As Florence unleashes her full fury on the Carolinas, residents who stayed put need to know that flooding will be even more dangerous than the high winds of this hurricane. Making landfall near Wrightsville Beach, N.C., around 7 a.m. Friday, the category 1 hurricane was pounding the historic town of New Bern, which sits just…  read on >

High doses of folic acid do not protect pregnant women against a sometimes deadly complication called preeclampsia, a large trial suggests. The finding frustrates the search for an effective way to prevent preeclampsia, or dangerously high blood pressure in pregnancy, in women who are at high risk for it. “We thought we had something that…  read on >

Everyone has back pain at some point, whether due to poor posture, heavy lifting, a spinal condition present a birth, or an exercise-related injury. While other triggers for back pain may not be as easy to prevent, poor posture is a relatively easy fix. Harvard Medical School suggests how: By imagining good posture, you can…  read on >

Optimism and a sense of purpose can improve your heart health, new research suggests. Psychological well-being has cardiovascular benefits because people with a positive outlook are more inclined to lead a healthy lifestyle, the researchers concluded. Upbeat people are more likely to eat well, engage in physical activity, maintain social connections and avoid negative behaviors,…  read on >

Adults have spent a lifetime hearing about or experiencing natural disasters such as Hurricane Florence, which is targeting the Carolinas this week. But how to explain to kids the dangers of these events, without unduly scaring them? The key, said child psychiatrist Dr. Victor Fornari, is to lead by example. “Parents need to remain calm…  read on >

More than one in three first-year college students around the world struggle with a mental health disorder, new research suggests. “The number of students who need treatment for these disorders far exceeds the resources of most counseling centers, resulting in a substantial unmet need,” said study author Randy Auerbach, of Columbia University in New York…  read on >

Circadian rhythms, the 24-hour body clocks that regulate a person’s sleep-wake cycle, may affect the timing of seizures in roughly 80 percent of epilepsy patients, researchers report. These findings, which shed new light on seizure patterns, could help doctors treat the disease more effectively, the researchers said. “Understanding the cyclic nature of diseases is vital…  read on >

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018One in seven older veterans are sent home from the hospital with doses of blood pressure medications so high they can leave them feeling dizzy and at risk for falls, a new study finds. Prescribing higher doses of these drugs occurs even though half of the patients had their blood pressure controlled…  read on >

Spending to make your home nicer, safer and more efficient can save you money in the long run, but it could cause stress in your relationship in the here-and-now. In a survey done by the home design site Houzz, 46 percent of couples found that remodeling could lead to frustrating problems, and 12 percent were…  read on >

Falling from a ladder can cause serious injury, even death. But nearly all ladder injuries are preventable, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society says. The society suggests: Read the safety instructions that come with your ladder before using it. Follow all warning labels on your ladder. Make sure your ladder is designed for the…  read on >