Whether it involves resisting a piece of chocolate cake or an ice cold beer, fighting temptation may be easier said than done. But with clear goals, self-monitoring and practice, you can improve your self-control, says the American Psychological Association. The association suggests: Use the “out of sight, out of mind” approach. Prepare “if-then” scenarios for…  read on >

People with inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes or blood clots may be at increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis — and people with rheumatoid arthritis are at added risk for heart disease, blood clots and sleep apnea, researchers say. Their findings could improve understanding of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops and also lead to earlier…  read on >

Emergency room visits for high blood pressure surged following last year’s recall of the popular heart drug valsartan, Canadian researchers report. Within the first month of the recall, there was a 55% increase of people coming to Ontario-area emergency departments complaining of high blood pressure, said lead researcher Cynthia Jackevicius. She is a senior scientist…  read on >

The chickenpox vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the start of the U.S. chickenpox vaccination program, there has been a 90 percent drop in cases of chickenpox, the agency says. If you or a loved one does get chickenpox, the CDC has this…  read on >

Most American parents say they might have trouble distinguishing between a teen’s typical mood swings and possible signs of depression, a new survey finds. The nationwide poll of 819 parents with at least one child in middle school, junior high or high school found that while one-third were confident they could detect depression in their…  read on >

A pricey high-tech pump that maintains blood flow during heart procedures could be more dangerous to patients than its low-tech predecessor, a pair of new studies finds. The Impella device is associated with an increased risk of death, bleeding and stroke among patients undergoing angioplasty to re-open clogged arteries, two separate research teams concluded in…  read on >

Sudden cardiac death is terrifying because it’s exactly that — one minute you’re fine and the next you’re facing death, with no warning and no prior symptoms. Now, new research shows the secret to who’s at risk for cardiac arrest and who isn’t could lie in people’s genes. And a gene test might someday help…  read on >

The HPV vaccine gives parents a chance to prevent their children from developing some types of cancer, and two new studies reaffirm what past research has found — the vaccine is safe. The two studies included millions of doses of Gardasil 9 vaccine, the only vaccine currently used in the United States for the prevention…  read on >