Excess weight, not high blood sugar, associated with increased risk of COVID-19 infection and long COVID

High body mass index (BMI), rather than high blood sugar levels, are associated with excess risks of COVID-19 infection and long COVID, according to a meta-analysis of over 30,000 UK adults from nine large prospective cohort studies.

Study shows hay fever among school children leads to worse asthma outcomes

A study of school children conducted by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers has found that the majority of children with asthma also reported having allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. Symptoms of hay fever include runny nose, sneezing, congestion and sinus pressure, and can contribute to asthma. The study, led by Jessica Stern, M.D., an assistant professor in the department of Pediatrics and division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, found that children with both asthma and hay fever had worse asthma outcomes.

COVID-19 took serious toll on Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander mental and physical health

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, or NH/PIs, comprising more than 20 ethnic groups hailing from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, are understudied despite being the third fastest growing racial group in the United States. Two studies now report that NH/PIs have been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cancer patients facing housing instability show greater risk of mortality

Health systems are increasingly interested in integrating health care with social care, but little is known about cancer patients' social welfare and how it affects their health outcomes.