U.S. life expectancy rises (for a change)
Life expectancy in the United States is up for the first time in four years. The increase is small — just a month — but marks at least a temporary halt to a downward trend. The rise is due to lower death rates from cancer and drug overdoses. “Let’s just hope it continues,” said Robert Anderson, who oversaw the report released in January by the Centers for Disease ... READ MORE
Wash hands to keep yourself, others well
The single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and to stop the spread of disease-causing germs is to wash your hands — often. All it takes is soap and water, 20 seconds of scrubbing hands and wrists and then a good rinse. Viruses that cause colds and the flu are most often transmitted by hands. People commonly catch colds when they rub their nose or their eyes... READ MORE
Knee pain? Options to try before surgery
When cartilage inside the knee joint starts to break down, a person may begin to experience pain. “If you were to look inside a healthy knee joint, you’d see a thick cushioning of cartilage that covers and protects the ends of your bones, as well as another type of cartilage, called the meniscus, that acts like a shock absorber between the bones,” said Andrew Urquhart, M.D., a... READ MORE
How to best prevent muscle loss with age
After age 30, adults lose as much as 5% of muscle mass every decade. That phenomenon is called sarcopenia, or aging-related loss of muscle. It’s a vicious circle: If you don’t exercise, you become weaker and even less able to exercise. “If you’re unable to be as active and do as much physical activity, then you’re setting yourself up for a worsening of the problem,” said... READ MORE
Do face masks protect from coronavirus?
People around the world are buying protective face masks in hopes of keeping the new virus from China at bay. Some companies have required them for employees. Schools in South Korea have told parents to equip their children with masks and hand sanitizer. But do the masks work? It depends. All viruses are small enough to get through a typical strap-on medical mask, but the germs... READ MORE
Seeking to improve hip fracture recovery
If you know anyone who has broken a hip, you know how traumatic the injury can be. Every year more than 300,000 people over age 65 are hospitalized after hip fractures, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One in four are women, who may have weak, brittle bones because of osteoporosis. Furthermore, up to 75% of people who break a hip never fully recover. “It’s a sentinel... READ MORE
NIH seeks leukemia patients for studies
Fatigue. Weight loss. Night sweats. Frequent infections. Some people with these symptoms are shocked when their doctor diagnoses them with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a slow-moving cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Although the disease is serious, a diagnosis is not an immediate death sentence; in fact, doctors don’t treat early-stage CLL at all, preferring to monitor its... READ MORE
Mindful eating (and why you should try it)
Mindfulness is a major buzzword right now and rightly so. Becoming more mindful — that is, aware of the present moment — can be life-changing. It can help you react more calmly and thoughtfully in any situation, whether you’re stuck in traffic, dealing with a difficult boss or making food choices. And mindfulness isn’t just a New Age theory. Its benefits are backed by plenty... READ MORE
Drug may reduce stroke, heart attack risk
Every year, about 795,000 people suffer a stroke and about 805,000 people have heart attacks, according to the CDC. Furthermore, people with a history of stroke or heart disease and who are overweight are at risk for another stroke or heart attack. Now a massive study of 17,500 people in more than 700 locations around the world, including 200 in the U.S., is underway to help increase... READ MORE
Opioid overdose: Don’t blame the patient
As someone who knows people — including loved ones — who are dependent on opioids, I agreed for a long time with the 67% of Americans blaming drug users for their opioid-use disorder. That is, until I met Billy. Billy (not his real name, to protect privacy) was an intelligent student who was close to his sister and mother. At age 16, after ACL surgery, he was prescribed opioids for... READ MORE
