Instead of gulping your food, try eating more slowly. It may help you drop those unwanted pounds, a new study by Japanese researchers suggests. Also helpful: Avoiding after-dinner snacks and eating anything in the two hours before you go to bed, the researchers said. The study linked those simple changes to a smaller waist, and…  read on >

Kidney stones are becoming more common, especially in women, new research has found. Better diagnostic tools could be part of the reason for the steady rise in diagnoses, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. By using CT scans, “we are now diagnosing symptomatic kidney stones that previously would have gone undiagnosed because they would not have…  read on >

Devices that send electrical pulses to the brain — in the comfort of your own home — are a treatment option for depression and certain other conditions. But a new research review finds little evidence they work. The therapy — known as cranial electrical stimulation (CES) — involves a handheld device that delivers low-intensity electrical…  read on >

About one in four women dies of heart disease in the United States, making it the most common cause of death among women. Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as gender, race or age. Other factors involve your lifestyle. The U.S. Office on Women’s Health provides examples: Smoking — If you smoke, quit immediately.…  read on >

A variety of emotions can arise when kids go off to college and start on their adult life. Research done at the University of Kansas shows that being able to communicate through texting and other channels can help you feel more connected and have a more satisfying relationship with your grown kids. Gone are the…  read on >

Lead exposure has been linked to problems including reduced IQ, focus and academic performance. So every effort should be made to prevent lead exposure in the home, particularly among children. Lead-based paint was banned for use in American homes in 1978, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But older homes may still…  read on >

Has your favorite tabby gotten a tad tubby? You can help that fat cat slim down safely. But be forewarned: It won’t happen overnight. Researchers at the University of Illinois put eight overweight neutered male cats on a diet for 18 weeks. They wanted the cats to lose enough weight to be noticeable but not…  read on >

Just because it’s not summer doesn’t mean you’re safe from sun-related skin damage. “The highest level of concern is usually during the summer months, but sun damage can occur year-round, even on cloudy or rainy days,” said dermatologist Dr. Sarah Taylor, an assistant professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. “In fact,…  read on >

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 >