An exhaustive review of sleep research spanning five decades underscores the importance of getting your Zzzzzs. Sleep loss undermines emotional functioning and increases a person’s risk for anxiety and depression, the study found. It also takes a toll on positive emotions like joy, happiness and contentment. “In our largely sleep-deprived society, quantifying the effects… read on > read on >
Using a weight-loss medication to help you shed pounds gradually appears to help extend life for people with arthritis of the hips or knees, a new study finds. However, folks with arthritis who dropped pounds very quickly showed no benefit in terms of survival, and even a slight uptick in their risk for heart disease,… read on > read on >
Even Valentine’s Day apparently doesn’t trump the start of a brand new year when it comes to getting frisky. Sales of the morning-after pill surged across the U.S. after New Year 2022, new research shows. Nearly 41,000 extra pills were sold in the following week, a period linked to increased risks of unprotected sex. Sales… read on > read on >
Believe it or not, your spinal cord may be a pathway to better mood and even an end to depression, new research suggests. Investigators at the University of Cincinnati stressed that their pilot study — to see whether tweaking the spinal cord can ease depression — is in its very early stages. However, 20-minute sessions… read on > read on >
Kids with emotional problems or ADHD can find the holidays a very challenging time, as all the routines that provide a sense of order are jumbled in a whirl of activities. The kids are home from school and restless, their parents are hauling them along to Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings, and they’re eating lots… read on > read on >
What’s even more nerve-wracking than paying taxes? The holidays, according to a majority of Americans, who say it takes them weeks to recover from seasonal stress. “The holidays are an easy time to justify putting off healthy habits, but it’s important to manage chronic stress and other risk factors to stay healthy during the holiday… read on > read on >
The new COVID variant known as JN.1 was named a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization on Tuesday, which means health officials are now closely tracking its rapid spread across the globe. So far, the highly mutated variant has not been shown to trigger more severe illness than previous incarnations of the coronavirus.… read on > read on >
Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress are common among people caring for the victim of a recent stroke, a new study has found. Nearly 30% of caregivers of severe stroke patients experience stress and emotional problems during the first year after the patient leaves the hospital, according to a report in the journal Neurology. “This research… read on > read on >
Exposure to a common chemical group found in many household products may delay or even prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, a new study says. Phthalates can lower a woman’s odds of becoming pregnant by up to 18% in any given month, researchers report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Phthalates are chemicals found in… read on > read on >
A person’s toothbrush could be a true lifesaver if they land in a hospital ICU, according to new evidence review. Regular toothbrushing is associated with lower rates of death in the intensive care unit (ICU), shorter lengths of stay, and shorter times spent on a mechanical ventilator, researchers report in the Dec. 18 issue of… read on > read on >
