Volunteers needed for inflammation study
If you have diabetes or had a heart attack, a stent placement procedure or a stroke, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) need your help. They hope to better understand how inflammation — the immune system’s response to injury or infection — affects the body. “There is emerging evidence that inflammation is a significant risk factor for developing high blood... READ MORE
Study questions value of stents, bypass
People with severe but stable heart disease from clogged arteries may have less chest pain if they get a procedure to improve blood flow, rather than just giving medicines a chance to help. But it won’t cut their risk of having a heart attack or dying over the following few years, a big federally funded study found. The results challenge medical dogma and call into question some of... READ MORE
Is there an anti-Alzheimer’s supplement?
Over the past few months, there has been an aggressive advertising campaign on television and in the print media to promote a product that goes by the name Prevagen. In the advertisements and commercials, Prevagen is touted as a breakthrough product that can improve memory and other cognitive functions for those who are experiencing the effects of aging. Though not overt, there is... READ MORE
Enjoy (indoor) grilled fish all winter long
Many people refer to the Labor Day weekend, now months past, as the unofficial end of summer grilling season. But those of us who love to grill know that you can’t stop just because you’ve turned the calendar page. There are diehards, of course, who brave the elements to continue grilling outdoors. I’ve even known of people who protect their food and themselves with an umbrella in... READ MORE
High-tech rivals may replace stethoscope
Two centuries after its invention, the stethoscope — the very symbol of the medical profession — is facing an uncertain prognosis. It is threatened by hand-held devices that are also pressed against the chest but rely on ultrasound technology, artificial intelligence and smartphone apps instead of doctors’ ears to help detect leaks, murmurs, abnormal rhythms and other problems in... READ MORE
How daylight saving time affects health
Many sleep scientists and circadian biologists are pushing for a permanent ban of daylight saving time because of potential ill effects on human health. Since returning to standard time last month, losing an hour of afternoon daylight feels like a gloomy preview for the dark winter months. And at least one study, in Scandinavia, found an increase in people seeking help for depression... READ MORE
PSAPs: affordable hearing aid alternative?
Growing up, I had to wear glasses. Back then, glasses were considered socially unacceptable, but necessary to be able to see. Sixty years later, everyone wears glasses and they are even a fashion statement. Now as an aging adult, I need to wear hearing aids. This was, and still is in many age groups, considered socially unacceptable — a sign of being old and maybe a little... READ MORE
Possible shortage of sterile surgical tools
Hospitals could soon face shortages of critical surgical tools because several plants that sterilize the equipment have been shut down, government health officials said last month. The Food and Drug Administration flagged the issue in an online statement to medical professionals, saying the result could be years of shortages of supplies used in heart surgery, knee replacements,... READ MORE
The evidence for using CBD for anxiety
Dear Mayo Clinic: Is there any harm in trying CBD for anxiety? It seems to have helped my co-worker, but I am hesitant to try it without knowing more about it. A: Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat anxiety. Although some research appears to indicate that CBD might help treat anxiety-related disorders, more study is... READ MORE
Back pain? Acupuncture study may help
If you wake up every day with an achy back, you’re not alone. About a third of people over 65 have chronic lower back pain. To manage the pain, some people get cortisone injections, which wear off in several months, or go on opioid medication, which can be dangerously addictive. Now, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is studying the effects of acupressure — a... READ MORE
