Do you have things you want to do before your time’s up? If so, consider sharing that so-called “bucket list” with your doctors. Those discussions could help your doctors provide health care that fits your life plans, researchers say. And for people with a chronic or even terminal illness, it could also help with advance…  read on >

Does it seem as though the second you try to cut back on calories all you can think about is food? It’s even harder to minimize the role of food in your life if you’re using tasty treats to manage emotions, according to a Finnish study published in the journal Eating Behaviors. People who lose…  read on >

Most Americans are not on board with President Donald Trump’s recent decision to further protect health care workers who refuse to treat patients on religious or moral grounds, the latest HealthDay/Harris Poll shows. More than eight of 10 surveyed do not believe doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care providers should be allowed to use…  read on >

Stroke affects more women than men in the United States. And a new study pinpoints stroke risk factors unique to females. “Many people don’t realize that women suffer stroke more frequently than men, and mortality is much higher among women,” said Dr. Kathryn Rexrode, the study’s corresponding author. “As women age, they are much more…  read on >

One hundred years ago, the deadliest influenza pandemic of all time made a ravaging march across the globe. The “Spanish” flu of 1918-19 infected an estimated one-third of the world’s population and killed between 50 million and 100 million people, modern epidemiologists estimate. That raises the inevitable question as the United States battles its way…  read on >

Herpes infection rates are dropping among young Americans, and safer sex practices may be one reason why. Roughly 12 percent of adults were infected with genital herpes (HSV-2) in 2015-2016, down from 18 percent in 1999-2000, a new government report found. The same promising trend was seen with HSV-1, a form of herpes that causes…  read on >

“Exergaming” — playing video games that get you off the sofa and into the action — has positive fitness benefits that span the generations. It can be a way to introduce sedentary kids to exercise and even keep seniors fit. Because it engages the mind, it also may lead to better cognitive function in your…  read on >

Most dogs are excited to hear the words “Want to go for a walk?” But one-third of pug dogs have an abnormal gait, and this may be a more serious health problem for this breed than previously thought, researchers say. The finding was based on survey responses from 550 owners of pugs registered with the…  read on >

Your pet rat could make you very sick by transmitting a virus that’s newly emerged in North America, U.S. health officials warn. Seoul virus is a rat-borne hantavirus that typically causes symptoms that resemble the flu — fever, headache, muscle pain. In rare cases infection can lead to hospitalization with hemorrhagic fever and kidney failure.…  read on >

A colonoscopy can save your life by detecting and removing colon cancer, but it might also trigger appendicitis, a new study suggests. Experts aren’t sure exactly why that happens, and, fortunately, it’s rare. And it shouldn’t stop you from getting a colonoscopy, according to lead researcher Dr. Marc Basson. “Having a colonoscopy, or something about…  read on >