If you love to while away a weekend watching a season’s worth of episodes from a favorite TV series, you may inadvertently put yourself at risk for developing a dangerous blood clot. When researchers compared people who reported watching TV more often to those who seldom or never watched TV, the risk of a venous…  read on >

America’s hang-ups over sexuality and gender could cost women their lives when their heart suddenly stops, a new study suggests. Simply put, women suffering from cardiac arrest in a public setting are less likely to get lifesaving CPR from a passerby than men are, researchers reported. “When it comes to life and death, we need…  read on >

Need another reason to keep your weight under control? Excess weight can cause dislocation of your knee and may even lead to a complication that results in amputation of your leg. A new study attributes a surge in dislocated knees to the U.S. obesity epidemic. “Obesity greatly increases the complications and costs of care,” said…  read on >

Your comfortable recliner and state-of-the-art office chair may be increasing your risk for heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle can raise cholesterol and threaten heart health. If you have a desk job, it’s especially important to counter long bouts of sitting with an hourly 5-minute exercise break, even if you stay within your office. If you…  read on >

Cats with diabetes, dogs with cancer, birds with high cholesterol or even rabbits who cannot turn around to clean themselves — what do these animals all have in common? They are either overweight or obese, and it’s serious. “We have a problem — almost all of American pets are overweight or obese,” explained veterinarian Dr.…  read on >

Exposure to air pollution can increase the risk for osteoporosis and broken bones in older adults, a new U.S. study suggests. Researchers analyzed data on 9.2 million Medicare enrollees in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic area who had been hospitalized for fractures from 2003 to 2010. The investigators found that even a small increase in exposure to air…  read on >

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, first developed to help guard against cervical cancer, also seems to protect against a rare, chronic childhood respiratory disease, a new study suggests. It’s believed that the disease — recurrent respiratory papillomatosis — occurs in children when HPV type 6 or 11 spreads from mother to child around the time…  read on >

Low-carb diets are often thought of as fad diets that might yield a rapid initial weight loss, but aren’t sustainable or necessarily healthy. But when there’s academic research behind the approach, it’s worth taking a second look. A study from Tulane University made headlines for showing that a low-carbohydrate diet (think Atkins and South Beach,…  read on >

As if the idea of teen cyberbullying isn’t harrowing enough, a new study warns of a strange twist in which kids anonymously post hurtful messages — to themselves. The worry is that this digital self-harm — like traditional self-harm — may be a harbinger for suicide down the road, the study authors said. In the…  read on >

Have rheumatoid arthritis? Treat yourself to some blueberries and a cup of green tea. They’re among the foods that could ease the pain, swelling and stiffness in your joints and even slow progression of the disease, researchers say. Dried plums, pomegranates, whole grains, the spices ginger and turmeric, and olive oil may also help. These…  read on >