The old saying, “TV rots your brain,” could have some validity for folks as they age. In a new study, middle-aged people who watched television for more than 3.5 hours a day experienced a decline in their ability to remember words and language over the next six years, British researchers found. What’s worse, it appears…  read on >

For older adults with a urinary tract infection (UTI), antibiotic treatment should begin immediately to prevent serious complications, a new British study finds. Delaying or withholding antibiotics in this age group can increase the risk of bloodstream infection (sepsis) and death, researchers reported Feb. 27 in the BMJ. The findings suggest that doctors should “consider…  read on >

Loneliness is a common source of stress among the elderly. Older men and women who have companionship live longer than those without, a recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests. Figuring out how to prevent loneliness can be difficult, but companionship can take many forms. Those who can help include: Family, friends or a partner.…  read on >

If you’re in a frequent tug of war with your kids over turning off their gadgets, it could be the tactic you use when you try to persuade them to disengage. It turns out that giving 1- to 5-year-olds a time warning that screen viewing is about to end makes the transition away from a…  read on >

Feeling trapped behind a desk, a counter or on the factory floor does no favors for the mind. Now, research helps confirm that women with jobs that demand long hours may be more prone to depression. Researchers found that compared with women who worked a standard 40-hour week, those who were on the clock 55…  read on >

The community of bacteria or “microbiome” in a woman’s cervix might be a harbinger of her risk for cervical cancer, a new study suggests. For the study, researchers used genetic analysis to identify bacteria present in samples from 144 Tanzanian women who had cervical cancer screenings between March 2015 and February 2016. Of the women…  read on >

Is forgive and forget always the right approach after hurtful behavior from your spouse or significant other? Research done at the University of North Carolina suggests it could actually set up a pattern of continued bad behavior, one in which you forgive and your spouse forgets the mistake and does it again. Researchers evaluated a…  read on >

Simple at-home stool tests are a reliable way to screen for colon cancer — and a good alternative to invasive colonoscopies, a new research review confirms. The analysis, of 31 studies, looked at the effectiveness of the fecal immunochemical test, or FIT — which detects hidden blood in the stool. It found that a one-time…  read on >

Many new nurses work long hours, put in overtime and hold down second jobs, all factors that could jeopardize patient safety and their own well-being, a new study suggests. A number of forces have affected nurses and the hours they work in recent years. They include introduction of the Affordable Care Act and increased access…  read on >

If supermarket circulars influence your grocery shopping, you could be saving money at the expense of your health. That’s because studies show the offerings are often far from the healthiest food choices. Researchers looked at a year’s worth of circulars from a small Midwestern grocery chain to see how the nutritional quality of sale items…  read on >