A big boost in cigarette prices could lead to fewer health problems and less poverty for millions of people worldwide, according to a new study. The researchers from the Global Tobacco Economics Consortium used a computer model to predict how a 50 percent cigarette tax increase would affect health and poverty in 13 middle-income countries…  read on >

Wildfire smoke may trigger a heart complication or stroke in vulnerable people, a new U.S. study suggests. Looking at the impact of the widespread California wildfires of 2015, researchers found a spike in emergency department visits for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications. The risk was largely seen among adults aged 65 and older.…  read on >

A traumatic brain injury (TBI), even a mild one such as a concussion, may raise your risk for dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed 36 years of data from 2.8 million people and found that those who sustained TBIs were 24 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias than those…  read on >

There’s little doubt that the last presidential election sparked a host of emotions among Americans. But new research suggests it might also have triggered obsessive-compulsive behaviors in Democrats and Republicans alike. “The idea for our study came about while I was taking a break from a group project. During the break, everyone pulled out their…  read on >

Is arthritis pain getting in the way of your fitness plans? That need not be the case. In fact, physical activity can be vital to your continued mobility. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that affects about 27 million Americans — most often in the knees and hips, but also in the lower back and neck.…  read on >

Aging skin, like death and taxes, is unavoidable. But you can slow down the process and keep your skin looking younger. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests how: Every day, even in winter, protect your skin by using sunscreen that is broad-spectrum, SPF 30 or higher and water-resistant. Don’t tan in the sun or in…  read on >

Tiny e-cigarette devices that look like USB drives are making it tough for parents and educators to keep their kids from vaping. And these devices are producing a new generation of nicotine-addicted Americans, experts say. “The way these products are able to be used without any sort of detection from adults is very much consistent…  read on >

TUESDAY, April, 10, 2018The youngest victims of America’s addiction crisis are not the teenagers tempted by tobacco, pot and pills. Rather, they are tens of thousands of toddlers and preschoolers who are accidentally poisoned when they get into the drug stash of a parent or older sibling, claims a new report from the National Center…  read on >

The way that Alzheimer’s disease is defined for research should be based on brain changes rather than symptoms. That’s what leading Alzheimer’s scientists are proposing in what could be a major policy change for investigating the brain-robbing illness. “We have to focus on biological or physical targets to zero in on potential treatments for Alzheimer’s,”…  read on >