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Saturday, April 18, 2026
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Low-income Families Lack Affordable Dental Care in the US

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Since it’s not always covered by Medicaid, dental care for adults has become a luxury that only the upper-middle and upper class can afford – at least in some states. Cost is the main barrier that stops people in the middle- and low-income families from being able to access dental care.

According to a recent survey of the American Dental Association, no less than 20 percent of low-income adults are in need of dental care they cannot afford, for their mouth and teeth are in poor condition.

In response to the crisis that appears on the horizon, the Department of Health & Human Services has awarded last month $156 million to 420 health centers across the United States.

The funding’s main target is to address the worrying demand for affordable dental coverage in various states. The department has revealed that 108 million Americans benefit from no dental insurance, and even for those who are covered, accessibility issues arise.

Medicaid or not, dental care is not affordable for many

Some of the people who are covered by Medicaid have confessed they have trouble getting appointments, mostly because doctors do not have enough incentives to treat them (reimbursement rates are often too low).

Therefore, a lot of people resort to health centers for their dental care. However, seeing that these centers depend on federal funding, they often face problems in providing the kind of dental services the patients need.

According to Marko Vujicic, leading economist of the Health Policy Institute in the American Dental Association, coverage is still the biggest issue. More and more adults have been reporting financial obstacles to accessing dental care.

“Dental insurance is not really health insurance. Health insurance is to help you smooth out the risk, it protects people from catastrophic costs”, Vujicic explained.

At the same time, it’s not really news that dental health coverage is not helping people; even dentists know it. Reports show that in 2015, only half of those with dental insurance had at least one dentist appointment, compared to merely 17 percent of the completely uninsured.

Seeing that tooth decay and periodontal disease are both considered a key factor in the development of heart disease, both of these numbers are abysmal.
Image Source: Pixabay

Obesity Can Shorten Your Life by Up to Three years

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obese American manA  comprehensive study found that being overweight can shorten you life span by one year, while obesity can cost you up to three years of your life. Researchers found that people in the normal BMI range had the lowest risk of dying prematurely.

However, the study found that the death rates also increased for those below the “normal” range and the mildly overweight.

According to the recent research, the risk of dying from all causes rose as the body mass index went up. For instance, those mildly overweight or with a BMI reading between 25.0 and 27.5 risk losing 1.07 years of their lives.

Those mildly obese (BMI: 30 to 35) risk losing 1.45 years of their life spans; the severely obese with a BMI higher than 35 risk losing nearly 2 years, while the morbidly obese (BMI above 40) could see their life span shrink by 2.76 years.

Study authors noted that their meta-analysis which included observations on people worldwide challenges previous believes that being overweight or mildly obese does not impact life span. The findings also challenge the so-called “obesity paradox” which suggests that more body fat has a protective effect on metabolism in healthy people.

Researchers deemed the paradox purely speculative and hypothetical.

Still the risk of premature death dropped suddenly in overweight and obese people aged 70 or older. According to researchers, the risk of early death was more prominent in younger population, i.e. those in the 35-49 age range, than in the older one, i.e. those in the 70-89 range.

Researchers also found that overweight and obese men had a higher risk of premature death than their female counterparts.

Scientists that reviewed the research paper, however, said that study should be taken with a pinch of salt. They noted that it is yet unclear whether we should apply the newly found link between unhealthy BMI and early death to the general population.

NIH researcher David Berrigan and two fellow researchers who were not involved in the study wrote in an accompanying paper that more research needs to be done. They also noted that the findings cannot be generalized as smoking habits and other risk factors for early death were not taken into account in the meta-analysis.

The latest analysis was based on more than 200 studies, which were conducted after 1970, from 32 countries. The study also revealed that the risk of premature death was higher in the underweight and severely obese in Europe than in Asia.

Study results were published July 13 in the journal Lancet.

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Middle-Aged Bicycle Riders See their Diabetes Risk Sink 20 Percent

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Female bicycle rider restingA new study suggests that taking up cycling in the middle and old age is tied to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, researchers found that you don’t have to bring cycling to a professional level to reap its benefits. It is enough to enjoy pedalling in your free time or as transportation to work.

For the study, scientists at the University of Southern Denmark analyzed data on more than 24,000 men and nearly 28,000 women aged 50 to 65. Study participants were asked how often they used their bike for recreational purposes and/or commuting habits.

Next, researchers analyzed each participant risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The diabetes risk was assessed by sifting through the data from the Danish National Diabetes Registry. Study authors found that the longer the time participants spent cycling, the lower the risk of developing the chronic disease was. The team also found a link between habitual cycling and lower type 2 diabetes risk.

After five years, volunteers’ risk of diabetes and cycling habits were re-assessed. Surprisingly, people who took up the habit over this time period  had a 20 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with the metabolic disease than non-riders.

