Category: 4. Health

One of the most common health care-associated infections spreads within intensive care units (ICUs) more than three times more than previously thought, new research has found.

Clostridium difficile infection — commonly called C. diff — causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever and is lethal in about 6% of cases in the U.S. The disease is highly contagious, but in previous research, direct…

Epigenetic marks are chemical modifications that help regulate genetic expression without directly altering DNA sequence in the makeup of genes. While the genetic code is like a computer’s hardware, epigenetics involves chemical…

In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at the ways chatbots struggle to think like humans, how nanoparticles might connect brains and computers, a better way to vaccinate for food poisoning and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here.

One thing that humans are very good at is the ability to reason by analogy–the ability to look at a bunch of different situations or sets of facts and generalize from them. This kind of thinking is vital in a number of…

Can artificial intelligence rival doctors’ decision-making?

A new study by researchers at Cedars-Sinai, Tel Aviv University and digital health startup K Health says yes—at least in certain circumstances. The new study looked at the recommendations of K Health’s AI chatbot compared to those of the real-life doctors for patients who came to virtual urgent-care appointments with acute respiratory, urinary, vaginal, eye or…

Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global once stated that the way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep. Huffington is right because good sleep has been shown to improve brain performance, mood, and health. Sleep plays a crucial role in our physical, mental, and emotional health but studies show that more than one-third of…

Over the past few years, experts have been sounding the alarm over how much time Americans spend alone.

Statistics show that we’re choosing to be solitary for more of our waking hours than ever before, tucked away at home rather than mingling in public. Increasing numbers of us are dining alone and traveling solo, and rates of living alone have nearly doubled in the past 50 years.

These trends coincided with the surgeon general’s 2023 declaration of a loneliness epidemic,…

Menopause can have profound effects on heart health, yet many people are unaware of this important connection.

The hormonal shifts occurring during menopause mark the end of a woman’s reproductive years and contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of death among women globally. As estrogen levels drop, changes in cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation and fat distribution can lead to plaque buildup in blood vessels, which is a major cause…

It’s been rumored for quite some time that the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may pursue banning prescription drug advertisements on…

My father passed away on November 17, 2023.

In the haze of his passing, a well-meaning hospital attendant mentioned that I could notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) of his death myself or let the funeral home handle it.

Wanting to feel useful in those first…

New research published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity suggests that muscle damage after exercise is similar or lower in older adults compared to younger adults.

The systematic review and meta-analysis included 36 studies that had an exercise component and compared younger and older groups of adults. Outcomes in the included studies included muscle function, muscle soreness, and creatine kinase, which is an indicator of muscle damage,…