Deep breathing is a great stress reliever, and the technique called mindfulness meditation is a helpful way to use breathing to get more in touch with your inner self. People who meditate say they feel more positive, and have more energy and better concentration. There’s more than one way to tap meditation’s benefits — through…  read on >

Your teeth may be a good indicator of your heart health, the American Heart Association says. A recent clinical study focusing on tooth loss during midlife found that people who lost two or more teeth during the trial had a 23 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The increase occurred regardless of other cardiovascular risk…  read on >

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that causes the heart to become enlarged, rigid or thicker. As the condition worsens, the heart becomes weaker and is less effective at pumping blood, the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says. The agency suggests how to help tame some of the condition’s complications: Quit…  read on >

The outbreak of E. coli illness tied to tainted Arizona romaine lettuce continues to expand, federal health officials said Wednesday. “Since the last update on April 13, 2018, 18 more ill people have been added to this investigation, bringing the total number to 53,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a…  read on >

Toxic chemicals that have been banned for nearly four decades may be hiding in kitchens across the United States, new research suggests. Polychlorinated biphenyls, more commonly known as PCBs, might be released when cabinet sealants break down, the scientists warn. PCBs are cancer-causing chemicals once used in a wide range of products, from electrical appliances…  read on >

Poor muscle health may be a complication of type 1 diabetes, even in young people who get plenty of exercise. That’s the finding of Canadian researchers who analyzed muscle samples from young adults with and without type 1 diabetes who did more than the weekly amount of exercise recommended by Diabetes Canada. In the young…  read on >

New research sheds light on why some people’s blood pressure is especially sensitive to salt. The research team previously discovered that a natural gene variation that occurs in 48 percent of people increases a person’s chances of having blood pressure that’s sensitive to salt. Their new study revealed how this gene variant prevents the body…  read on >

Blisters, corns and calluses have at least one thing in common: they’re triggered by the friction of two surfaces rubbing against each other. The Nemours Foundation suggests how to care for these skin issues: Keep a blister clean, dry and bandaged until it heals. Avoid putting pressure on the area. Soak a callus in warm,…  read on >

The crunchy goodness of peanuts, walnuts, cashews and other nuts may be just what the cardiologist ordered, new research suggests. The study couldn’t prove cause-and-effect. However, the analysis of health data on more than 61,000 Swedes aged 45 and older found regularly eating nuts was tied to lower risks for heart failure and an irregular…  read on >