A Rutgers researcher has found that thymoquinone, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound of black seed oil, can effectively be delivered to the skin, which may offer a new option for skin care. Natural skin care products with botanical ingredients are a popular part of people’s daily skin regimen, providing relief for skin redness or irritation...
Health
Johns Hopkins Faculty Data Highlight How Gender Disparities in Salary Add Up Over a Lifetime
Around the country, women physician researchers make 7 to 8 percent less per year than men. At the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, efforts to eliminate such a gender disparity have cut the difference in salaries from 2.6 percent in 2005 to a statistically insignificant 1.9 percent in 2016. But even with that improvement...
Personality Type Could Shape Attitudes Toward Body Weight of Others
Studies show there is a major link between personality traits and personal body image, but the relationship between personality and attitudes toward others’ bodies has gone largely unexplored. Now, Florida State University researchers suggest that the specific alchemy of an individual’s personality — their distinct blend of conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism and extraversion — is...
U.S. Health Care Spending Highest Among Developed Countries
The United States, on a per capita basis, spends much more on health care than other developed countries; the chief reason is not greater health care utilization, but higher prices, according to a study from a team led by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researcher. The paper will appear in the January...
Dropping Individual Mandate Penalty Could Reduce Coverage Enrollment, Increase Premiums
The individual mandate that requires most Americans to purchase some level of health insurance continues to be one of the most controversial aspects of the Affordable Care Act, even though, beginning in 2019, there is no longer a penalty for noncompliance in most states. A new study conducted by investigators at the Mongan Institute Health Policy...
Stop Smoking Without Packing on the Pounds
Smoking is a hard habit to kick but when you do, the health benefits are almost immediate. According to the American Lung Association, your heart rate drops to normal levels in 20 minutes, your lung function improves in a couple of weeks and your risk of heart disease drops by half in a year. “But as...
Nine Ways to Make Your Skin Shine in 2019
“All the stresses and excesses of the holidays can leave your skin in bad shape, which makes you feel low, too,” said Megan Rogge, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “The challenge is that at the start of a new year, we all want to look great. The good news...
My Cold Is Gone, So Why Am I Still Coughing?
One of the classic cold symptoms is a cough. When coupled with a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue, it can make you feel pretty miserable. Usually after a week or so, the cold runs its course and most of the symptoms go away. But for some people, the cough hangs around a little...
How Does Social Drinking Become Problematic as We Age?
You may not realize it, but as we age, we become more vulnerable to developing an alcohol use disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism. And, even if you don’t develop an alcohol use disorder, its important know that your body processes alcohol less efficiently the older you get, says Brad Lander, a clinical psychologist and addiction...
Reducing Drinking Could Help with Smoking Cessation, Research Finds
If quitting smoking is one of your New Year’s resolutions, you might want to consider cutting back on your drinking, too. New research has found that heavy drinkers who are trying to stop smoking may find that reducing their alcohol use can also help them quit their daily smoking habit. Heavy drinkers’ nicotine metabolite ratio...