We all know that stress isn’t good for us. But when we think (and talk) about stress, we usually mean big things—an ugly divorce, long stretches of unemployment, caring for a sick loved one for an extended period of time, and so on. Stress contributes to anxiety and depression and can increase the risk of...Continue reading
Category: Others
When It Comes to Predicting Heart Disease, How You Look Can Be Pretty Important
Some people say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. That may or may not be true. But researchers have just found that the eyes—specifically fatty deposits around the eyelids—and several other facial characteristics may accurately predict your risk of having a heart attack.
Colonsocopy on Your Calendar? Here’s Some Good News. Maybe.
If you’ve never had a colonoscopy, you don’t know what you’re missing. And if you have had one, you’d be glad to miss the next one—but you know you shouldn’t, because it might just save your life. But there may be some good news: A recent study suggests that having just one colonoscopy might be...Continue reading
Vitamin D: Even More Important for African-Americans
When people talk about Vitamin D, it usually has to do with bone health. And last week I did a post that talked about the many benefits of getting enough D—and the health risk associated with not getting enough. Two recent studies highlight even more of those risks, especially for African-Americans: arthritis pain in 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
Haven’t Had a Flu Shot Yet? You Neet to Put Your Heart in It
We’ve talked about how important it is to get flu shots. Influenza kills thousands every year and many of those deaths could have been prevented with the vaccine. But if that isn’t enough to get you to roll up your sleeve and make a fist, consider this: Getting a flu shot may keep you from...Continue reading
Vitamin D Deserves an “A”
There’s a lot of controversy about Vitamin D and estimates of how many American have a deficiency range from 8 percent to nearly 80 percent. But what isn’t debatable is that Vitamin D (which is actually not a vitamin at all, but a hormone) plays an important role in an astonishing number of conditions throughout...Continue reading
Drink Up! Well, As Long As It’s Tea…
If you’re a guy over 65, you really should be drinking more tea. A lot more. Researchers at Duke University just published a study that indicates that for men 65 and older, frequent tea drinking reduced the risk of death. 13,000 men and 19,000 women participated in the study and were divided into three groups,...
On the Fence about Whether Your Kids Should Have Flu Shots? Just Do It—Now
Between August 1, 2004 and May 5, 2012, 829 children in the US died from the flu, according to a new study by researchers at the CDC. And a third of those kids died within three days after symptoms first appeared. Unfortunately, by then it’s often too late. The solution? Make sure your kids get...
Seeing Red: How Tomatoes May Reduce Men’s Stroke Risk
Back in the early 1980s, the Secretary of Agriculture suggested that ketchup should be considered a vegetable. Nutritionists (and critics of then-President Ronald Reagan) were outraged. But in the decades since then, there has been a lot of research showing that a chemical component found in tomatoes called lycopene (LIKE-a-peen) is associated with a number...Continue reading