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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
Teaching kids about telling the truth is a critical life lesson. And your approach can determine how motivated your kids are to be honest. Younger children are more likely to tell the truth because they want to please you; older ones understand that it’s the right thing to do. Older kids also are less motivated… read on >
A vegetarian diet is safe for a person with diabetes, the American Diabetes Foundation says. In fact, a vegetarian diet is naturally higher in fiber, and much lower in saturated fats and cholesterol than the typical American diet. These factors, particularly the higher fiber content, may help lower blood sugar levels, the foundation says. The… read on >
If you’re unlucky enough to come down with the flu, you can blame your own body for your fever, cough, muscle aches and head-to-toe distress, experts say. Most of influenza’s misery is caused by the human body itself, or more precisely the immune system’s response to the virus. “Many of the things that feel bad… read on >
Along with reducing conventional smoking, anti-tobacco laws in the United States may tamp down use of electronic cigarettes, a new study suggests. New York University researchers found that states with anti-tobacco regulations — such as smoke-free air laws and cigarette taxes — had fewer vapers as well as fewer cigarette smokers. “Our research adds to… read on >
A simple urine test apparently can reveal how old your body really is — showing its biological, not chronological age. That information can then help determine your risk for age-related diseases and even death, a new study suggests. The test checks for a substance — called a marker — that indicates cellular damage from a… read on >
New research shows that surviving cardiac arrest may depend on a bystander quickly shocking your heart back into its normal rhythm, and that is more likely to happen if an automated external defibrillator is handy. In the study, those who got a shock from a bystander using a publicly available automated external defibrillator (AED) were… read on >
