There’s no trick to keeping kids safe this Halloween — it just takes some planning, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Costumes should be bright, reflective and short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame. It’s a good idea to add reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.… read on >
Many doctors encourage seniors to use brain fitness games as a means to help deal with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases, says SeniorLiving.org. While research remains inconclusive, there appears to be a correlation between brain games and brain health. The website says brain games that may help seniors include: Memory games, such as Match… read on >
Many people who take cholesterol-lowering statins may not benefit from them, researchers say. Drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and fluvastatin (Lescol) provide little value to people without heart disease, new research shows. Yet these heart-healthy folks represent a sizable number of statin users. While statins for people with heart disease isn’t controversial, their use in people… read on >
Young and middle-aged adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased risk of stroke, new research suggests. For the study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 1 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They ranged in age from 18 to 60 years and two-thirds were white. Of those, 29% had been… read on >
For people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that doesn’t respond to the usual treatments, a complex surgery may help, a new study finds. In carefully selected patients, the surgery provided much more relief than two different types of medication treatment — 67% for surgery compared to 28% for “active” drug treatment and 12% for the… read on >
Injuries at home and at play are preventable, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC mentions these ways to reduce your chances of injury: Wear the proper helmet for your activity. Wear a life jacket when boating. Have your eyes checked. Remove tripping hazards around your home. Learn how to swim.… read on >
Drinks marketed to children often contain loads of unhealthy sugars and sweeteners, and they come in packages that deliver too-large servings, a new report finds. None of 34 sweetened drinks aimed at the youth market meet nutrition recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to University of Connecticut researchers. “Sweetened drinks are about… read on >
A little bit of testosterone cream might help women run faster longer, a new study suggests. Some female athletes have naturally high testosterone levels that are similar to men, and there is controversy over whether it’s fair to allow them to compete against female athletes with normal testosterone levels. There’s a lack of clear evidence… read on >
Eye gunk, known medically as rheum, is the crust that forms in the corners of your eyes when you wake up in the morning. Sleep crust is a mix of mucus, skin cells, oils and tears shed by the eye during sleep, says the University of Utah. While white or cream colored gunk is normal,… read on >
Severe sleep apnea is a risk factor for diabetic eye disease that can lead to vision loss and blindness, researchers report. Poor control of diabetes can result in damage to tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye, a condition called diabetic retinopathy. It’s a leading cause of blindness in the United States. In… read on >
