New drug shortens, eases flu symptoms
U.S. health regulators have approved the first new type of flu drug in two decades. The approval of Xofluza for people age 12 and older comes just ahead of the brunt of this winter’s flu season. Xofluza is a pill that can reduce severity and shorten duration of flu symptoms after one just dose. It was developed by the Roche Group and Shionogi & Co. It works about as well as... READ MORE
How to avoid the flu and colds this winter
Q: It seems like everyone I know is getting sick with a cold or the flu recently. How can I protect myself from getting sick too? A: With chilly air and snowy weather come all kinds of conditions — the flu, the common cold and everything in between. However, there are a number of things you can do to keep yourself well and prevent the spread of germs to loved ones. Here are... READ MORE
Breast implants reveal problems in tracking device safety
To all the world, it looked like breast implants were safe. From 2008 to 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration publicly reported 200 or so complaints annually — a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of implant surgeries performed each year. Then last fall, something strange happened: Thousands of problems with breast implants flooded the FDA's system. More than 4,000... READ MORE
Don’t enable abuse; stand up for yourself
Dear Solutions: I hope you can help me find a better way to react to my husband when he blames me for things and yells and screams at me. We went to dinner with two other couples, and I wanted to order a clam appetizer. The other two women wanted to share it, so we ordered it for the three of us. When the other two men saw it, they wanted it also and decided to order it for the three of... READ MORE
Less-invasive surgery less effective too
New evidence about a cancer operation in women finds a higher death rate for the less invasive version, challenging standard practice and the “less is more” approach to treating cervical cancer. The unexpected findings are prompting changes at some hospitals that perform radical hysterectomies for early-stage disease. The more rigorous of the two studies was conducted at more than ... READ MORE
Roasted salmon with a honey-lime glaze
Pairing perfectly roasted salmon with a spiced-up honey-lime glaze required a cooking technique all its own. Slashing the skin encouraged it to render and crisp quickly, but we also needed to give the flesh a strong, flavorful crust that would stand up to (as well as hold on to) a thick coating of glaze. Applying a rub of cornstarch and brown sugar to the flesh and searing it in a hot ... READ MORE
How well do we think when we can’t hear?
When you strain to hear a conversation in a noisy restaurant, what’s happening inside your brain, and how does that affect your thinking skills? Those are the questions a University of Maryland study is asking in hopes of better understanding complicated hearing issues and ultimately what can be done to help. Researchers in the Center for Advanced Study of Language are now looking for... READ MORE
Hopes and hype for a drug for depression
It was launched decades ago as an anesthetic for animals and people, became a potent battlefield pain reliever in Vietnam, and morphed into the trippy club drug Special K. Now the chameleon drug ketamine is finding new life as an unapproved treatment for depression and suicidal behavior. Clinics have opened around the United States promising instant relief with their “unique”... READ MORE
Caregivers: don’t neglect your own health
Skipping your checkup but not your mom’s? Caring for an older loved one is a balancing act, and a new poll shows that too often it’s the caregivers’ health that’s neglected. The survey, by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found about a third of caregivers have gone without a routine physical or dental care, skipped or didn’t schedule a test or... READ MORE
Advice for millennials with aging parents
Even if your parents are active and healthy, there comes a time when you realize they may need a little help as they age. While I’m hopeful that my parents, who are in their early 60s and in good health, won’t need much assistance from me for another 10 or 15 years, I’ve already started asking about their retirement plans and what they’ll expect of me in the years to... READ MORE