The findings remained consistent even after researchers adjusted them for other risk factors including diet, smoking, substance abuse, weight gain, and workout habits beside bike riding. Study authors acknowledged, however, that the results may be biased as they based their data on cycling habits on self-reports.

Still, there is a statistically significant link between taking up cycling in late adulthood and lower risk of developing diabetes. So, the findings should be enough to encourage more programs touting habitual riding to seniors.

Lead author of the study Dr. Martin Rasmussen explained that anyone can enjoy the benefits of cycling since the activity can be easily inserted in daily activities. So, researchers hope that the habit will be appealing to a large group of population including people with a tight schedule who don’t find time to take up a new sports.

Rasmussen added that the study results are encouraging as the health benefits of habitual cycling were observed in middle and old age population. So, it is never too late to take up the habit and stave off diabetes.

The study was published earlier this week in the journal PLOS Medicine.

Image Source: Pixabay

Thumb-Sucking May Actually Help Your Child Develop Strong Immune System

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Small girl sucking thumbMany babies use their hands to relieve stress or soothe themselves. But thumb-sucking and nail biting are two ‘bad’ habits parents try to correct. Yet, a recent study shows that children naturally use these habits to boost their immune systems.

So, don’t get mad if your kid would rather suck his or her fingers than a pacifier. The good news is that children who engage in these habits are 30 percent more likely to build an immune system strong enough to stave off most allergies.

Professor Malcolm Sears, lead author of the study and researcher with McMaster University School of Medicine, explained that it is essential for kids to get in contact with pets, house dust mite, and dirt.

The latest study, which was recently published in Pediatrics, confirms the hypothesis that being too clean may prevent kids from building strong immune systems. It is widely known that children who have parents obsessed with cleanliness  are more prone to develop allergies or catch colds.

Prof Sears recommend parents to let their kids get exposed to dirt from their infancy. He explained that when a kid is biting his or her nails or sucking thumbs, he or she is also exposed to various types of bugs and bacteria which helps them stimulate their immune system.

However, researchers don’t advise parents to encourage the two habits in their children. Instead, they should just let kids be kid. For instance, researcher Salima Milliot recommends allowing kids play in the dirt and grass.

“That’s what kids should do.”

Milliot said.

Yet some parents may argue that thumb sucking could ruin their kids’ tooth development. Researchers explained that the habit can have a negative impact only when the child develops permanent teeth which happens around the age of 5. Nevertheless, you should take advise from a dentist in your kid’s case.

Still, researchers by no means encourage nail biting in adults as a way of boosting their immune systems. According to a separate study, this habit doesn’t have the same positive outcomes in adults as it has in toddlers.

An adult who is frequently biting their nails does not only ruin their manicure, but he or she also introduces zillions of pathogens in their mouths. So, the risk of catching a cold or developing a disease multiplies.

An adult can also develop a hard-to-treat skin infection called paronychia which affects the skin around the nail, researchers said.

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Meningitis Outbreak Ravages LA Gay Community

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Rainbow flagA recent meningitis outbreak has sickened dozens of members of the Los Angeles county’s gay community. Researchers are now trying to figure out why the potentially fatal disease affects mostly gay and bisexual men in the area.

So far, county health authorities confirmed that 17 patients have been diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease. Of these patients, a dozen were diagnosed over the last two months. Eight patients were gay or bisexual men.

Officials at the L.A. County Department of Public Health noted that the disease disproportionally affects males who are either gay of bisexual. Authorities couldn’t tell why there are so many infections among the gay community.

In the L.A. County, there are about 300,000 openly gay or bisexual men among a 10 million population. In June, authorities said that at least one man died from the infection in Orange County where five more people contracted the disease and one more patient died since January.

To date, there were no reported deaths in the L.A. County.

Health authorities are urging gay and bisexual men to vaccinate against the disease. Shots will be available for free regardless whether the recipient is insured or not. The LA LGBT Center and AIDS Healthcare Foundation said that they will too provide free shots.

Los Angeles LGBT Center urged any gay, bisexual man or transgender woman to get the meningococcal vaccine.

Doctors explained that the condition, which is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis, can lead to hearing loss, paralysis, epilepsy and even death very rapidly. You can get the disease through saliva. So high risk activities include sneezing, coughing, kissing, and sharing cigarettes or drinks.

It takes a few days for symptoms to emerge which can include migraines, muscle pain, fever, nausea, confusion, and stiff neck.

Doctors first thought that gay and bisexual men may be at a higher risk due to an underlying HIV infection. AIDS patients have weakened immune systems which can make them more susceptible to various types of infections and diseases.

However, according to the L.A. County Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, just one of the 17 patients who now have the infection is HIV-positive. County health officials advise all gay and bisexual men who had more than one sex partner or who are frequent users of gay dating apps to get immunized. And so should HIV/AIDS patients.

