A lifelong approach to lowering cholesterol, starting in some kids as young as 2, is the United States’ best bet to lower everyone’s risk of heart attack and stroke, according to updated guidelines released Saturday by the American Heart Association (AHA). “Personalized” cholesterol-fighting tactics recommended by the guidelines include: More detailed risk assessments, to help…  read on >

The diabetes drug Farxiga might do double-duty for patients, helping to ward off another killer, heart failure, new research shows. Type 2 diabetics who took Farxiga (dapagliflozin) saw their odds of hospitalization for heart failure drop by 27 percent compared to those who took a placebo, according to a study funded by the drug’s maker,…  read on >

If the last flu season is any indication, you need to take steps now to protect yourself against infection, an infectious diseases expert warns. The 2017-2018 flu season in the United States was the worst since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the severity of annual flu seasons. There were nearly…  read on >

The antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) is ineffective in treating a rare, polio-like disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis in children, researchers are reporting. In the United States, there have been 219 possible cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) reported so far this year, and 80 have been confirmed, according to the U.S. Centers for…  read on >

Age-related eye disease is a worldwide problem that costs people not only their vision, but also hundreds of billions of dollars globally. So an international research team decided to look into ways to prevent or treat this type of vision loss. The investigators discovered that calcifications in the retina — the thin layer of tissue…  read on >

The #MeToo movement has given many Americans a glimpse into an unfamiliar world that may have left many wondering, “What were they thinking?” It turns out they might not have been thinking much at all. New research suggests that almost 9 percent of people in the United States have distress caused by difficulty controlling their…  read on >

FRIDAY, Nov. 9, 2018 (American Heart Association) — Getting the flu may not only make you feel crummy, it also might land you in the hospital for heart problems. A team of researchers analyzed monthly flu reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in four communities across the United States between October 2010…  read on >

FRIDAY, Nov. 9, 2018 (American Heart Association) — Sudden cardiac arrest — when the heart stops beating — is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. To help save lives, automated external defibrillators, which shock the heart back into a regular beat, have been placed in many public places. Now, these portable…  read on >

There are wide variations between states when it comes to child restraint rules for ride-share services such as Lyft and Uber, researchers report. This can cause uncertainty and confusion for parents and other caregivers. Ride-share vehicles typically don’t come with a car seat, and an option to request one is available only in some cities,…  read on >

Belonging to a community choir may be the best weapon against loneliness for seniors, a new study suggests. Researchers created community choirs for nearly 400 English- and Spanish-speaking participants at 12 senior centers in San Francisco. The choirs were led by professional choir directors and accompanists. The songs were culturally selected for each site, appropriate…  read on >