Where better to fight indoor air pollution than at home? The American Lung Association suggests how: Don’t let anyone smoke in your home. Test your home for radon. Keep humidity levels under 50 percent and use a dehumidifier or air conditioner as needed. Clean this equipment regularly. Fix any leaks in the home that could… read on >
If you think having just one cigarette a day won’t do any harm, you’re wrong. British researchers say lighting up just once a day was linked to a much higher risk of heart disease and stroke than might be expected. The bottom line: “No safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease,” wrote the team… read on >
Working toward a healthier environment involves more than separating glass and plastic. Try a new take on the three “R’s” — recycle, reduce and reuse — to save money, energy and natural resources. Start in your pantry. Donate packaged foods you know you’re not going to eat to a local food bank or soup kitchen.… read on >
As a nasty flu season rages throughout the United States, new research finds that one particularly vulnerable population often misses out on tests for the illness. Among hospitalized people, older patients are much less likely to be tested for flu than younger patients, the new study found. That’s important, because the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on >
Are bleary-eyed Americans getting a break at last? New research suggests that people are sleeping a few more minutes each night than they used to. “Over 14 years [2003 to 2016], Americans were getting 17 minutes more sleep every night, or a full four days more sleep per year,” said study lead researcher Dr. Mathias… read on >
Americans spent more on health care in 2016, even though their use of health care did not increase, and rising costs are the reason why, a new report shows. “It is time to have a national conversation on the role of price increases in the growth of health care spending,” said Niall Brennan, president of… read on >
Survival rates are rising for people who have cardiac arrest while in the hospital, a new study finds. But if cardiac arrest happens at night or on a weekend, you’re more likely to die than if it happens on a weekday. The odds of surviving an “off-hours” cardiac arrest are nearly 4 percent lower than… read on >
If you’ve just shed a lot of pounds, you might want to hold off on buying a new wardrobe full of “thin” clothes. That’s because new research finds that lost weight starts creeping back almost immediately after a diet stops. “We noticed that individuals transitioned from a weight loss intervention immediately to weight gain,” said… read on >
Probiotics are live microorganisms (such as bacteria) that are sold as supplements, included in topically-applied skin creams and added to food products such as yogurt. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any health claims for probiotics. But the some people take probiotics for potential health benefits. The U.S. National Library of Medicine… read on >
Millions of American families struggle to find and keep stable housing — and the fight to do so may end up harming kids’ health. Researchers found that when families faced various types of “housing instability,” moms had a higher risk of depression and kids were more likely to be in “fair” to “poor” health. It… read on >
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