About a third of people aged 65 to 74 are affected by hearing loss, as are about half of those 75 and older, the U.S. National Institute on Aging says. Aside from missing out on spirited conversation, hearing loss can affect the health of your brain, the agency says. A 2011 study funded by the… read on >
Too much stress may make it difficult to fall asleep or stay that way. The National Sleep Foundation says your body may be offering clues that there’s too much stress in your life. Among them: Your mind continues to race after your head hits the pillow. You have muscle tension and pain. Your heart races.… read on >
A spike in the amount of time teenage girls in the United States spend online is a likely culprit behind the surge in rates of depression, suicide and contemplation of suicide, new research suggests. The finding stems from an analysis of fatal injury data collected between 1999 and 2015 by the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on >
Everyone knows that sustained high blood pressure does no favors for your heart or life span. But new research suggests that up-and-down shifts in blood pressure may be equally hazardous to your health. “The takeaway from the study is, if you allow your blood pressure to be uncontrolled for any period of time, or notice… read on >
As many as 20 percent of Americans get the winter blues when days grow shorter. For instance, you might feel blue around the holidays because of stress or if loved ones are far away. It’s usually mild and clears up on its own in a short amount of time. But up to 6 percent of… read on >
Offering both the promise of better patient compliance with health care, but also fears of a medical “Big Brother,” a newly approved “digital pill” allows physicians to track whether or not it’s been ingested by patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the nod to Abilify MyCite, for use in patients with schizophrenia,… read on >
Heart patients who’ve bought an all-electric Tesla need not worry that their car might interfere with their implanted defibrillator. That’s the finding from a new study of 34 seniors who had the devices, which help guard against dangerous irregular heartbeats. The study “demonstrates the safety of the Tesla electric vehicle in patients with cardiac defibrillators… read on >
A life-threatening heart emergency can spell financial doom for people who don’t have health insurance, a pair of new studies shows. Around 4 out of 5 uninsured patients hospitalized for a heart attack, stroke or heart bypass surgery faced financial ruin before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, the researchers reported. “Medical… read on >
You’ve probably heard of “distracted driving,” but what about “distracted walking?” Largely due to the immense popularity of cell phones, pedestrian deaths reached nearly 6,000 in the United States last year, a 9 percent jump over 2015, the National Safety Council says. Walking remains a great way to get healthy exercise, but you should keep… read on >
A clinical trial may be just what the doctor ordered for a person who hasn’t responded to a standard treatment or is unable to handle its side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests you should research a clinical trial carefully and ask many questions before you consider participating. The agency says before joining… read on >
