Author: Jane Farrell

Suicide Prevention: How to Help Others in Need

Many Americans have experienced the devastating effects of suicide firsthand. Some have had a family member or friend take their own life. Others may have experienced suicidal thoughts or actions themselves. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), suicide is the second leading cause of death among 18- to 24-year-olds and claims the… Continue reading Suicide Prevention: How to Help Others in Need

An Overlooked Condition: Perimenopause

Researchers have developed the first-ever guidelines on diagnosing and treating perimenopausal depression, the time immediately before menopause when hormones are in decline. According to a news release from the University of Illinois at Chicago, perimenopausal depression remains under-recognized and clinical recommendations on treating it have been lacking until now. The researchers published the guidelines simultaneously… Continue reading An Overlooked Condition: Perimenopause

Calorie Restriction and Fasting Diets: What Do We Know?

You may have heard about calorie restriction and fasting diets and wondered why they’re getting so much attention in the news. Aren’t they just other terms for dieting to lose weight? No, they’re not. Calorie restriction means reducing average daily caloric intake below what is typical or habitual, without malnutrition or deprivation of essential nutrients.… Continue reading Calorie Restriction and Fasting Diets: What Do We Know?

Patients Want to Know More About The Medicines They’re Taking

Many patients want more information on the medicines they’re prescribed and are concerned about long-term side effects, according to a new study. The research, from the University of Kent, in the UK, is the first major study of the burden of long-term medicine use. Professor Janet Krska and two other researchers at the university’s Medway… Continue reading Patients Want to Know More About The Medicines They’re Taking

10 Dos and Don’ts of Caring for the Elderly

If you’ve ever cared for an elderly loved one you know how challenging it can be. The fact is that it’s difficult to watch someone close to you struggle mentally and physically, and being there for them around the clock can take a toll on you. What are the best ways to cope and make… Continue reading 10 Dos and Don’ts of Caring for the Elderly

Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average

Black adults experience dangerous spikes in high blood pressure, called a hypertensive crisis, at a rate that is five times the national average, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions, an annual conference focused on recent advances in hypertension research. Hypertensive crisis is a complication of high… Continue reading Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average

Expressing Your Gratitude Is More Powerful than You Think

Thanking someone really does make a difference: New research shows that people significantly underestimate the positive impact a letter of gratitude has on its recipient. The study, conducted by investigators from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the University of Texas at Austin, appeared in the journal Psychological Science. In the analysis,… Continue reading Expressing Your Gratitude Is More Powerful than You Think

How Healthcare Providers Can Keep Patients Safe from The Flu

The summer months are coming to end, school is beginning… which means the flu season is looming and providers must find better tactics to help prevent its spread. While it may feel strange to talk about the flu while it is still warm in much of the country, this is the most important time of… Continue reading How Healthcare Providers Can Keep Patients Safe from The Flu

Urgent Care Visits Increase as Emergency Room Visits Fall

Thanks to convenience and cost, more and more people are visiting urgent care centers for non-critical illnesses or conditions, while far fewer people are going to hospital emergency departments, according to new research. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers. The analysis looked at patterns among private… Continue reading Urgent Care Visits Increase as Emergency Room Visits Fall

Positive Well-Being and Optimism Can Improve Overall Heart Health

Maintaining positive thoughts and feelings through intervention programs can help patients achieve better overall outcomes when it comes to their cardiovascular health, according to a review paper published in September 2018 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. “We addressed how social environment, psychological well-being and the effectiveness of intervention strategies can help… Continue reading Positive Well-Being and Optimism Can Improve Overall Heart Health

More Patients Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest with New EMS Technique

A change in the type of breathing tube paramedics use to resuscitate patients who have suffered sudden cardiac arrest can improve the odds of survival and save thousands of lives, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). More than 90 percent of Americans who experience sudden cardiac… Continue reading More Patients Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest with New EMS Technique

Globally, 1.4 Billion Adults Not Active Enough, Upping Their Risk of Disease

More than 25 percent (1.4 billion) of the world’s adult population were insufficiently active in 2016, putting them at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and some cancers, according to researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO). The study, the first to estimate global physical activities trends over time, was published in… Continue reading Globally, 1.4 Billion Adults Not Active Enough, Upping Their Risk of Disease

“Parental” Regions of Brain Activated by Helping Others

Giving “targeted” social support to people in need activates regions of the brain involved in parental care, according to a new study. And that may help researchers understand the positive health effects of social ties. The study was published in August 2018 in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the journal of the American Psychosomatic… Continue reading “Parental” Regions of Brain Activated by Helping Others

Telemedicine Increases Life Expectancy for Some Heart Patients

Telemedicine management of heart-failure patients reduces hospitalizations, prolongs life and works equally well in rural and urban settings, European investigators say. Results from the study by researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin were published in the journal The Lancet. As part of a research and development project entitled “Health Region of the Future North Brandenburg… Continue reading Telemedicine Increases Life Expectancy for Some Heart Patients

FDA Cracks Down on e-Cigarette Manufacturers

The federal Food and Drug Administration, saying that the use of e-cigarettes has become an “epidemic” among young people, has taken action against 1,300 retailers and five major manufacturers for “their roles in perpetuating youth access.” It is the largest enforcement action in the agency’s history, the FDA said in a news release. The agency… Continue reading FDA Cracks Down on e-Cigarette Manufacturers

Some Advil for Children Recalled by Manufacturer

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, a division of Pfizer Inc., is voluntarily recalling one lot of Children’s Advil® Suspension Bubble Gum Flavored 4 fl. oz. bottle because of customer complaints that the dosage cup provided is marked in teaspoons and the instructions on the label are described in milliliters (mL). According to this news release from the… Continue reading Some Advil for Children Recalled by Manufacturer

Stigma and Myths about Psoriasis Are Pervasive in the U.S.

The autoimmune disorder psoriasis is surprisingly stigmatized today among people in the U.S., according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study, which involved both psychologists and dermatologists, was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Investigators found that the stigma associated with the condition… Continue reading Stigma and Myths about Psoriasis Are Pervasive in the U.S.