healthy living for women + their families
Limiting the number of working hours for surgical residents hasn’t improved patient outcomes and may actually have increased patient complications. Additionally, shorter hours seem to lead to higher failure rates on certification exams.
The finding, by researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, was published in the journal Annals of Surgery.
From the Cleveland Clinic Brain & Spine Team
For some people, daily chores are a pain — literally. Up to 90 percent of people in the United States suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, and routine activities such as chores often cause flare-ups.
But the chores themselves aren’t to blame, says occupational therapist Michael Milicia, OT/L. It’s how you do them. Below, he offers tips to help you do your household scrubbing and yard work without triggering pain.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued a recommendation against routine cognitive-impairment screening for older adults who do not have symptoms.
The task force said there isn’t enough evidence to determine the effectiveness of screening all older adults.
[The evidence] “is insufficient at this time,” said Task Force co-vice chair Al Siu, M.D., M.S.P.H.
Researchers have developed a drug that can manipulate the body’s signaling systems, triggering an attack and shutdown of deadly cancer cells.
The finding was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
The drug, called ZL105, is a compound based on the metal iridium. The study, by researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK, has found ZL105 could potentially replace currently used anticancer drugs. Those drugs become less effective over time, have a number of side effects and damage both healthy and cancerous cells.
Editor’s Note: As we get older, many of us think about downsizing from a house to a condo, because it’s easier to manage our lives in a simpler place. And we’d like to save as much money on home repairs as possible, because fixed incomes and Medicare don’t cover all essential expenses. Sometimes, though, the decision to buy or lease a condo isn’t as clear-cut as you’d like. Here, from a top expert, are some smart questions to ask yourself before making a move.
Scientists have discovered a way to possibly halt the progression of dementia that’s caused by the malfunctioning of the protein tau.
In many forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, tau goes awry. Instead of performing its normal cellular functions, it begins accumulating and interfering with cell-to-cell communications.
Researchers have discovered that a gene, previously not linked to breast cancer, plays a central role in the growth of triple negative breast cancer.
Targeting that gene, the research indicates, could lead to a new approach for treating that form of the disease. Triple negative breast cancer, which accounts for 20 percent of all breast cancer cases, often has few treatment options.
Healthy feet are among the most basic elements of being physically active. Whether you’re just getting
started or your feet have been through years of wear from physical activities including running, biking, tennis or dancing, they need to be in good shape for you to continue your fitness routine and gain myriad health benefit.
The experts at the Go4Life program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have some suggestions on smart strategies to treat your feet well:
Every woman who has a mastectomy is then faced with another choice: whether to have breast reconstruction – surgery to rebuild the shape of the breast. There are other choices, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI): to wear a breast form, or padding, or to do nothing.
Stroke patients over the age of 60 benefit from a post-stroke surgical procedure that temporarily removes part of the skull, researchers have found.
The findings involve people who have suffered a major stroke because of blockage to the middle cerebral artery. The procedure that benefits them is called hemicraniectomy – removal of part of the skull located above the affected brain tissue. It relieves increased pressure on the brain in the 48 hours after the stroke.
Discussing healthy eating habits with a nutrition coach was as effective as talk therapy in preventing major depression among older adults with mild symptoms of mood disorder, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland.
The findings, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, examined both black and white adults.
From the Cleveland Clinic
We’ve all been there. You are wide awake at 3 a.m., your mind racing with a rising sense of panic about the difficult day ahead if you don’t fall back to sleep.
What you’re experiencing is a type of insomnia, says sleep disorders specialist Harneet Walia, MD, DABSM, of Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorders Center.
Up to 12.8 million Americans may begin taking statins thanks to new guidelines for using the drugs, according to a research team led by scientists from Duke University.
The finding is the first to make specific predictions based on the American Heart Association’s new guidelines, which were issued in November.
The investigators, whose findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most of the additional users would be people over 60.
Although stroke affects millions of American women, many in that group are unaware of the warning signs, according to research conducted by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
By Paul Dunion
When I ask a couple in couples counseling, "So, tell me about the current status of your intimacy,” they inevitably start talking about their sex life. When I proceed to explain I am interested in their emotional intimacy, the male quickly turns his gaze toward his wife and the female typically speaks of the loneliness and isolation she experiences in the marriage. She may not know exactly what, but she does know something is missing in the marriage.
Researchers have found that a molecule may help control high blood sugar, and the discovery could lead to new targeted therapies for 25 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes.
Scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidic acids enhance glucose production in the liver. So inhibiting the production of phosphatidic acids could do the opposite, helping to control blood sugar.
A device using technology similar to that found in video games may eventually help health care practitioners monitor and even prevent falls among hospital patients.
Between 700,000 and 1 million people each year fall in U.S. hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. All patients are at higher risk of falls because they are sick or injured. Falls are especially serious for older patients.
Getting and staying fit can be intimidating, especially if you don’t want to go to gyms that might make you self-conscious and cost a lot of money. Even at-home equipment can be costly. But you can have an enjoyable fitness routine without spending anything. Experts from the Go4Life fitness program of the National Institutes of Health have some great suggestions:
