The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will stop airing its “Tips From Former Smokers” ads at the end of September, ending a 13-year campaign that helped millions of Americans quit smoking. Launched in 2012, the campaign featured real people sharing the devastating health effects of smoking — and pointed viewers to free… read on > read on >
Struggling to cope with today’s catastrophe-filled world? Changing your mindset can help protect you from the stress caused by disease outbreaks, wildfires, earthquakes, political uproars and traumatic life events, researchers say. People given a one-hour class in shifting their mindset — to see growth opportunities amidst chaos — wound up with lower levels of depression… read on > read on >
It is vital that people with heart disease get vaccinated against common infectious diseases like COVID-19, influenza and RSV, a new clinical guideline says. Vaccination can protect the heart health of people who’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, says the new guidance from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). “Vaccination against communicable respiratory diseases and… read on > read on >
Recruiting more women to clinical trials for heart devices can improve care for all cardiac patients, a new study argues. A trial investigating the effectiveness of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) wound up revealing vital information because researchers made sure nearly half the study participants were female, researchers reported Aug. 25 in the journal eClinicalMedicine. The… read on > read on >
Detecting diabetes might soon be as easy as breathing into a device, a new study says. An experimental breath test sorted out type 2 diabetes patients from healthy people, based on their exhalations, researchers report in the September issue of the Chemical Engineering Journal. “This sensor only requires that you exhale into a bag, dip… read on > read on >
Talk therapy has the power to alter a person’s physical brain structure, a new study shows. Psychotherapy caused measurable changes in the brains of people with severe depression, MRI scans revealed. Specifically, most patients experienced growth in brain regions responsible for processing emotions, researchers reported Aug. 26 in the journal Translational Psychology. The brain changes… read on > read on >
Breastfeeding offers many benefits, from emotional bonding to better nutrition and immune support. But for parents who need to pump and store breast milk, handling it safely is key. “Parents often feel nervous about food safety when handling and storing their breast milk,” said Dr. Patricia Campbell, a pediatrician and lactation consultant at Children’s Hospital… read on > read on >
A Mediterranean-style diet can significantly decrease risk of type 2 diabetes in people who are overweight or obese, a new study says. People had 31% lower odds of diabetes if they adhered to a Mediterranean diet, cut their calories and exercised regularly, researchers reported Aug. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “With the highest-level… read on > read on >
Two-thirds of women in their child-bearing years have an increased risk for birth defects due to a lifestyle factor they can change, a new study says. These risk factors — low levels of vitamin B9 (folate), unmanaged diabetes or exposure to tobacco smoke — increase the odds of a serious birth defect in any child… read on > read on >
It takes about a year for people with focal epilepsy to start finding some relief from anti-seizure medications, a new study says. In all, 3 of 5 epilepsy patients (60%) do achieve freedom from seizures thanks to a drug regimen – but it takes most an average of 12 months to reach that goal, researchers… read on > read on >
