No glowing red nose required: Real reindeer don’t need Rudolph’s help to find the Arctic food they love most, new research shows. If you’re a reindeer, your go-to favorite food is a humble moss-like lichen called Cladonia rangiferina, explained researchers at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Trouble is, in the darkness of a northern winter… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Losing Sleep Makes for Unhappy, Anxious Days
An exhaustive review of sleep research spanning five decades underscores the importance of getting your Zzzzzs. Sleep loss undermines emotional functioning and increases a person’s risk for anxiety and depression, the study found. It also takes a toll on positive emotions like joy, happiness and contentment. “In our largely sleep-deprived society, quantifying the effects… read on > read on >
Screens Are Everywhere: Resolve to Protect Your Vision
Screens are everywhere — on desks, in laps, on the wall — and eye strain is a temporary but uncomfortable condition that comes with overuse. Folks spending too much time with screens can develop dry eyes, blurry vision, tearing or watering eyes, or a headache, warns the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). That’s because humans… read on > read on >
Ease Up on Drinking to Cut Your Risk for ‘Holiday Heart’
Rum-laced eggnog, mulled wine, or a hot toddy all sound good around the holidays, but too much imbibing can increase your risk of “holiday heart syndrome,” doctors warn. Holiday heart syndrome is the unofficial name for a notable increase in patients seeking treatment in ERs for heart rhythm problems caused by too much booze around… read on > read on >
Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right for You?
Chances are you know at least one person who’s given up eating gluten. Maybe you’ve even given it up yourself. But who can really benefit from a gluten-free diet? “Gluten is one of the main proteins found in wheat, barley and rye,” said Dr. Joseph Levy, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU… read on > read on >
Gradual Weight Loss Using Meds Helps Folks With Arthritis Live Longer
Using a weight-loss medication to help you shed pounds gradually appears to help extend life for people with arthritis of the hips or knees, a new study finds. However, folks with arthritis who dropped pounds very quickly showed no benefit in terms of survival, and even a slight uptick in their risk for heart disease,… read on > read on >
Diabetes a Common Threat to Kids Who Survive Cancer
Kids who’ve survived cancer face many health challenges, and a heightened risk for diabetes is one of them, new research shows. A team at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., reports that these children have twice the odds of developing prediabetes (a precursor to full-blown diabetes) compared to kids without any history of cancer.… read on > read on >
Former Pro Football Players Show Troubling Brain Changes
Head injuries related to football might be tied to markers of dementia like brain shrinkage and decreased blood flow to the brain, a new study of former pro and college players reports. The study looked at signs of injury to the brain’s white matter, called white matter hyperintensities. These are caused by reduced blood flow… read on > read on >
Could Spinal Cord Stimulation Ease Depression?
Believe it or not, your spinal cord may be a pathway to better mood and even an end to depression, new research suggests. Investigators at the University of Cincinnati stressed that their pilot study — to see whether tweaking the spinal cord can ease depression — is in its very early stages. However, 20-minute sessions… read on > read on >
Eye Drop Recalls: What You Need to Know
Dozens of over-the-counter lubricating eyedrops and artificial tears faced recall in 2023, due to contamination and unsafe manufacturing practices. “This year, we’ve seen an especially large number of recalls in ophthalmologic products,” said Gary Novack, a clinical professor with the UC Davis Health Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences in Davis, Calif. People who regularly… read on > read on >