Monday 31 December 2018

Good Sleep Helps Kids Become Slimmer Teens: Study

The study included nearly 2,200 kids in 20 U.S. cities. One-third of them had consistent, age-appropriate bedtimes between ages 5 and 9, according to their mothers.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2rZNncJ

Opioid Overdose Deaths Triple Among Teens, Kids

The highest risk is among older teens, who account for 88 percent of those who died during the time of the study, the researchers found.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2EVPPJ4

Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Season of Turmoil


By KATIE THOMAS and CHARLES ORNSTEIN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2EVPHt4

When Doctors Serve on Company Boards


By KATIE THOMAS and CHARLES ORNSTEIN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2EVPKoK

Saturday 29 December 2018

In Rehab, ‘Two Warring Factions’: Abstinence vs. Medication


By ABBY GOODNOUGH from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2RlLchN

Friday 28 December 2018

10 Questions for Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs

As he looks forward to a new TV series, actor and author Taye Diggs talks about his family, health struggles, aging, and being a dad.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2ESqYWm

Lin-Manuel Miranda Gets the Job Done

lin manuel miranda white background

Like Alexander Hamilton, his famous Broadway theater role, Lin-Manuel Miranda pushes forward with relentless speed and bottomless good cheer, juggling multiple projects and committed outreach to people in need -- but he also finds time to just breathe.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2ETGuBu

Food Brings Double Dose of Pleasure to Your Brain

It turns out that eating causes the release of dopamine in your brain not once, but twice, German scientists report.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2GLrtEb

Could a Little Drinking Help Those With Heart Failure?

Heart failure patients who drank in moderation -- a drink a day for women, two for men -- had an average survival that was a year longer than nondrinkers, the researchers found.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2ES9ARx

PTSD Drug May Do More Harm Than Good

The study included 20 PTSD patients, including two military veterans and several civilian women who had been sexually assaulted. All had active suicidal thoughts, some had previously attempted suicide, and most were taking antidepressants and/or had them prescribed for the study.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2VflJFZ

FDA Approves New Children’s Vaccine

doctor vaccinating baby

The vaccine will be for children 6 weeks to 4 years old. All will require a series of three doses.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2LBZjKP

Kidney Disease Risk Tied to Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

The study of more than 3,000 black men and women in Mississippi found that those who consumed the most soda, sweetened fruit drinks and water had a 61 percent increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2Ti6dYi

Thursday 27 December 2018

Could Your Apple Watch Spot Dangerous A-Fib?

The watch contains a simple electrocardiogram (ECG) that tracks your heart rhythm and can detect the presence of atrial fibrillation ("A-fib"), an irregular heartbeat that increases your risk for stroke and heart failure.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2RhsXdE

Whopping Numbers on Whooping Cough

Another is pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough because of the distinctive sound it causes as people experience severe coughing bouts.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2GHS70P

U.S. Opioid Crisis Is Top Health Story of 2018

Rates of opioid-linked fatal overdoses have nearly doubled over the past decade and topped 70,000 in 2017, according to data released in November by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2Rd1utB

Evidence Shows Abuse of Xanax, Valium on the Rise

The statistics also revealed that benzodiazepine use among adults is more than twice as high as previously reported, with nearly 13 percent using the drugs within the past year.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2GGeC6s

Is Your State a Hotspot for Obesity-Linked Cancer?

A nearly twofold difference exists between U.S. states with the highest and lowest proportion of obesity-related cancers, American Cancer Society researchers have found.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2Rd1sSv

Woman's Case Gives Hope Against Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs. While some patients recover without treatment, others suffer damage to lungs, heart, lymph nodes, skin and other organs. On the skin, it can cause disfiguring lesions.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2GJ7zdb

The Secret Behind Chicken Soup's Medical Magic

The chicken in your soup offers a number of benefits. It's high in protein that helps the immune system, and is also a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, which boost immunity and help with digestion.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2RmveUI

What Secrets Can Genetic Tests Really Reveal?

dna illustration

What does the information provided in direct-to-consumer genetic tests really reveal about your health, ethnic makeup and ancestry?



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2BL0djH

Does a New Year Mean a New You? Not So Fast

walking sneakers

When you make doable, achievable small changes, you get the satisfaction of being successful at your goals and you get the motivation that comes with it.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2So7s87

Could You Have A Violent Sleep Disorder?

The investigators found that people who had REM sleep behavior disorder were twice as likely as the general public to have mental illness, and more than 2.5 times as likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, these people were more than 1.5 times more likely to report having psychological distress.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2VcJL4w

Wednesday 26 December 2018

Could You Have A Violent Sleep Disorder?

The investigators found that people who had REM sleep behavior disorder were twice as likely as the general public to have mental illness, and more than 2.5 times as likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, these people were more than 1.5 times more likely to report having psychological distress.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2BGKqCr

Pediatricians: Treat Hemangioma Birthmarks Quickly

Infantile hemangiomas are bright red or bruise-like birthmarks that appear shortly after a baby is born. They're caused by extra blood vessels and appear on up to 5 percent of infants.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2Tes2HV

Justice Ginsburg Out of Hospital After Surgery

ruth bader ginsburg portrait

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the hospital Tuesday after lung cancer surgery, and is recovering a home, a Supreme Court spokeswoman says.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2EOysd6

New Year, New You? Not So Fast...

