Life in lockdown has led many to overeat and gain weight, a phenomenon referred to as the “COVID-15.” But some small changes can get you back into shape, a weight management specialist suggests. “COVID-19 changed how we eat, what we eat and how we spend our day,” said Dr. Peter Jian, an assistant professor of…  read on >

Trips to the beach or a pool add to summer’s fun, but parents need to ensure that children are safe in and around the water. Masks and social distancing are a must this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. And kids must be supervised even if they’re able to swim, experts at the Children’s Hospital…  read on >

Canadian provinces that allow retail displays promoting e-cigarettes had nearly three times the teen vaping rate, a new study found. Until May 2018, e-cigarettes weren’t widely available in Canada and it was illegal to advertise those containing nicotine. When the law changed, Quebec and Manitoba adopted their own restrictions, including bans on retail displays and…  read on >

Loving pet parents only want the finest fare for their furry friends, but with a dizzying array of choices, it’s hard to know which pet diet is best. Raw food is all the rage, but is it really better than commercial kibble or homemade? Owners are trying to figure this out. New research found that…  read on >

Kids as young as age 8 can show signs of being at increased risk for diabetes in adulthood, a British study finds. Researchers analyzed blood samples collected from more than 4,000 participants at ages 8, 16, 18 and 25, looking for patterns specific to early stages of type 2 diabetes development. “We knew that diabetes…  read on >

With opioid addiction soaring in the United States, it should come as good news that an opioid painkiller may not be needed after a sports-injury repair. A mix of non-addictive medicines may be safer and equally successful in managing pain after shoulder or knee surgery, a study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit indicates. Concerned…  read on >

There’s new evidence that a 2,000-year-old medicine might offer hope against a modern scourge: COVID-19. The medication, called colchicine, is an anti-inflammatory taken as a pill. It’s long been prescribed for gout, a form of arthritis, and its history goes back centuries. The drug was first sourced from the autumn crocus flower. Doctors also sometimes…  read on >

Americans continue to look to the medicine cabinet for pain relief, with 1 in 10 using some type of prescription painkiller, a new U.S. government report says. But use of prescription opioid painkillers leveled off from 2015 to 2018, while prescriptions for nonopioid pain meds rose, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for…  read on >

About one in 10 heart surgery patients who is prescribed an opioid painkiller after the procedure still uses the drugs more than 90 days later, a new study finds. And those prescribed the highest doses are most likely to be long-term users of opioids, researchers say. “Our findings support a much-needed shift toward decreasing opioid…  read on >

Dental offices responded to COVID-19 lockdowns in much the same way as other medical professions, halting routine visits and only providing emergency care to patients in dire need. But now that stay-at-home orders are lifting, many dentists are reopening, but with new protocols to limit infection. Your dental appointment will not be the same, with…  read on >