The brutal flu season continues to ease its grip on the United States, with the latest government data showing that doctor visits are still dropping and less severe strains of the flu are starting to account for more infections. But hospitalizations for flu are still rising, as are pediatric deaths. For the third week in… read on >
People’s chances of living longer have been increasing dramatically for decades. But, that seems to have slowed recently, a new worldwide study has found. The sharpest decline has come in countries that already had the shortest life expectancy, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. They said the… read on >
Could the calcium supplement you take to help your bones be harming your colon? That’s the suggestion from a new study that finds a link between the daily supplement and an increased risk for polyps in the colon. Polyps are not cancerous, but some can eventually turn into cancer if they’re not removed. Further research… read on >
If you’re pregnant and want to exercise in warm weather or take hot baths or short saunas, that’s safe, according to new research. Australian researchers said that doing so — within limits — should not raise your body temperature to a point that would put your baby at risk. The findings come from an analysis… read on >
If people with sleep apnea who’ve been hospitalized for any reason don’t use their breathing treatments when they return home, they’re much more likely to end up back in the hospital. They were 3.5 times more likely to be readmitted for any reason within 30 days, a new study found. And those who didn’t comply… read on >
For people who have both type 2 diabetes and heart failure, new research offers a mixed message on taking a daily low-dose aspirin. The study found the daily pill can reduce the risk for heart failure-related hospitalization and death in people who have both conditions. However, it also found that a daily aspirin raises their… read on >
Optimism can benefit angina patients, according to researchers who suggest doctors can help these folks feel more hopeful. Angina is chest pain that occurs when the heart isn’t getting enough oxygen. The pain can be severe, and it’s a common reason for emergency department visits. Angina can have a major impact on quality of life,… read on >
Forging new friendships and maintaining old ones may help slow cognitive decline among seniors, the U.S. National Institute on Aging says. For seven years, researchers at Northwestern University studied a group of so-called “superagers” — people 80 and older who had maintained long-standing friendships. The researchers found that the group collectively had memories of past… read on >
This year’s flu season is shaping up to be the worst in nearly a decade, experts say. The flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself. If you do develop symptoms including high fever, severe body aches, headache, extreme fatigue, sore throat, cough, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea, you probably have the flu, the… read on >
Though the dangers of smoking during pregnancy to both mother and baby are well-known, just over 7 percent of women still light up while pregnant, a new government report shows. Younger and less educated moms-to-be were the most likely to continue puffing on cigarettes while pregnant, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, part… read on >