If you want a healthier 2019, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Make doable, achievable small changes, and you'll get the satisfaction of success and the motivation that comes with it.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2TcwKGa

Surgery Center May Have Infected Thousands

laparoscopic surgery

After an investigation, a New Jersey outpatient surgery center is urging anyone treated there between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7, 2018, be tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2RnyUFE

Monday 24 December 2018

Marburg Virus, Related to Ebola, Is Found in Bats in West Africa


By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2Q1CK2L

FDA Announces Safety Monitoring for Essure

Essure

The FDA is implementing a number of steps for long-term safety monitoring of the permanent birth control device Essure, which will no longer be sold or distributed in the U.S. after Dec. 31, 2018.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2rO8EWO

Mad Cow Disease Diagnosed in Tennessee Man

650x350_brown-cow-1M1

A 32-year-old Tennessee man has been diagnosed with the rare human form of mad cow disease, also known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2QO3rxc

Friday 21 December 2018

Cancer Doctors See Encouraging Signs for Ruth Bader Ginsburg


By DENISE GRADY from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2A8JczO

Christmas Cookies: Watch Out For the Shiny Stuff

Some of the fancy glitters and dusts that make holiday treats so festive are produced specifically for use on foods and are edible, others are not.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2LzOEQU

Hospital Readmission Penalties May Hurt Patients

While readmissions for heart failure, heart attack and pneumonia have declined, doctors and policy makers have expressed concerns that the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) may harm patient care and increase after-discharge death rates.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2rSl008

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Surgery for Lung Cancer

ruth bader ginsburg portrait

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for early stage lung cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2SanSB2

Long-Acting Contraceptives Gaining Acceptance Among U.S. Women


By NICHOLAS BAKALAR from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2BD2LzZ

2 Types of Diabetes Meds May Raise Heart Risk

pill bottles on chart

Sulfonylureas were associated with 36 percent higher odds of complications, while basal insulin was associated with nearly twice the risk of heart disease and stroke complications, investigators found.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2AkXltZ

Hep C Cases Cluster in States Hit Hard by Opioids

cirrhosis of the liver

The CDC has estimated that over 2 million Americans were living with hepatitis C between 2013 and 2016. These latest figures show that about 52 percent of those people were living in nine states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2AalkvE

Teething Jewelry Linked to Infant Death

The FDA said it has received reports of infants and children suffering serious injuries due to teething jewelry, including one death. In that case, an 18-month-old child was strangled by his teething necklace during a nap.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2SeHDaB

Levaquin, Cipro Tied to Deadly Heart Vessel Tears

The risk for rupture, or dissection, of the aorta, rises with the use of antibiotics in a class known as fluoroquinolones delivered by injection or as a pill. The drugs "should not be used in patients at increased risk unless there are no other treatment options available," the FDA said.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2rOQZ0X

Recruit Your BFF for This Killer Total Body Workout for Partners—and Get Ready to Sweat

Anna Victoria shows us nine moves that will have you and your workout buddy really feeling the burn.

from Fitness - Health.com http://bit.ly/2AdBGnd

This Type of Illiteracy Could Hurt You


By PAULA SPAN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2CrP3Sh

FDA Issues Warning on Risky Stem Cell Therapies

Hundreds of clinics touting unapproved stem cell treatments have sprung up across the United States. But shoddy oversight may have led some hopeful patients to be seriously harmed, not helped, by these therapies, the FDA says.



from WebMD Health https://wb.md/2EIPz0t

20 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out

Make your workout a healthy (and fun!) everyday habit.

from Fitness - Health.com http://bit.ly/2Bv0zL0

Thursday 20 December 2018

Scientists modify ivy to filter air pollutants

The researchers genetically modified pothos ivy to remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2Sd4Nhz

Average American Getting Fatter, but Not Taller

As of 2016, the U.S. average weight for men was 198 pounds, while it was 170 pounds for women.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2LtteEL

12 People Hospitalized With Infections From Stem Cell Shots


By DENISE GRADY from NYT Health https://ift.tt/2PVafnr

Scientists modify ivy to remove air pollutants

The researchers genetically modified pothos ivy to remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2ECIYUO

1 in 4 People Over 25 Will Be Hit by Stroke

Researchers found that the risk of stroke for people over the age of 25 ranged from 8 percent to 39 percent, depending on where in the world they lived. The Chinese had the highest risk (with more than a 39 percent lifetime risk), followed by people in Central and Eastern Europe. The lowest risk was among those living in sub-Saharan Africa.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2EJbnsQ

Stress Keeps 1 in 3 Americans Up at Night

Not getting enough sleep is tied to increased risk for obesity, decreased mental functioning, dementia, heart disease and diabetes. In addition, getting too little sleep can increase the risk for car crashes, accidents at work and troubled social relationships.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2UZqZ0w

More U.S. Kids Dying From Guns, Car Accidents

The recent uptick in deaths from cars and guns represents a reversal of all-time lows in 2013, according to the new report.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2T0HIyr

3 Dumbbell Moves People Always Get Wrong—and How to Fix Them

Including shoulder press and more.

from Fitness - Health.com https://ift.tt/2PSEOd4

Just 6 Months of Walking May Boost Aging Brains

The effect of walking was equivalent to shaving about nine years from their brain age, researchers say.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2rOarLC

This 10-Minute Circuit Works 2 Major Muscle Groups at the Same Time



from Fitness - Health.com https://ift.tt/2Gy0snO

Drug Combo Boosts Pancreatic Cancer Survival Time

Experts say the findings represent major progress against a highly lethal disease.



from WebMD Health https://ift.tt/2Acta7U