Could grabbing a nap once or twice a week help you live longer? A new study reports the occasional nap appears to cut in half people’s risk of heart attack, strokes and heart disease, compared with folks who never nap. But more frequent napping provided no benefit, researchers found. “In fact, we found that frequent… read on >
Broken bones and injured tendons or ligaments can cause significant pain. Casts and splints are designed to help relieve this pain by limiting movement, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. To care for your cast properly, the AAFP offers these suggestions: Cover your cast with a plastic bag when bathing and showering. Ask your… read on >
Being shorter than average can bring numerous annoyances, but a new study suggests it might also heighten a person’s odds for type 2 diabetes. The German study found that each additional 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) of height was linked to a 41% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in men and a 33% lower… read on >
Over the past four decades, the U.S. has seen a sharp rise in the number of pregnant women with high blood pressure, new research reveals. For the study, the researchers analyzed data from about 151 million hospitalizations between 1970 and 2010 to determine the rates of chronic high blood pressure in pregnant women aged 15… read on >
The Alexander Technique has been used for more than 100 years to improve performance, posture and other body mechanics, yet it’s arguably the least well known method for achieving these benefits. Though some people call it a form of bodywork, practitioners describe it as an educational method, because it teaches you to recognize and then… read on >
Fainting occurs when the brain temporarily doesn’t receive enough blood, says Mayo Clinic. Fainting may have no known medical cause, or it can be a sign of a serious disorder. Because of this, always treat fainting as a medical emergency, Mayo says. If someone faints, Mayo urges you to: Position the person on his or… read on >
Moderate exercise is known to improve blood pressure — and that may include activities that are more exotic than a brisk walk, two preliminary studies suggest. In one, researchers found that “hot” yoga classes lowered blood pressure in a small group of people with modestly elevated numbers. In the other, hula dancing showed the same… read on >
Intensive treatment to lower high blood pressure can decrease older adults’ risk of sharp blood pressure drops that can cause dizziness and increase the likelihood of falling, a new study says. It included more than 2,800 patients, average age 63, who had recently suffered a stroke. Half received more aggressive treatment to lower their blood… read on >
There are gaps in immunity against mumps among college-aged Americans who were vaccinated in childhood, researchers say. New findings show the need to learn more about the immune system response to mumps and mumps vaccination. Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease that can spread rapidly among people in close living quarters, such as college… read on >
Despite calls for more diversity among doctors in the United States, a new study shows that minorities remain underrepresented in medical schools. Researchers found that between 2002 and 2017, the actual number of minority students in medical schools increased, but the rate of increase was slower than that of age-matched members of those minorities in… read on >
