Though they often dread social events, many introverts find they’re not as bad as feared and some have learned to fake an outgoing personality to get through the experience. In the business world, socializing is a key to success, said Erik Helzer, who led a team that examined the psychological implications for both introverts and… read on >
Patients who have high triglycerides and take cholesterol-lowering statins to lower their risk for heart attack or stroke can cut that risk by another 30 percent by adding a high-dose omega-3 fatty acid pill, investigators report. The prescription drug, called Vascepa, is not to be confused with over-the-counter dietary omega-3 (often fish oil) supplements. Such… read on >
Tucking a pacemaker inside an antibiotic-soaked mesh envelope before implanting it inside your body can drastically reduce your risk of a dangerous infection, a new study shows. About 1.7 million patients receive cardiac implants like pacemakers or defibrillators every year worldwide, and doctors use preoperative antibiotics to lower the chances of infection. Nonetheless, about 1.2… read on >
Women scientists get less early-career research funding from the U.S. government than men, which can put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their careers, a new study says. Researchers analyzed grants given by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to 53,000 first-time principal investigators (57 percent men and 43 percent women) between… read on >
A groundbreaking new study holds heartening news for older Americans. Since the mid-1990s, the number of seniors who suffered a heart attack or died from one dropped dramatically — evidence that campaigns to prevent heart attacks and improve patient care are paying off, Yale University researchers said. The study of more than 4 million Medicare… read on >
Think exercise has to be high-intensity to make a difference to your health? Think again. New research shows that even routine housework and gardening can help older women’s hearts. “For older women, any and all movement counts towards better cardiovascular health,” said Dr. David Goff. He’s director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the… read on >
Precious few treatment guidelines for heart patients are supported by the best scientific evidence, a new study shows. Less than one in 10 recommendations are based on results from multiple randomized controlled trials (considered the “gold standard”), and that percentage has actually dropped in the past decade, the researchers reported. For the study, the investigators… read on >
Autism exacts a heavy toll on the families of teens who struggle with the disorder, but the fight to get treatment and services is even harder among minorities who live in poverty, new research suggests. “We must understand that many families parenting teens on the autism spectrum are also struggling to make ends meet while… read on >
No type of bullying is acceptable, but cyberbullying can be harder for parents to spot because it takes place via cellphone, computer or tablet, often through social media. Cyberbullying can be a hateful text message or post of embarrassing pictures, videos and even fake profiles of the victim. Victims are often bullied in person, too,… read on >
A blood test used to detect a heart attack may often provide some misleading results, British researchers report. In a new study of patients undergoing blood tests at a hospital in England, one in 20 people had high blood levels of troponin, a protein released into the bloodstream during a heart attack. But most of… read on >
