood and urine than people who do not use weed, a new study found. Marijuana users also had 22% higher cadmium levels in their blood than non-users, and 18% higher levels in their urine, Sanchez said. “Our study wasn’t able to tease apart whether or not self-reported cannabis users were using medical or recreational cannabis, so we can’t say definitively if medical cannabis users specifically had higher metal levels,” she said. Heavy metals aren’t just in marijuana — tobacco smokers are exposed to even more types of toxins. While that’s good news for the environment, it’s worrisome for marijuana users.

Persons: ”, Tiffany Sanchez, Sanchez, Beth Cohen, ” Sanchez, can’t, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, NYU Langone, I’m Organizations: CNN, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, US Environmental Protection Agency . Marijuana, University of California, Environmental, National Health, Cleveland Clinic, NYU, US Department of Agriculture, District of Columbia Locations: New York City, San Francisco, Italy

☆ These four trends are shaping the gun industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Here are four trends that are shaping the gun industry today:Market normalizationSeveral companies in the gun market are slowing down production and slashing prices as they combat material cost increases and waning demand for their weapons. Gun sales typically see a spike during presidential elections, Dionisio added. Investors in Biofire include venture capitalist Ron Conway and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund Biofire's smart gun comes as gun manufacturers increasingly look for different materials and technologies to make their products more appealing to consumers. "Smart guns can ensure that guns are accessible by their owners and no one else," said Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown, who has tested Biofire's smart gun. First-time gun purchasers during the pandemic, according to the study, were younger than previous, pre-pandemic U.S. gun owners.

Persons: Spencer Platt, Smith, Sturm, NSSF, Rommel Dionisio, Mark Smith, Christopher J, Killoy, Capital's Dionisio, Dionisio, Kai Kloepfer, Kloepfer, Biofire, they'll, Ron Conway, Peter Thiel's, Mark Oliva, Oliva, Nick Suplina, Matthew Miller, NORC, NSSF's Oliva Organizations: Getty, Wesson, Ruger, Company, Smith, Shooting Sports, Aegis Capital, CNBC, Smith & Wesson, Ruger & Company, Fund, Shooting Sports Foundation, Gun Safety, University of Chicago, America Locations: Monroe , Pennsylvania, U.S, Biofire, it's

☆ It may be time to break out the masks against Covid, some experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“And since the masks that are most effective are N95 that are now readily available, that’s the kind of mask you should wear,” he added. But the agency doesn’t make a broad recommendation for everyone to adopt masks. Morris Brown College in Atlanta announced a return to mandated physical distancing and masks just one week after classes started in August. And pediatricians are poised for the typical return-to-school surge in all kinds of respiratory illness, whether colds, flu or Covid. “The virus is always lurking, waiting for openings, so I think Covid is just going to be a bit of a roller coaster, probably forever,” Wachter said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jonathan Reiner, “, ” Reiner, Biden, ”, Reiner, Eric Topol, ” Topol, ” What’s, Robert Wachter, ” Wachter, haven’t, Peter Chin, Topol, Dr, Sara Bode, Bode, It’s, ‘, ” Chin, Hong, You’ve, you’ve, Amanda Musa, Brenda Goodman, Deidre McPhillips, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Scripps, Research, Covid, Department of Medicine, University of California San, University of California, Morris Brown College, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, American Academy of Pediatrics ’, School Health, Internal Locations: Covid, Florida, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, Atlanta, Columbus , Ohio, Washington

☆ Opinion: Hitting the gym or going to yoga? Your workout clothes could be doing more harm than you realize
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Opinion Alden Wicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

BPA is an endocrine disruptor, meaning that it mimics or interferes with the body’s hormones. It governs weight management and your energy levels, not to mention your skin’s appearance and your ability to fend off illness. Others have tried to argue that some of the chemicals in clothing fell within the legal and regulatory limits. The signs that something is very, very wrong with our reproductive health and endocrine systems are myriad. After all, you might be undoing the benefits of hitting the gym every day when your workout clothes could be doing so much damage to your health.

