When packing for your summer vacation, be sure to include the right footwear, a podiatrist advises. “The type of vacation you go on will determine the type of shoe you need,” Dr. Ronald Lepow, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s department of orthopedic surgery, in Houston, said in a school news release. If…  read on >

Police killings of unarmed black Americans harm the mental health of black adults nationwide, researchers report. “Our study demonstrates for the first time that police killings of unarmed black Americans can have corrosive effects on mental health in the black American community,” said co-lead author Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani. He’s a health economist and general internist…  read on >

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is caused by the bite of an infected tick. Here are suggestions to reduce your risk of Lyme disease, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Stay out of areas where ticks are likely to be, including wooded areas, tall grass, and places with lots…  read on >  read on >

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes considerable pain in joints. At some point, most people with RA develop pain in the ankle and foot. While there is no cure, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says there are things you can do to ease symptoms of the disease: Rest. Limit activities that make…  read on >

Babies exposed to antidepressants during their mother’s pregnancy may face a slightly higher chance of having problems with their motor skills, a new review suggests. But the Australian researchers cautioned that more research is needed before firm conclusions can be made, since the studies they analyzed varied widely in the way they were carried out.…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — There’s new research suggesting that a switch over to e-cigarettes can help cigarette smokers kick their habit — even if initially they didn’t intend to. The small British study of 40 people “found that vaping may support long-term smoking abstinence,” lead researcher Dr. Caitlin Notley, of Norwich Medical School, at the University…  read on >

Once you contract mononucleosis, the virus behind it stays in your body, the Nemours Foundation says. In fact, about 95 percent of adults have the virus inside them, Nemours says. You won’t always be contagious, but symptoms of the virus — usually Epstein-Barr — can resurface. Common symptoms include fatigue, fever, muscle pain, headache and…  read on >

High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease and stroke, yet has no symptoms of its own. That’s why having your blood pressure checked regularly is a must, as is controlling it if it’s high. But identifying the right high blood pressure drugs can be a challenge. According to research…  read on >

“Hidden” drug overdoses account for nearly 1 in 7 sudden cardiac deaths, a new study contends. Researchers looked at more than 900 people in San Francisco who died of an apparent out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Through autopsies and lab tests, they found that only 541 of those people (59 percent) actually met the criteria set by…  read on >

Bicycling or other regular exercise may help reduce harmful inflammation in obese people, a new study suggests. Physical activity tames inflammation by changing blood characteristics, according to a team led by Dr. Michael De Lisio, of the University of Ottawa in Canada. Chronic inflammation is behind many of the health problems associated with obesity, such…  read on >