Want to add a new type of challenge to your exercise routine? Consider working out with a medicine ball, an inexpensive fitness tool that’s exploding in popularity. This weighted ball helps you develop strength, endurance and even flexibility — and many exercises are done with a partner, adding a fun dimension to workouts. Medicine balls… read on >
Women whose final stages of pregnancy occur during the short, dark days of winter may be at increased risk for postpartum depression, a new study suggests. It has to do with reduced exposure to sunlight — the same culprit that contributes to seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. That’s a type of depression that usually starts… read on >
Contrary to popular belief, heart surgery patients who leave the hospital on a weekend or holiday do not have a higher risk for readmission, a new study finds. Some studies have reported the readmission rate after major heart surgery is as high as 22 percent. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles looked at… read on >
The number of women delivering babies via cesarean section has nearly doubled worldwide since 2000, to about 21 percent, new research shows. That’s significantly higher than the 10 percent to 15 percent considered medically necessary, researchers said. When complications develop, C-sections can save the lives of mothers and their babies. But the surgery is not… read on >
The hormone prolactin — most commonly associated with breastfeeding — may play a role in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers found that women with the highest levels of the hormone, though still in the normal range, had a 27 percent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared… read on >
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Nearly 50 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association says. The association lists 10 warnings signs of Alzheimer’s: Memory lapses that affect everyday life. Challenges in planning and solving routine problems. Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Confusion over time or place. Trouble understanding spatial or visual images.… read on >
Even when you’re trying to lose weight, you need some fat in your diet for good health. While fat in general has gotten a bad rap, some types of fat — particularly plant-based fats — are good for you in moderation. Good-for-you fats: Olive, flaxseed oil and other plant-based oils. Fatty fish. Avocados. Walnuts, other… read on >
Seems that you can get too much — as well as too little — of a good thing when it comes to sleep. In what’s billed as the world’s largest sleep study, too little or too much sleep can impair your brain, researchers report. The study included more than 40,000 people worldwide who completed an… read on >
When it comes to money, nice people really are more likely to finish last, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed data from more than 3 million people and found that those who were nice were at increased risk for bankruptcy and other financial problems. Why? They just don’t value money as much as other people… read on >