Persons: Alden Wicker, Athleta, Alden Wicker Alden Wicker, There’s, bisphenol, Ashley Eskew, “, Thinx, ” Dr, Laura Vandenberg, Down, ”, Shanna, Dr, Graham Peaslee, PFAS, Swan, lipsticks, ‘, ” Eskew, Eskew Organizations: New York Times, Vox, Wired, CNN, Center for Environmental Health, Nike, IKEA, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC, US Environmental Protection Agency, Industry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, of Environmental Health Sciences, Notre, Twitter Locations: Putnam, California, Patagonia, ” North Carolina, Spain

☆ New Covid vaccines are coming to the U.S. this fall, but uptake may be low — Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Regardless of that shift, experts say vaccine uptake may not look much different from that of the bivalent boosters. Pandemic fatigue, confusionFatigue over the pandemic and the general belief that Covid is "over" could potentially hinder the uptake of new shots this fall, experts said. Ipsos and Axios released a survey with similar findings in May, the same month the U.S. ended the national Covid public health emergency amid a downward trend in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. "That contrasts with what we've seen in the past where there are different vaccines, different timing, different age groups and something new to consider every few months." Advisors to the FDA have raised concerns about shifting to yearly Covid vaccines, noting that it's unclear if the virus is seasonal like the flu.

Persons: Antonio Perez, Axios, isn't, Dr, Kartik Cherabuddi, Brad Pollock, Pollock, they're, Ashley McGee, Justin Sullivan, CDC hasn't, Covid, KFF's Kates, Michael Nagle, Kates, we've Organizations: Chicago CVS, Tribune, Service, Getty Images Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer, Gallup, University of Florida, CNBC, UC Davis Health's, Safeway, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Health, Human Services Department, FDA, Xinhua News Agency, Getty Locations: Chicago, U.S, San Rafael , California, New York, United States

☆ A Texas town is trying to solve the US physician shortage with 'homegrown' clinicians — a possible answer to the primary-care drought plaguing 100 million Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

El Paso is among the 95% of Texas counties that have some shortage of primary-care physicians. The hope is they will stay and practice medicine in El Paso after medical school and residency. El Paso County, which includes the city of the same name, is among the 95% of Texas counties that have a shortage of primary-care physicians. The idea, he added, is that those participants will have a higher likelihood of staying after medical school and residency. Makena Piñon is one of five El Paso high school seniors accepted into MedFuture's first cohort.

Persons: Piñon, They're, Atul Grover, —, Grover, we've, hasn't, Dr, Richard Lange, Paul L, Lange, Makena, TTUHSC, Cynthia Perry Organizations: Healthcare, Morning, El Paso, National Center for Education Statistics —, Association of American Medical Colleges, Research, Action Institute, Office, University of Texas, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El, El, Foster School of Medicine, Association of American Medical, Texas Higher Locations: El Paso, Texas, El, Houston, El Paso County, —, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TTUHSC El Paso, , Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana

An expansion of the criteria for medically assisted death that comes into force in March 2024 will allow Canadians like Pauli, whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, to choose medically assisted death. In 2021, the most recent year available, 10,064 people died through medically assisted death, about 3.3% of deaths in Canada that year. Dembo served on an expert panel on assisted death and mental illness that presented a report to Canada's parliament last year. loadingThe reported cases of people resorting to medically assisted death in part due to lack of supports are "tragic," Lametti said. "It does in one sense [represent a slippery slope], doesn't it, because it started off with terminal illness and it's ended up with non-terminal illness and mental illness."

Persons: Lisa Pauli, Pauli, I've, David Lametti, Lametti, It's, Marie, Claude Lacasse, Georges L'Esperance, Sarah Dobec, Justine Dembo, Dembo, She's, Mary Heatley, …, Heatley, Sonu Gaind, Michelle Hewitt, Hewitt, Sean Tagert, Lou Gehrig's, Tagert's, Sean, Charles Falconer, it's, Anna Mehler Paperny, Denny Thomas, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: TORONTO, Reuters, Health, Quebec Association for, Canada, Health Sciences Centre, Labour, Thomson Locations: Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Provinces, Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario, Health Canada, Canadian, Britain

☆ Drowning Is No. 1 Killer of Young Children. U.S. Efforts to Fix It Are Lagging.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Emily Baumgaertner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

said it planned to do an in-depth analysis of childhood drownings in several states to better understand the contributing factors. (Research shows that drownings rise with every degree on a thermometer.) There are still over 4,000 of them in the United States annually, and about a quarter of the deaths are of children. shows that Black children between ages 5 and 9 are 2.6 times more likely to drown in swimming pools than white children, and those between ages 10 and 14 are 3.6 times more likely to drown. Disparities are also present in most age groups for Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American and Alaska Native children.

Persons: drownings, Deborah Girasek Organizations: National Institutes of Health, Uniformed Services University of, Health Sciences Locations: Florida, Wisconsin, Yosemite, United States, Pacific, American, Alaska

☆ ‘Forever chemicals’ in water: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with PFAS, government study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Almost half of the tap water in the United States is contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a study from the US Geological Survey. Experts say it’s important for people to understand their risk of exposure through tap water. Water filters may help somewhat if tap water is contaminated, and there are moves to regulate some PFAS chemicals in US drinking water. This US Geological Survey map shows the number of PFAS detected in tap water samples from select sites across the nation. In August 2023, the EPA said it is conducting the “most comprehensive monitoring effort for PFAS ever” at large and midsize public water systems and hundreds of small water systems.

