YORK, Pa. — Here's the latest from this week in health in our Health Smart wrap:
Having gratitude can improve overall health
A study published in the "Journal of Positive Psychology" found that saying "thank you" to friends and family members can be beneficial for better relationships and mental health and even reduce stress. It also found that women tend to report feeling less appreciated than men - particularly by romantic partners and older children.
1 in 5 Americans may have long COVID
A new study has found that a significant number of Americans suffer from long COVID. Researchers developed an AI-based tool that examines large amounts of data to look for symptoms such as fatigue, chronic cough, heart problems and brain fog. The tool found that 23-percent of Americans suffer from it, which differs from other studies that have suggested that only about seven percent may have the condition. Long COVID often develops months after the initial infection subsides.
Caffeine use rising among kids
A new study is shedding light on a growing health crisis amongst kids and caffeine usage. Epic research says the number of caffeine-related emergency room visits by middle-school aged children almost doubled between 20-17 and 20-23. The study looked at 223 million emergency room visits and found boys had triple the ER visit rate as girls. The study comes after a report showed a rise in calls to poison control centers related to kids consuming energy drinks. An exact safe amount of caffeine for children isn't known, because those studies on children aren't allowed.