The scenario may sound familiar: Your doctor sends your prescription electronically to the pharmacy, and you go to pick it up. Only you can’t, because the insurance company requires “prior authorization” for that particular medication. Now you’re caught in the middle, as your insurance company requests paperwork from your doctor to defend the need for… read on >
A low sperm count may do more than affect a man’s ability to have children. It also may be linked to a number of health problems, new research suggests. A study of nearly 5,200 Italian men found that those with low sperm counts were 1.2 times more likely to have more body fat, higher blood… read on >
For some people, dieting is easier with emotional support. In fact, research done at the University of Pennsylvania concluded that participating in diet programs focused on behavior modification may be more effective than going it alone when the sessions provide information, support and the accountability of weigh-ins. Other research found that this is true even… read on >
Frolicking in the sea may torpedo your health, new research suggests. It found a twofold increased risk for general ear problems, a 77 percent increased risk for earaches and a 29 percent increased risk for diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illnesses among people who swam in the sea. The findings came from an analysis of 19… read on >
A new British study of nearly 300,000 people dismantles the “obesity paradox,” a theory that claims being obese does not necessarily raise heart risks. Instead, the researchers found, obesity increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, and the risk increases the more fat one carries around the waist. “The higher total… read on >
Think you could taste the difference between recycled toilet water, bottled water or tap water? It’s unlikely, results of a blind taste test suggest. Years of drought in California have given momentum to household use of recycled wastewater. Six water agencies in the state already use wastewater that’s produced through a technology called indirect potable… read on >
The Old Woman in the Shoe may have lost a tooth or two. Nursery rhymes aside, a new study reports that the more children a woman has, the fewer teeth she has in her later years. Mothers of three had an average of four fewer teeth than moms with just two children, according to the… read on >
Your need for calcium gets a lot of attention, but your body can’t use it without its partner, vitamin D, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Most adults need 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. Recommendations for vitamin D range from the current recommended daily allowance of 600 International Units (IUs), all the… read on >
Eating one serving of green leafy vegetables per day is associated with slower age-related cognitive decline, recent research suggests. Reported in the journal Neurology — the study involved 960 adults with an average age of 81 and no sign of dementia. The difference between those who ate the greens and those who did not was… read on >
People who’ve had a heart attack are more likely to be prescribed and take recommended blood-thinning drugs if they get vouchers to waive their co-payments, a new study shows. The finding comes from a study of 11,000 people treated for heart attack at 300 U.S. hospitals. All of the patients had health insurance: 64 percent… read on >