Persons: Jamie DeWitt, There’s, ”, DeWitt, They’re, Graham Peaslee, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “, Peaslee, ” Peaslee Organizations: CNN, Geological Survey, National Institutes of Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, Survey, Eastern Seaboard, Environmental Health Sciences, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Utilities, EPA, of Physics, University of Notre Dame, CNN Health Locations: United States, Great, Central, Southern California

☆ Air quality alert apps see spike in usage as Canada wildfires burn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some apps run on data crowdsourced from relatively affordable air quality sensors sold by companies such as PurpleAir and IQAir. Air quality apps and mapsOutdoor air quality-monitoring apps like AirNow, AirCare and AirVisual have been among the nation's most used apps in past years when wildfires raged in Oregon and California. Like most air pollution trackers, it uses a color-coded visual system to indicate whether air pollution levels are good to hazardous, or whether there is not enough data to issue a rating. These include a Fire and Smoke Map, which provides information on fire locations, smoke plumes and air quality, and the AirNow Interactive Map shows ozone and particulate matter from air quality monitors across the country. Indoor air matters, tooWhile outdoor air quality is important, society doesn't talk or do enough about indoor air quality, said Richard Corsi, University of California, Davis' incoming dean of the college of engineering, currently a professor and dean at Portland State University.

Persons: AirNow, Yanelli Nunez, Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Nunez, Richard Corsi, Davis, Corsi Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, ZIP, Apple Watch, Huawei, Columbia University's Mailman, of Public Health, University of California, Portland State University Locations: North America, Europe, Quebec, Ontario, U.S, New York City, Oregon, California, Mexico, Canada, Macedonia, Australia, Swiss, Greater Los Angeles

☆ Explainer: What are the health risks from wildfire smoke?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nancy Lapid | Thomson Reuters | Nancy Has Been A Health News Editor At Reuters For More Than A Decade. Previously She Was A Writer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More toxic than normal air pollution, wildfire smoke can linger in the air for weeks and travel hundreds of miles. Along with particles of soil and biological materials, wildfire smoke often contains traces of chemicals, metals, plastics and other synthetic materials. New data from California also show an increase in fungal infections in the months following wildfire smoke exposure, likely due to fungal spores in the smoke. But the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure over multiple seasons are not yet clear. Doug Brugge, who chairs the Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn School of Medicine, said wildfire smoke can be deadly.

Persons: Kent Pinkerton, Davis, Keith Bein, Doug Brugge, Nancy Lapid, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Center for Health, University of California, UC, Davis . Studies, Environment, UC Davis, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, of Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine, Thomson Locations: United States, Canada, New York City, California, U.S

☆ Simpler hysterectomy may improve quality of life for some women with cervical cancer, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Thanks to more effective screening, more women have been presenting with cervical cancer at a younger age and an earlier stage of the disease. “Simple hysterectomy can now be considered as a new standard of care for patients with low-risk early-stage cervical cancer,” Plante said. “This is a really big deal for women with cervical cancer,” said Moore, who wasn’t involved with the study. If the findings lead to a change in practice for surgeons, it could “change the trajectory of cervical cancer globally,” she said. Cervical cancer is not common in the US or Canada, Moore said, but it is endemic in low- and middle-income countries.

Persons: Dr, Marie Plante, Plante, ” Plante, ”, Kathleen Moore, Virginia Kerley Cade, Moore, Sanjay Gupta, ” Moore, Stephanie V, Blank, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Universite Laval, Studies, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Cancer Society, Virginia, Developmental Therapeutics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, World Health Organization, Get CNN, CNN Health, Mount Sinai Health Locations: Chicago, Quebec, Canada

☆ Strong leg muscles may be linked with better outcomes after heart attack, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Growing evidence shows that building muscle strength can have benefits for your heart, even leading to better outcomes after a heart attack. Kamiya said that after a heart attack, medically known as a myocardial infarction, the heart can go through a process called myocardial remodeling or cardiac remodeling, in which fibrous tissue accumulates, causing an enlargement of the heart. But emerging evidence suggests that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can alter the course of such remodeling in a way that improves heart function. “Cardiac remodeling is the main cause of the onset of heart failure after myocardial infarction,” Kamiya said. But more can be learned about why some people may be more affected after a heart attack than others, said Dr. Shaline Rao, director of heart failure services at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island, who was not involved in the new study.

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

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