City birds age faster than their country cousins and traffic noise may be the reason why, a new study suggests. The research focused on telomeres — caps on the ends of chromosomes that protect genes from damage. Shortening of telomeres indicates faster aging. At 120 days of age, Zebra finches that were exposed to traffic… read on >
When it comes to sleep, people seem to have different needs. But how much sleep is best for your heart? A new analysis of 11 studies that included a total of more than 1 million adults without heart disease suggests the sweet spot is six to eight hours a night. The studies were published within… read on >
Depression, anxiety or other forms of mental distress may significantly boost the risk of heart disease among older adults, new research from Australia suggests. The finding is from a four-year study that tracked psychological distress among nearly 222,000 seemingly healthy men and women, aged 45 years and older, with no prior history of heart disease.… read on >
If you’ve been enjoying a lot of time off this summer, a new analysis has good news: All that vacationing might lengthen your life. The finding comes from an updated review of data in a 1970s Finnish heart health study that followed roughly 1,200 middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s for almost four decades.… read on >
For years, nutritionists have warned Americans to minimize dairy in their diets, especially high-fat dairy products. But new research involving 24,000 U.S. adults suggests milk and milk-derived products don’t pose the dire health risks suggested by prior research, and maybe those old warnings should be relaxed. “In light of the protective effects of dairy products,… read on >
A vasectomy is a method of birth control that involves minor surgery to prevent sperm from reaching semen. More than 500,000 men in the United States have the procedure each year, the Urology Care Foundation says. The procedure can be done in a urologist’s office, a hospital or a surgery center. Most men recover within… read on >
Weight loss depends on eating fewer calories than your body uses up. But when you eat those calories could make a difference that you’ll see on the scale. An Italian study found that you can boost weight loss by about 25 percent just by eating 70 percent of each day’s calories between breakfast and lunch,… read on >
In a new study of patients with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib), 4 in 10 had previously undetected brain damage, though none had a history of stroke or mini-stroke. This brain damage could put them at risk for mental decline and dementia, researchers said. Their study included nearly 1,400 patients in Switzerland, average… read on >
More and more pregnant or breastfeeding women are using marijuana, and U.S. pediatricians are pushing back against the notion that the drug is “safe.” There’s evidence that exposure to marijuana compounds might harm the fetus, and these compounds might also find their way into breast milk, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says in a… read on >
Everyone worries about drug abuse among children, but a hidden danger for some kids rests in prescription medicines intended to help them, a new study warns. Some children and teenagers who are prescribed multiple medications are at risk of drug interactions that could literally stop their heart, according to the report. “We found that about… read on >
