Latest Health News

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The lax enforcement of age limits by many online marijuana dispensaries makes it easier for minors to buy weed, claims new research that looked at online weed sales in 32 states.“It is imperative to require strict age-verification procedures prior to cannabis purchases online and to establish stringent surveillance of online marijuana dispensaries to protect youth,” wrote the authors of the new study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.The authors looked at age-verification policies and other practices of 80 online dispensaries. About 18.8% of dispensaries “required no formal age verification at any stage of the purchasing process,” according to the study.Meanwhile, more than 80% accepted “non-traceable” payment...

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Moms with higher prenatal levels of plastics chemicals known as phthalates may face a slightly increased risk of postpartum depression, according to a new study.Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of new mothers, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. That makes it the most common post-delivery pregnancy complication. The NIH’s Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program set out to examine how chemicals commonly found in plastics and personal care products, including phenols, phthalates and parabens, might play a role in postpartum depression. Exposure to these chemicals can affect hormone levels, and exposure is common through diet, absorbing them through the skin and inhalation. Researchers found...

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Sweltering temperatures appear to fuel drug-related hospital visits, a problem that could be worsening with climate change, a new study suggests.“We saw that during periods of higher temperatures, there was a corresponding increase in hospital visits related to alcohol and substance use, which also brings attention to some less obvious potential consequences of climate change,” said first study author Robbie Parks. He is an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City.The study noted an increasing trend of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related deaths and disease in the United States, especially in middle-aged and older adults, in recent decades....

MONDAY, Sept. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Many older adults are savvy about telephone scams, but a sizable minority remain vulnerable, a new study suggests.Researchers found that when they simulated a "government impersonation" scam -- contacting seniors and pretending to be federal employees -- over two-thirds knew how to handle the situation: They ignored it.The rest, however, "engaged" with the "scammer." They either called an 800 number sent to them by mail or email, or answered a call from the fictional government agency the researchers devised.In some cases, those seniors still maintained a healthy dose of skepticism and did not give away personal information.Some others, though, were not so guarded: Over 16% either did not question the legitimacy of the phony agency, confirmed...