Smoke-free policies have now been linked to lower blood pressure readings among non-smokers. It’s already known that these policies, which prohibit smoking in public places like bars and restaurants, are linked with fewer hospitalizations for heart disease among non-smokers. But this is the first study to associate the policies with lower systolic (top number) blood… Continue reading Smoke-Free Policies Associated with Lower Blood Pressure Among Nonsmokers
Author: Jane Farrell
Avoid the Flu During Holiday Travel
If you’ve ever traveled during the holidays, you know how stressful it is. Last year an estimated 107.3 million travelers hit the road between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1, and there’s no reason to think this year will be different. And crowds like that mean you’ve got a really good chance of getting the flu… Continue reading Avoid the Flu During Holiday Travel
The Shrinking Use of Tobacco
Good news: Cigarette smoking has reached the lowest level ever recorded among U.S. adults. Only 14 percent of Americans smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Still, about 47 million (one in five) Americans used a tobacco product in… Continue reading The Shrinking Use of Tobacco
A Memory Diet for Men?
A diet that emphasizes leafy greens as well as other vegetables and fruits may be linked to a lower risk of memory loss in men. The study was published in the November 21, 1918 issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Besides the leafy greens, the study subjects ate berry… Continue reading A Memory Diet for Men?
Infants of Older Fathers Are Likelier to Be Less Healthy at Birth
For years, women were warned not to postpone having children until their late 30s and 40s because it would mean added risks for themselves and their babies. Now, researchers say, it appears that the age of the father has an impact as well on both mother and infant. In a study published in The BMJ,… Continue reading Infants of Older Fathers Are Likelier to Be Less Healthy at Birth
Newborn Syphilis Is on The Rise
Cases of congenital syphilis, passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or delivery, have more than doubled since 2013. The number of reported cases jumped from 362 in 2013 to 918 in 2017, according to the annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 2017 figure… Continue reading Newborn Syphilis Is on The Rise
Why Fresh Produce Can Be Bad for You
Most people know about the dangers of animal products. But the United States has had several large outbreaks of illness caused by contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2018, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated an E. coli outbreak of romaine lettuc that sickened more than 40 people in 12 states and sent… Continue reading Why Fresh Produce Can Be Bad for You
How to Fix An Aging Smile
Aging can rob us of many things: our agility, our hair, even our memory. But aging also can cause physical changes to a person’s smile, affecting their self-confidence and their social life. Many adults come to me complaining they have lost their smile. Older patients may have multiple issues that affect their smile, including mutilated… Continue reading How to Fix An Aging Smile
Coffee May Help Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
The newest weapon in the battle against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson just might be coffee – and dark-roasted at that, new research says. “Coffee consumption does seem to have some correlation to a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Donald Weaver, co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute, in Toronto. “But we… Continue reading Coffee May Help Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Safety of Hospital Patients Still Falls Short
Although it’s long been a goal to increase patient safety in hospitals, there hasn’t been nearly as much progress as there should be. The commitment to increase patient safety came after a landmark 1999 study by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) highlighted the prevalence of medical errors and made clear the need to decrease… Continue reading Safety of Hospital Patients Still Falls Short
The Most Dangerous Foods
We’re all familiar with reports of foodborne illness and governments alerts to avoid a particular food until the problem is solved. But which categories of food are the source of most illnesses? To find out, the federal Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) compiled statistics related to four of the most serious bacteria: Salmonella, Escherichhia… Continue reading The Most Dangerous Foods
Yet Another Reason to Eat More Vegetables (And Fish)
A naturally occurring compound could be a new weapon in the fight against heart disease and hypertension. Researchers working with an animal model found that elevated levels of the compound, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), may reduce hypertension-related heart disease symptoms. Treatment with TMAO also reduced heart thickening (cardiac fibrosis) and markers of heart failure in in… Continue reading Yet Another Reason to Eat More Vegetables (And Fish)
What You Need to Know about Geriatric Care Managers
If you’re suddenly faced with the need to care for an aging loved one, the decisions you’re required to make will seem overwhelming. In cases like these, a good geriatric care manager, usually a licensed nurse or social worker who specializes in geriatrics, may help. Although they are not covered by Medicare, a geriatric care… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Geriatric Care Managers
Parkinson’s Patients: The Benefits of Singing
For people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, singing may provide benefits beyond improving respiratory and swallow control. The results, from a pilot study by Iowa State researchers, showed improvements in patients’ mood and motor symptoms, as well as reduced physiological indicators of stress. Elizabeth Stegemöller, an assistant professor of kinesiology, cautioned that the data is preliminary,… Continue reading Parkinson’s Patients: The Benefits of Singing
A Post-Stroke Vaccine That Could Save Lives
A vaccine may someday replace oral blood thinners to reduce the risk of secondary strokes, researchers say. The discovery was published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. People who have had a stroke caused by a blood clot (ischemic strokes) often need to take oral medications that make their blood less likely to clot,… Continue reading A Post-Stroke Vaccine That Could Save Lives
The Dangers of Soy Formula
We’re accustomed to think of soy as healthy. But it has a few serious drawbacks, according to new research, Investigators found that infant girls who were fed soy formula are likelier to develop severe menstrual pain as young adults. This finding adds to previous evidence that exposure to soy formula during early life may have… Continue reading The Dangers of Soy Formula
The Mental Health Benefits of Pilates
The Pilates exercise program can have a positive mental effect on people living with chronic conditions. Researchers looked at 15 women and seven men to determine what benefits they got from Pilates. The participants, age 36 to 83, suffered from a range of chronic musculoskeletal ailments. These included nonspecific low back pain, peripheral joint osteoarthritis… Continue reading The Mental Health Benefits of Pilates
Winter Health Myths, Busted
How many of these winter health myths do you believe? Myth: Allergies go away in the winter. Actually, allergies might the real source behind your stuffy nose and scratchy throat. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, one in five people suffer from indoor/outdoor allergies, and the indoor variety can be worse in… Continue reading Winter Health Myths, Busted