About five million people in the U.S. have heart failure, and that number is inching up. The condition is linked to 300,000 deaths per year, and it’s the most common reason people are hospitalized. The condition develops gradually, experts say, as the pumping ability of the heart grows weaker. At that point, it can’t pump… Continue reading Living with Heart Failure
Author: Jane Farrell
For Elderly Men, Testosterone Benefits Go Beyond Sex
As men age, their testosterone levels decrease, but prior studies of the effects of administering testosterone to older men have been inconclusive. Now, research shows that testosterone treatment for men over 65 improves sexual function, walking ability and mood, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by team researchers from… Continue reading For Elderly Men, Testosterone Benefits Go Beyond Sex
Do Your Grandkids Play Sports? What You Should Know about Concussions
With spring sports like baseball, softball, and soccer coming up, parents and grandparents need to be aware of why concussions are such serious injuries and how they can be treated. Concussions have traditionally been associated with high-impact sports like football, and even in this setting, knocks on the head that don’t “seem” serious have often… Continue reading Do Your Grandkids Play Sports? What You Should Know about Concussions
Is Remote Patient Monitoring Worth It?
Although there is increasing interest in remote monitoring of patients, UCLA researchers found that it doesn’t necessarily work better than conventional methods of doctor/patient interaction. The researchers discovered that combined health coaching and remote monitoring did not reduce all-cause 180-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients, and did not have significant effects on 30-day hospital… Continue reading Is Remote Patient Monitoring Worth It?
Prevent Heartworm in Pets Year Round
If you’ve been to a veterinarian’s office, chances are you’ve seen the photos on the wall of worms growing from the heart of a dog or cat. Although these images may be unsettling, the message is clear: Heartworm disease is fatal to pets. The good news: You can protect your pet from this disease. “It’s… Continue reading Prevent Heartworm in Pets Year Round
Cotton Candy Machines and Artificial Organs
Cotton candy machines may hold the key for making life-sized artificial livers, kidneys, bones and other essential organs, researchers say. For several years, Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has been tinkering with cotton candy machines, getting them to spin out networks of tiny threads comparable in size, density and complexity… Continue reading Cotton Candy Machines and Artificial Organs
Liven Up Your Vegetables and Fruits
In many ways, vegetables are the perfect food. They’re low in calories and high in fiber. Additionally, they provide key nutrients. Yet though Americans should be eating three to six cups of vegetables per day, many of us eat less than that – maybe because we find them just plain boring. Here, from the experts… Continue reading Liven Up Your Vegetables and Fruits
Vinegar Could Help Fight a Chronic Disease
Vinegar, one of the most commonly used ingredients, may have another purpose as well: fighting ulcerative colitis. Researchers, who published their findings in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that vinegar suppressed inflammation-inducing proteins while improving the gut’s bacterial makeup in mice. Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, is a… Continue reading Vinegar Could Help Fight a Chronic Disease
Hypertension and Dementia: A Frightening Connection
According to the National Institutes of Health, a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that uncontrolled high blood pressure is not only the leading cause of stroke but may also be linked to cognitive decline and dementia. As a result, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), one of the institutes of NIH,… Continue reading Hypertension and Dementia: A Frightening Connection
Feeling Old Can Lead to Hospitalization
If you feel older than your peers, you’re more likely to be hospitalized, according to People who feel older than their peers are more likely to be hospitalized as they age, regardless of their actual age or other demographic factors, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “How old you feel matters. Previous… Continue reading Feeling Old Can Lead to Hospitalization
The Five-Point Plan for a Healthier Heart
Heart disease is the number one killer of people of most ethnicities in the United States. (It’s the second biggest killer for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders.) So it’s crucial to do as much as you can to keep this vital organ healthy. Here, from the experts at Labdoor, a dietary-supplement… Continue reading The Five-Point Plan for a Healthier Heart
Electronic Health Records Provide Unexpected Diagnoses
Researchers who have investigated thousands of electronic health records say there could be more accurate and less expensive ways to identify who have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Not only did they develop an algorithm with the potential to vastly the number of diagnoses, they also uncovered several previously unknown risk factors for diabetes, including a… Continue reading Electronic Health Records Provide Unexpected Diagnoses
Digital Dentistry Could Give Patients Reason to Smile
The next time you sit in a dental chair for tooth restoration work, your crown or denture could be created based on a 3D digital scan of your mouth. But most likely it won’t be. While the technology exists, and has for some time, the reality is that a relatively small percentage of dentists have… Continue reading Digital Dentistry Could Give Patients Reason to Smile
Sleep Apnea and Brain Chemicals
Researchers have discovered that people with sleep apnea showed changes in two important brain chemicals – and those changes may be why many sufferers are significantly affected by the condition. The finding was published in the Journal of Sleep Research. One in 15 adults has moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which… Continue reading Sleep Apnea and Brain Chemicals
Why Health Care Costs Could Be Your Retirement Plan’s Weakness
A majority of affluent older Americans who are nearing retirement share the same concern – that health care costs could strike a blow to their retirement plans. In fact, 63 percent of them choose the word “terrified” to describe how they feel about the subject, according to an annual Nationwide Retirement Institute survey. But while… Continue reading Why Health Care Costs Could Be Your Retirement Plan’s Weakness
How Risk Taking Changes with Age
The propensity to take risks does alter over our lifespan, but it is particularly likely to change in people up to age 30 and those older than 65. Researchers reached that conclusion in a study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in collaboration with the University of Basel, Yale University, and the… Continue reading How Risk Taking Changes with Age
“My Back Is Killing Me”: What to Do
Back pain affects millions of adults – in any three-month period, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about one in four U.S. adults has at least one day of back pain, mostly in the lower back. But while it’s a common problem, it doesn’t have a simple answer. The NIH says it could… Continue reading “My Back Is Killing Me”: What to Do
Medical Information and the Web
Medical researchers who evaluated content on almost 200 websites of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis found that the information on IPF from these sites was often incomplete, inaccurate and outdated. The study, “Accuracy and Reliability of Internet Resources for Information on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis” highlights the need for the medical community to continually reassess the accuracy of… Continue reading Medical Information and the Web