Guidelines used to evaluate peak blood pressure during cardiopulmonary exercise testing were last updated in 1996 and may need to be revised to take into account age and gender, according to new data from the University of Illinois at Chicago. “This is the first systemic effort to establish maximum exercise blood pressure norms in more… Continue reading Hypertension and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Author: Jane Farrell
Money Buys Happiness – but Only Up to a Certain Amount
In order to be happy, researchers say, you don’t need unlimited amounts of money. “That might be surprising as what we see on TV and what advertisers tell us we need would indicate that there is no ceiling when it comes to how much money is needed for happiness, but we now see there are… Continue reading Money Buys Happiness – but Only Up to a Certain Amount
Genetic Ancestry Test Beats Self-Reports in Predicting Bleeding Stroke Risk
A genetic ancestry test more accurately identified patients at risk for bleeding stroke than traditional self-reports of race, cultural identity or ethnicity, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2018, a world premier meeting dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease for researchers and clinicians. The conference… Continue reading Genetic Ancestry Test Beats Self-Reports in Predicting Bleeding Stroke Risk
How Much Health-Care Privacy Do You Have?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enforces the Federal privacy regulations commonly known as the HIPAA Privacy Rule (HIPAA). HIPAA requires most doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers to protect the privacy of your health information. Here, from HHS, is a list of common questions about HIPAA… Continue reading How Much Health-Care Privacy Do You Have?
A New Weapon in The Fight Against Flu
The use of far ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light can kill airborne flu viruses without harming human tissues, researchers say. And the investigators, from the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), say their findings suggest that such light could be used in hospitals, schools, airports and other public spaces to provide… Continue reading A New Weapon in The Fight Against Flu
10 Questions to Ask about Your Heart-Disease Risk
Editor’s note: Heart disease is the number-one killer among women in the U.S. It’s essential that you know your own risk, and what you can do to lower it. Here, from the experts at the National Institute on Aging, are ten crucial questions to ask your doctor or nurse. If you think you won’t remember… Continue reading 10 Questions to Ask about Your Heart-Disease Risk
Quitting Smoking for Older Adults
“I’ve smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 40 years—what’s the use of quitting now? Will I even be able to quit after all this time?” No matter your age, quitting smoking improves your health. If you quit smoking, you are likely to add years to your life, breathe more easily, have more energy,… Continue reading Quitting Smoking for Older Adults
Childhood Height Linked to Adult Stroke Risk
Being a short child is associated with increased risk of having a stroke in adulthood, according to Danish research published in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal. A prospective study examined data on more than 300,000 Danish schoolchildren – born between 1930-1989 who were examined at ages 7, 10 and 13. Researchers noted that boys… Continue reading Childhood Height Linked to Adult Stroke Risk
Despite Potential for More Money, Doctors Aren’t Uniformly Adopting Medicare Wellness Visits
Medical practices that adopted the annual Medicare “wellness visit” for patients saw increased revenue, and their patients were also likelier to stay with them for any given three-year period, researchers say. But other medical offices, most of which care for the underserved, had lower rates of adopting the practice of the wellness visit – a… Continue reading Despite Potential for More Money, Doctors Aren’t Uniformly Adopting Medicare Wellness Visits
Dim Light May Make Us “Dimwits”
Researchers say that spending too much time in dimly lit rooms may actually change the brain’s structure and hurt one’s ability to remember and learn. Neuroscientists from Michigan State University studied the brains of Nile grass rats (which, like humans, are diurnal and sleep at night) after exposing them to dim and bright light for… Continue reading Dim Light May Make Us “Dimwits”
Asthma Attacks Declining Among U.S. Children
Children with asthma in the U.S. are having fewer asthma attacks, missed school days, and visits to the hospital, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, issued in February 2018, shows that the percentage of children with asthma who experienced one or more asthma attacks in… Continue reading Asthma Attacks Declining Among U.S. Children
A Loved One’s Death May Spur Women to Take Aggressive Measures against Breast Cancer
A woman’s memories of a loved one’s experience with cancer may play a significant role in how she approaches breast cancer prevention in her own life, a new study has found. Women whose family members or friends died of cancer were far likelier to approach prevention aggressively than were those whose loved ones survived the… Continue reading A Loved One’s Death May Spur Women to Take Aggressive Measures against Breast Cancer
More Stroke Patients May Receive Crucial Treatments under New Guideline
More patients could be eligible for critical treatments to remove or dissolve blood clots that cause strokes, according to a new treatment guideline issued by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The guideline, based on the most recent science available, was published in the Association’s journal Stroke, and released during the American Stroke Association’s International… Continue reading More Stroke Patients May Receive Crucial Treatments under New Guideline
Can Over-The-Counter Pain Meds Influence Thoughts and Emotions?
Over-the-counter pain medicine such as Ibuprofen and acetaminophen may influence how people process information, experience hurt feelings, and react to emotionally evocative images, according to recent studies. Examining these findings and how policymakers should respond, a new article was published on Feb. 6, 2018 in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, a Federation… Continue reading Can Over-The-Counter Pain Meds Influence Thoughts and Emotions?
Biopsies after Breast Cancer
In an analysis of more than 120,000 women diagnosed with and treated for early-stage breast cancer, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have determined the rate of additional breast biopsies needed for these patients during follow-up care. The findings were reported in JAMA Surgery. “The important message is that the rate… Continue reading Biopsies after Breast Cancer
Don’t Let Self-Consciousness about Your Body Stand in The Way of Sexual Pleasure
I’ve always been fixated on little things. Lately I’m obsessed with my chin hairs. Despite a nearly decade- long history of electrolysis, waxing, and now plucking with tweezers, I remain plagued by spiky, white, nearly invisible chin hairs. They require vigilant monitoring as they spring up day and night. Lately when my partner and I… Continue reading Don’t Let Self-Consciousness about Your Body Stand in The Way of Sexual Pleasure
How Healthy Are You?
Millions of people set goals to improve their health and fitness. The problem is that many don’t know what the signs of health are and how to tell if they are healthy to begin with. The good news is that there is no one thing that determines how healthy someone is. Rather, it’s a variety… Continue reading How Healthy Are You?
Patients and Doctors Don’t See Post-Surgical Scars The Same Way
When it comes to post-surgical scarring, patients and doctors sometimes don’t see eye to eye. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found patients and physicians disagreed in their scar evaluations 28 percent of the time. Patients were likelier to focus on the depth of the scar, according to a… Continue reading Patients and Doctors Don’t See Post-Surgical Scars The Same Way