adults

Lead Exposure May Have Lowered The IQ of Half of Americans Since 1940

by

Childhood lead exposure in the United States is ubiquitous and much more concerning than previous estimates have suggested, according to a new study. When researchers analyzed leaded gas use from 1940 and combined it with data on blood-lead levels from the mid 1970s, they found more than 54 percent of Americans alive in 2015 had … Read more

Scientists Identify The Optimal Number of Daily Steps For Longevity, And It’s Not 10,000

by

Conventional wisdom would have us believe the journey to a long and healthy life begins with 10,000 steps. Each and every day. For those living a more sedentary lifestyle, it’s a goal that can take some effort to maintain. We’ve also known for some time it’s also almost certainly wrong.   By analyzing data on … Read more

Analysis From 113 Countries Shows The Harrowing Extent of Loneliness We Live With

by

More humans are alive today than ever before, and yet around the world, people are still feeling alone a lot of the time. Even before the global pandemic hit, a sweeping meta analysis has found chronic or severe loneliness was a common and overlooked experience in numerous nations.   Past studies in the industrialized world … Read more

Baboons: A tough infancy leaves females less sociable as adults

by

Baboons are sociable primates, but females that had a tough early life – because of the loss of their mother or a lack of food – find socialising harder Life 2 February 2022 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Olive baboons (Papio anubis) Alexa Duchesnneau and Sam Patterson Female baboons that had a harder life as youngsters tend … Read more

Affluent Children Are More Prone to Tooth Decay, First Meta-Study of Its Kind Reveals

by

Even with regular visits to the dentist, affluent children are more likely to experience tooth decay, according to the first meta-analysis of its kind. The systematic review suggests the corrosive effects of soda, juices, and energy drinks have eaten away at some of the privileges provided by wealth and education.   Across 65 studies from … Read more

Inequality before Birth Contributes to Health Inequality in Adults

by

Editor’s Note (12/21/21): This article is being showcased in a special collection about equity in health care that was made possible by the support of Takeda. The article was published independently and without sponsorship. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately hurt members of minority communities in the U.S. As of July 2020, 73.7 Black people out … Read more

Babies: Mother’s smell helps infants bond with strangers

by

Maternal body odour signals to babies that they can safely build relationships with other adults, a trait that may have evolved so that mothers can share the load of child rearing Humans 10 December 2021 By Alice Klein A mother and daughter fizkes/Shutterstock Babies are more socially receptive to unfamiliar women when they can smell … Read more