He sings, he plays games — and Huggable the ‘social robot’ teddy bear could be good medicine for kids in the hospital. In a study of 50 children, aged 3 to 10 years, the plush bear boosted spirits, eased anxiety and even lowered perceived pain levels, say Boston Children’s Hospital researchers. “It’s exciting knowing what… read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that some high-tech insulin pumps made by Medtronic are being recalled for potential cybersecurity risks that could leave them vulnerable to hacking. “An unauthorized person with special technical skills and equipment could potentially connect wirelessly to a nearby insulin pump to change settings and control insulin delivery,”… read on >
Difficulty swallowing, also known as dysphagia, is usually a sign of a throat or esophagus problem. Common triggers for dysphagia are malfunctioning muscles or a blockage in the throat or esophagus, says the University of Michigan. Specific causes of dysphagia include: Stroke, brain or spinal cord injury. Nervous system conditions. Esophageal spasm or tumors. Inflammation… read on >
Crowded roadways and aggressive drivers help make rush hour a dangerous time to drive, says the National Safety Council. To make it safely during rush hour, the NSC recommends: Slow down. Do not be an impatient driver. Stay in your lane. Beware of drivers that dart from lane to lane. Stay alert. Consult a map… read on >
Children of mothers who are often exposed to solvent chemicals in the workplace appear to have an increased risk of autism, a new study finds. The study of almost 1,000 families can’t prove cause and effect, but researchers report that mothers of autistic children had more frequent exposure to solvents than mothers of children without… read on >
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds — we hear a lot about the “best” food groups for health. But what about the worst ones? What foods should you be eliminating or at least cutting back on? Research published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at dietary intake and 318,000 deaths… read on >
Setbacks are a part of life for everyone, but these stumbling blocks can be extremely difficult, even debilitating, to navigate. Taking certain steps can make it easier for you to rebound, according to experts at the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. It’s easy to get caught up going over what happened again… read on >
Even a small increase in blood pressure during your first trimester could spell bigger trouble later in your pregnancy, new research suggests. Those troubles can include gestational high blood pressure, which develops after the 20th week of pregnancy, and preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine), the researchers explained. Both conditions increase the… read on >
Stop agonizing over the decades you spent glued to the couch. New research shows that physically active middle-aged and older adults live longer — even if they were inactive when they were younger. And that’s even if they had previous serious health problems, according to the British study. “These results are encouraging, not least for… read on >
Every college student misplaces keys or forgets an appointment from time to time. Usually it’s no big deal. But a new study warns that when young people with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease have memory lapses, it could be an early sign of something serious. That’s the concern raised by a new memory test… read on >
