Health in a Heartbeat

As kids, many of us were taught to own up to our mistakes and to apologize to those we may have wronged. A new study indicates those important life lessons may have been lost on some of today’s physicians. British researchers presented more than 300 primary care physicians at three locations with two hypothetical scenarios, […]

Research shows babies born with a low birth weight have a greater risk for developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. According to a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, some of these problems could be because low birth weight babies are less likely to lead […]

More women are turning to intrauterine devices for birth control. Over the past five years, Planned Parenthood has seen a 91 percent increase in demand for the devices, also called IUDs. An IUD is a long-lasting, reversible contraceptive device that can protect women from pregnancy for up to 10 years, depending on the type used. […]

Hearing loss is now the third most-common chronic physical affliction among adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New research from the CDC shows nearly 20 percent of twenty-somethings may have some form of hearing loss, and many don’t even know it. To understand hearing loss, you must understand how we hear. […]

Most parents know not to let their children drink soda after a certain hour if they want to get any sleep, but here’s another reason to skip the fizzy stuff: It comes with a higher risk of liver disease. A new study published in the Journal of Hematology found that children and teenagers who consume […]

The “love hormone” isn’t just for mom and babies — the hormone oxytocin helps new dads bond with their little ones too, according to a new study. Researchers from Emory University found that when they sprayed a bit of the naturally occurring stuff in dads’ noses and then had them look at pictures of their […]

Good news for cat lovers: Your furball won’t affect your mental state — unless you count the times she misses the litter box or yaks up a hairball. Previous studies have suggested that cat ownership may be linked to some mental disorders such as schizophrenia because of a parasite called toxoplasma gondii [toxo-plasma GON-dee]. House […]

The Brazilian peppertree is a ruthless invader that has spread rapidly in Florida and several other U.S. states. First introduced to the country in the 1840s, this exotic species has dense foliage that spreads dozens of feet in all directions, taking over open spaces. Its canopy blocks other species from growing beneath it. A large […]

In a nation that often seems divided on a long list of issues, there is one thing many of us have in common: An aching back. About 31 million Americans will have low back pain at least once during their lives, and the condition is one of the most common reasons for people missing work. […]

About one in eight couples in the U.S. are affected by infertility, or the inability to conceive a child after one year of trying. About a third of these cases are attributed to endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or other medical conditions women face. Chronic inflammation, or inflammation lasting several months to years, is another condition […]

Easy on the toaster: Give your toast a tan rather than a deep bronze for optimal health, say researchers in the United Kingdom. New recommendations from the Food Standards Agency advise against ingesting too much acrylamide (ah-krill-a-mide), a natural byproduct of cooking starchy foods like potatoes and root vegetables that’s also found in some processed […]

Stem cell therapy is touted as a potential cure for some of the most devastating medical conditions plaguing humanity, including blindness, paralysis and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists now say stem cells may be a viable way to cure and repair tooth decay. Researchers writing in the journal Science Reports tested a drug call Tideglusib, (tide-GLU-sib) which […]

We all know the refreshing feeling of letting the warm sun hit our cheeks. Besides boosting our mood, experts say 10 minutes of sunlight each day can provide an array of health benefits. Exposure to the sun can boost the body’s ability to make vitamin D, lower blood pressure, improve bone health and brain function, […]

Not all sugar is the same, at least in the way that it affects the body. The type of sugar that is consumed can influence the risk of health problems, according to a study by researchers in Spain and California. Using rat models, the researchers found that the risk of health problems varied with the […]

The more you sit, the more you age. That’s the upshot of a recent study that found older women who sit more than 10 hours a day and get little physical activity have cells that are biologically older. Just how much older are their cells compared with more active women? Typically about eight years, according […]