A similar outbreak resulted in the deaths of three gay men two years ago, authorities noted.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Most Fertility Apps Unreliable in Preventing or Achieving Pregnancy

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Woman using smarphoneA new study revealed that women should not fully rely on fertility apps to learn when they are the most fertile over the course of one month. Researchers found that only 6 of nearly 100 reviewed fertility apps were accurate in pinpointing ovulation.

Dr. Marguerite Duane, lead author of the study and researcher with Georgetown University School of Medicine, noted that fertility apps are becoming hugely popular as more and more women seek to have a tighter control over their pregnancy.

Additionally, knowing when they are the most fertile throughout a month helps women fend off pregnancies in a more natural way than conventional birth control methods. Fertility apps allow women know their fertile time in the menstrual cycle.

Most fertility apps track ovulation, or the time when the woman is the most likely to get pregnant, based on data on her menstrual cycle. Some apps predict ovulation by looking at women’s basal body temperature (BBT) as well, but this is not very accurate. Study authors explained that shifts in the women’s BBT occur 2-3 days AFTER ovulation.

Several apps help women keep an eye on their fertility by tracking changes in their cervical mucus. When the mucus changes consistency and color this means that women are getting closer to ovulation.

The new study revealed, however, that there are nearly 100 fertility apps to download through Google Play or iTunes. About 55 apps said in their terms of service that they should not be used to plan or avoid pregnancy. These apps were not taken into account during the research.

Researchers were left with just 40 apps to analyze. Each app was assessed under a five-point rating system. For the highest score, an app needed to meet as many of 10 criteria considered crucial to prevent pregnancy.

Study investigators learned that only 30 apps pinpointed ovulation and fertility days. However, only six app were the most accurate apps and had no false negatives. The apps which failed to predict ovulation saw a boost in their accuracy if users had undergone training in fertility awareness.

Study authors do not recommend randomly using a fertility app just because your friend does. Dr. Duane advises women to first get proper training in their fertility times and use the fertility apps that scored at least four on accuracy and authority in the latest study.

The study is slated to be published this week in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Image Source: Pixabay

American Women Have Mixed Thoughts About Grooming, Survey

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trimming

Many metaphors have been added to the vernacular describe the act of trimming or completely getting rid of one’s pubic hair (coiffing the badger and trimming the bushes being the least weird).

But regardless of one’s choice of words, it’s clear that Americans just love it. Women have experimented with of all kinds of techniques on their nether region, including vaginal facials and vajazzling.

A new study in JAMA Dermatology revealed that approximately 84 percent of women participating in a survey said they groomed their pubic hair one way or another while 16 percent said they were all natural at all times.

More than 3,300 women were included in the varied sample, coming from different backgrounds, with various races, ages, education levels, locations, and incomes. Going further into the overall statistics, some would say that the differences found by the researchers in terms of grooming habits are pretty evident.

It turns out that white women are more inclined to groom their nether regions than women of any other race; grooming is more popular among women aged 18-24 than women over the age of 45; and college-educated women were the most likely to groom.

As far as the grooming habits are concerned, most women reported using a nonelectric razor, as well as scissors or an electric razor. Interestingly enough, four of the 3,316 women also said they used tweezers for grooming, which is a scary thought for anyone who’s ever tried tweezing even one pubic hair.

Prior work had discovered that one of the most important factors in pubic hair removal is age – the younger the woman, the more likely she is to alter her appearance down south. The figures say 12 percent of those 18 to 24 years old never remove anything while 21 percent remove everything.

That’s not to say that pubic hairlessness because more than half of the women over 50 still sport full bushes and only two percent prefer to go bald. It only shows that this trend has caught on among younger women.

Beyond these demographic factors, the survey’s authors also inquired about other factors that contribute to a woman’s grooming habits, including “aesthetics rather than functionality” and “the mainstream media’s portrayal of women discussing and engaging in pubic hair removal.”
Image Source: Women’s Health Mag

GW Pharmaceuticals Developed Marijuana-Based Drug for Epilepsy

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marijuana leaves

We are witnessing a revolution of recreational marijuana as more U.S. lawmakers propose and pass laws of regulating it. Also, medical marijuana has proved to help a lot of people in pain.

According to London-based GW Pharmaceuticals, a rare form of epilepsy can be treated with a new oil derived from marijuana plants. This type of condition afflicts roughly 30,000 Americans and the maker claims the drug could offer them some hope.

GW Pharmaceuticals has developed Epidiolex, a drug from the pharmaceutical-grade form of cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabidiol is an oil that can be extracted from the marijuana plant.

Epidiolex is a drug that patients would take orally and it contains only minimum amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the ingredient that causes the high effect in pot smokers.

The drug is produced from GW greenhouses in England, where the marijuana plants have been altered to produce significantly more CBD than THC. The oil is then purified in a precise manufacturing process.

