Author: healthadmin

South Portland — One of the most desirable locations in Maine, with a vibrant and diverse community, close to the beach, and close to downtown Portland. But for years, South Portland residents have wondered: Is the air safe to breathe with 120 giant oil storage tanks dotting the coast and clustered in several neighborhoods? Thanks to a year of emissions monitoring along the fence line of a city tank farm, we have the first answer. At two of these locations in particular, results showed concentrations of benzene, a known carcinogen, far exceeding state standards. “We’re about 300 feet from those…

The latest class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs has shown for the first time that they can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease itself. These treatments usually allow patients to remain independent for about another 10 months. The drug, known as a monoclonal antibody, works by lowering levels of amyloid, a harmful protein that builds up in the brain. However, patients must receive large doses via infusion once or twice a month. Scientists are currently looking for ways to make treatments less frequent and more effective. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an experimental cellular…

Recent research published in journals Development and psychopathology Our findings suggest that growing up in economically disadvantaged families and neighborhoods tends to be associated with earlier onset of puberty in children. This early biological development provides evidence of a pathway linking lower household income with increased mental health problems and lower academic performance, particularly in adolescent girls. Scientists know that children who grow up with fewer economic and community resources often have poorer mental health and lower academic performance. However, the precise biological and psychological mechanisms linking lack of resources and these negative outcomes remain unclear. Adolescence is a time…

Children born with single-ventricular heart disease, a rare and serious heart defect, often undergo multiple surgeries during the first few years of life. New research shows that these children’s challenges can continue into adolescence and, in some cases, throughout their lives. Researchers at Duke Health and Pediatric Heart Network followed 549 children with single-ventricular heart disease for 16 years and found that 87% died or developed serious health problems over time. Only 12% reached puberty without significant complications. These findings show that Journal of the American College of Cardiology March 11 will give families a clearer picture of what to…

Twelve months ago, drugmakers were hurtling toward 2025, fueled by a year of strong growth that peaked in the fourth quarter of 2024. Now that momentum has been lost, most companies are bracing for a slowdown in sales heading into 2026. In fact, in recent weeks of earnings reports, the drug company’s results were less noteworthy than the guidance. Of the 25 companies with quarterly sales of $2 billion or more that reported through March 5, only five expected their sales to grow faster in 2026 than in 2025, and each by a small percentage. Pharmaceutical companies offered a variety…

Medical debt is associated with deferring dental, medical, and mental health care, even among people with health insurance, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that 42.3% of people with medical debt delayed dental treatment, compared to 17.7% of people without medical debt, nearly 2.4 times as likely. 23.0% of people with medical debt delayed seeking medical care, compared to just 5.3% of people without medical debt, about 4.3 times as likely. Additionally, 14% of people with medical debt are behind on their mental health care, compared…

Now you have another reason to love Japan’s famous matcha. A study in mice suggests that green tea powder may reduce the need to sneeze in people with nasal allergies. Matcha is a bright green powder made from specially cultivated green tea leaves that are dried and ground. It is also used to make tea and as a flavoring agent in various products. Previous studies have shown that tea contains high levels of biologically active compounds such as antioxidants and amino acids, and its use has been associated with a variety of health benefits, including improved heart and brain function…

Scientists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine say they have developed a simplified version of biodegradable nanoparticles that can “teach” the immune system to find and destroy disease-causing cells in the body. Researchers say the study advances the field of manipulating immune cells within a patient’s own body to fight autoimmune diseases such as cancer and lupus. Genetically engineered immune cells have successfully treated a range of blood cancers using CAR-T cells or chimeric antigen receptor T cells. This treatment is done by taking immune T cells from the patient’s own blood and engineering the cells in the lab so…

A study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers has found that mysterious circulating tumor cells called double-positive (DP) cells are associated with shorter survival times in patients with advanced breast cancer. This finding highlights the potential importance of these poorly studied cells in breast cancer progression. Circulating tumor cells are shed tumor cells that can give rise to secondary tumors (metastasis) and are commonly found in the blood of cancer patients. Dual-positive cells are circulating cells that carry markers of both tumor and immune cells and are thought to be hybrid cells resulting from rare fusions of tumor…

A multicenter study led by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Center sheds surprising new light on why some newborns become seriously ill. Escherichia coli Some people are infected, but some people are not. It turns out that most babies have immunity thanks to bacteria-fighting antibodies they receive from their mothers. This study was published in a prestigious journal on March 11, 2026. natureSo we delve into new depths to find out why only some babies develop severe infections with common bacteria. Escherichia coli is a common bacteria that lives in the intestines of almost everyone and is the leading cause of…