According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 25 percent of vets returning from the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are suffering from PTSD. That’s about 500,000 veterans. If we include family members, that number more than doubles. Not surprisingly, returning veterans—particularly those with PTSD—have a higher divorce rate than non-veterans. And...Continue reading
Category: Stress
American Men (and Women) Have Shorter Lives Than Counterparts in Other Rich Nations
On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans — those...
Want to Live Long and Prosper? Start Pumping Iron When You’re Young
If you were weak as a teenager, you’re at increased risk of becoming ill and/or dying from a number of factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied more than 1 million Swedish 16-19-year old males and gave them strength tests at the beginning of the...Continue reading
Relaaaax. High Blood Pressure May Lead to Alzheimer’s
Do you have high blood pressure? If so–and this applies even if you’re under 40–you really need to do something about it. A new study found that high blood pressure–and by “high blood pressure” researchers mean anything more than 120/80)–may have some serious negative consequences for you brain. Specifically, it may prematurely age your brain.Continue reading
Worried about Dementia? Chew on It
A few years ago, a team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine made a discovery that undoubtedly irked parents and teachers around the world. They found that students who chewed gum in math class and while doing their homework had higher scores on math tests than those who didn’t chew gum. What does that...Continue reading
Is Coffee the New Broccoli?
Not long ago, if you had a job interview with Starbucks, the interviewer would ask whether you like coffee. Most people said yes. But the right answer was, “I love coffee!” According to a new study, coffee lovers not only have a better chance of getting hired as a barista, but they may reduce their...Continue reading
Is It Nuts to Want to Live to 100?
How many times have you ever said something like, “I’d give my left nut to [fill in the blank with something you really, really want…]”? Of course you didn’t really mean that—and if you were suddenly presented with whatever it was that you wanted, you’d try to find another way to pay for it. So...Continue reading
Men and Suicide: Much More Than a Mental-Health Issue
Anyone who’s ever looked at suicide statistics knows that men are 3-4 times more likely to kill themselves than women are (women, however, attempt suicide more). But what a lot of people don’t realize is that men in lower socio-economic groups—especially men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—are significantly more likely to commit suicide than...Continue reading
Have You Seen Your Penis Lately? Size Matters (But It’s Not What You Think)
While that may sound like the punch line of a joke, this is no laughing matter. According to a new study, a frightening percentage of men have guts that are so big that they haven’t seen their penis for quite some time. And a belly that large is a ticket to a shorter (by as...Continue reading
Dead Tired?
In today’s economic climate, where employers—and everyone else—are trying to do more with less, it’s increasingly common for men to be putting in longer hours at work and cutting back on pesky inconveniences like sleep. Bad idea. Really bad. According to a new study, working 11 hours per day (which a lot of us are...Continue reading