Obese people who follow a low-fat weight-loss plan could tack extra years onto their life, a new review of medical evidence suggests. Such diets appear to help decrease overall risk of early death by 18 percent in people with obesity, amounting to six fewer deaths for every 1,000 people, researchers concluded. “Weight loss by cutting…  read on >

Despite safety warnings from drug regulators, some U.S. children are still being given a risky painkiller after having their tonsils removed, a new study finds. At issue is the opioid painkiller codeine. In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a “black box” warning, advising doctors against prescribing codeine to children to control tonsillectomy…  read on >

The top two medications used to treat opioid addiction appear equally safe and effective, a new study finds. With the United States in the midst of an unprecedented opioid crisis, researchers conducted a head-to-head trial of two leading addiction treatments — naltrexone (Vivitrol) and buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone). “The newer drug, naltrexone, was as effective in keeping…  read on >

Aggressively treating gum disease may help lower blood pressure in people at high risk for high blood pressure, according to new research. The study involved 107 Chinese women and men, aged 18 and older, who had pre-hypertension (blood pressure on the high end of normal) and moderate to severe gum disease. Half received intensive treatment…  read on >

Consumption of sodas and other sweet drinks — a big source of sugar in Americans’ diets — has dropped in the past decade among both kids and adults, researchers find. Overall, the number of adults who said they drank a sugary beverage on a daily basis dropped by 12 percentage points between 2003 and 2014,…  read on >

Your heart will thank you if you stick to a mostly plant-based diet, a new preliminary study suggests. Researchers evaluated five dietary patterns. They found that people who ate a plant-based diet most of the time had a 42 percent lower risk of developing heart failure over four years than those who ate fewer plant-based…  read on >

Getting kids to drink water with their school lunches could help keep their weight in check and save the United States billions in obesity-related costs, a new study contends. Researchers calculated the effects of going nationwide with a program piloted in 1,200 New York City schools between 2009 and 2013. Placing water dispensers in school…  read on >

Holiday parties are fun social gatherings, but they can also be diet disasters. Here’s how to enjoy yourself while sparing yourself hundreds of extra calories. First, eat healthy in the hours leading up to the party. Focus on lean protein, whole grains and simply prepared fruits and vegetables to pack your day with nutrients, suggests…  read on >

If you love to while away a weekend watching a season’s worth of episodes from a favorite TV series, you may inadvertently put yourself at risk for developing a dangerous blood clot. When researchers compared people who reported watching TV more often to those who seldom or never watched TV, the risk of a venous…  read on >

SUNDAY, Nov. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) – Cutting back on salt, along with following the highly recommended “DASH” diet, can beat back high blood pressure in adults, new research shows. After just a month, the results for people adopting this strategy were “striking and reinforce the importance of dietary changes” for those with problematic blood…  read on >