Justin Gower, chief executive of GW Pharmaceuticals, said that “between the plant itself and the processing steps which are being taken, the product ends up being pure CBD.”

Previous studies have already tested Epidiolex; in March, GW revealed the results of a particular clinical trial that proved it was effective in treating Dravet syndrome, a very rare form of epilepsy; only 6,000 children are diagnosed with it in the U.S.

After posting the findings, the GW shares saw a surge of 120% in a day, reaching $85 per share. A second clinical trial was conducted, showing a similar effectiveness of the drug for another rare epilepsy form, Lennox Gastaut Syndrome.

With this condition, both children and adults are affected. Tested on patients with an average of 74 seizures a month, Epidiolex was particularly effective on the patients who were administered it, compared to those given a placebo.

While 86 patients took Epidiolex on top of their current epilepsy medications, 85 others received placebo. The patients in the Epidiolex group saw a reduction of 44 percent in seizures compared to a 22 percent for the control group.

GW warned that the drug does have side effects and that as many as 74 of the Epidiolex patients had experienced an “adverse event.” Researchers noted that the drug caused sleepiness, diarrhea, vomiting, and decreased appetite.
Image Source: Pixabay

Parental Pressure Could Lead to Anxiety Feelings in Children

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No-one has a right to judge other people’s parenting style, but scientists have a good advice for helicopter parents, nevertheless.

Overbearing and intrusive parents who have unrealistic expectations of their children can cause them symptoms of anxiety and even depression, according to a five-year study.

All parents want their children to succeed in life, but it doesn’t mean they should push them academically beyond their limits; such a behavior can result in the child being overly self-critical.

While previous studies focused on high school and college students, this is the first to look at the effects of parental pressure on primary school students. The researchers were focused on determining if this type of parenting leads to self-criticalness on seven-year-olds and subsequent ages.

According to the findings of researchers at the National University of Singapore, parents who keep nagging their children about their grades and studies instill in them a feeling that what the child does is never good enough.

This psychological phenomenon – called maladaptive perfectionism – can become a real problem with time as it is known to increase the child’s risk of developing mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In severe cases, maladaptive perfectionism can lead to suicidal thoughts.

For the study, the team conducted experiments at 10 primary schools in Singapore, focusing on seven years old children and performing annual follow-up tests for five years.

The experiment involved the child and the parent who was more involved in the child’s life; the researchers asked the children to solve a series of puzzles, allowing the parents to interfere if they thought the child was stuck.

The researchers’ goal was to observe the level of parental interference in the child’s problem-solving methods, but only when it was irrespective of the fact that child needed the parent’s help or not.

It was observed that when a parent has a tendency of taking control of the situation, the child was more afraid of making mistakes. In addition, the child would have higher stress levels and anxiety.

The study’s findings featured in the Journal of Personality revealed that positive reinforcement from the parent helped children be happier, have higher grades, earn higher incomes later in life, and display stronger morality than those who were constantly pressurized to perform better.
Image Source: She Knows

It’s Easier to Get Birth Control Pills Via Apps or Online

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Thanks to the sex tech revolution, you can avoid the unpleasantness of buying birth control in person. A growing number of women choose to get their pills via mobile phones, but is that safe?

According to the New York Times, Americans are given digital access to birth control from at least half a dozen ventures across the nation, starting from nonprofits like Planned Parenthood to various apps that can help them get contraceptive pills.

One of these apps, Lemonaid, can help users by having a doctor review their medical information and sending a birth control pill prescription to their local pharmacy for the cost of only $15.

There are many potential factors contributing to the rise in telemedicine for reproductive health, ranging from simple convenience to women wanting to save money on prescriptions.

However, probably the biggest drive of them all – and a recurring theme in the piece – is young women wanting to avoid the shame that comes with asking their doctors about birth control. It’s much easier to turn to apps and websites to get easy access to contraception than having to face slut shaming from health care providers.

As explained by Peter Ax, the CEO of birth control app PRJKT Ruby, “Privacy is a big issue. We’ve consistently heard that consumers feel this is a private conversation and it’s such more comfortable online than in a face to face setting.”

Some doctors and medical professionals reserve the right to deny patients access to contraception for personal reasons; many of them say their religious beliefs are against it. But it doesn’t stop there.

Even after they get their prescriptions, women can also be shamed when filling their prescriptions at health clinics and pharmacies. Turning to telemedicine can be a relief, but this alternative is also rigged with regulation, given the fact that state laws regarding contraception differ widely.

While Ax provides prescriptions only to users 16 and up to stay away from controversy, Lemonaid’s chief medical officer, Dr. Jason Hwang, decided to not deliver contraceptive to minors. However, other apps, including Nurx, cater to users as young as 14, as long as the law in their state allows it.
Image Source: Vice

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