News by Subject Social & Behavior

Women who are diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) during late pregnancy or within a month following delivery are more likely to experience restored cardiac function and improved outcomes compared to those who are diagnosed later in the postpartum period, according to a new study. The findings underscore the need for increased awareness and monitoring of heart failure symptoms, particularly among black women, who, on average, are diagnosed significantly later than white patients, researchers found.

A study by researchers at Yale has uncovered why belly fat surrounding organs increases as people age, a finding that could offer new treatment possibilities for improving metabolic health, thereby reducing the likelihood for diseases like diabetes and atherosclerosis that stem from inflammation.

Researchers funded by NIH have found that older Mexican Americans who suffer from pain were 1.7 times likelier to become frail, compared to study participants who did not report pain. The study published in The Journal of Pain by researchers at UTMB - Galveston, looked at pain as a predictor of frailty in older Mexican American adults in a follow-up period of 18 years. All participants were non-frail at the start of the study.

Nearly half of Americans in their 50s and early 60s think they're likely to develop dementia as they grow older, but only 5% of them have actually talked with a doctor about what they could do to reduce their risk, a new study finds. Meanwhile, a third or more say they're trying to stave off dementia by taking supplements or doing crossword puzzles -- despite the lack of proof that such tactics work.

This observational study estimated the rate of opioid overdose deaths among Medicare enrollees younger than 65 who qualified for Medicare because of a disability. The study included more than 1.7 million of these enrollees in 2016 and 1,371 opioid overdose deaths. Researchers report those enrollees represented 14.9% of the Medicare population but they accounted for almost 81% of all opioid overdose deaths among all Medicare enrollees.

For some women, sex becomes less satisfying with age, with a pronounced decline during perimenopause. A new study indicates that sexual dysfunction increases by nearly 30% during perimenopause, and vaginal dryness most often has the greatest effect on desire, arousal, lubrication, and overall satisfaction. Study results were published this week in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

In a surprising finding using the standard animal model of Down syndrome (DS), scientists were able to correct the learning and memory deficits associated with the condition -- the leading genetic cause of cognitive disability and the most frequently diagnosed chromosomal disorder in the US -- with drugs that target the body's response to cellular stresses.

University of Illinois social work professor Ryan Wade is the co-creator of a scale that measures the impact of racialized sexual discrimination on gay and bisexual men of color who encounter it on dating websites and apps.

The transition to electronic health records (EHRs) was supposed to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare for doctors and patients alike -- but these technologies get an 'F' rating for usability from health care professionals, and may be contributing to high rates of professional burnout, according to a new Yale-led study.

Despite increasing support for the rights of people in the LGBTQ+ community, discrimination remains a critical and ongoing issue for this population, according to researchers. Researchers found that sexual minorities experienced discrimination and victimization at different rates across age.