Better Than Ever Daily: Recent Episodes
Dr. David Geier
Each day, Dr. David Geier will bring you the latest medical research and information you need to feel better and live longer. He shares new studies, tips or guidelines that can improve your health and the health of your family. Each episode will cover topics like nutrition, exercise, aging, fitness, sleep, mental health, children’s health, women’s health, and much, much more.
Numerous studies have shown the health benefits of spending time outdoors. But a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that watching sunrises or sunsets will improve your mood, and your mental health. Researchers at the University of Exeter found that participants who viewed not only sunsets in the evening or sunrises in the morning, but also rainbows, thunderstorms, and starry or moonlit skies, experienced increased perceptions of natural beauty and feelings of awe. The researchers believe that these increased feelings of awe sparked by these moments of outdoor beauty improve mood, enhance positive social behavior, and increase positive emotions.
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People who are able to travel report better health than those who struggle to travel away from home. In a new study published in the Journal of Transport & Health, researchers at University College London surveyed over 2,700 adults about their health and the constraints to travel that they face. The researchers defined traveling as traveling 15 miles away from home. They observed that adults who were able to travel at least 15 miles away from home, and who were able to travel frequently and see more places, were more likely to report better health. The link between travel and health was even more profound for those age 55 and older. For adults who struggled to travel, their poorer health appeared to be related to a lack of opportunity for social interaction. Loneliness has previously been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including heart attacks, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
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Weight loss surgery reduces the risk of premature death, according to a new study published in the journal Obesity. Researchers at the University of Utah analyzed 40 years of data from almost 22,000 people who had bariatric surgery. They found that people who underwent one of four types of weight loss surgery were 16 percent less likely to die from any cause. More impressive was the decrease in deaths linked to obesity. Deaths from cardiovascular disease decreased almost 30 percent, and deaths from various cancers decreased by over 40 percent. And there was a 72 percent drop in deaths associated with diabetes. The researchers did observe that younger people who had weight loss surgery had a higher risk of suicide. This data stresses the importance of those struggling with obesity to talk to their doctors to see if treatments such as weight loss medications, and even surgery, are an appropriate option.
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A new study suggests that sending a child back to school quickly after suffering a concussion leads to better outcomes, which would mark a major shift in treatment for kids concussed in sports. In the study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers at Children’s National Hospital analyzed data from over 1,600 children who presented to emergency rooms across Canada for concussions. The researchers determined that for children and adolescents between 8 and 18 years old, early return to school, within two days, was associated with children experiencing fewer symptoms 14 days after their injury. On the other hand, young patients who followed conventional recommendations to delay their return to school and restrict their use of electronic devices took longer to recover from the concussion and had more symptoms 10 days after the injury than those who returned to school within two days.
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An adult suffering from arthritis – whether it’s their knee, hip, shoulder, neck or back – is 20 percent less likely to be working than someone without arthritis. This is one of the findings from a new study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. UK researchers matched a group of 18,000 people with arthritis to a control group of 18,000 people without arthritis but similar in every other way. The researchers observed that as people with arthritis reach middle age, their likelihood of being able to work diminishes at a faster rate than those who do not have the condition. Once both men and women reach age 60, their chances of working when living with arthritis drop dramatically. The only group not affected were those employed in professional work, such as lawyers or accountants.
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Performing acts of kindness can significantly improve depression or anxiety symptoms. In a new study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, researchers at The Ohio State University recruited 122 adults with depression or anxiety symptoms and divided them into three groups. One group engaged in social activities two days per week. A second group recorded their negative thoughts two days each week. The third group performed three kind acts a day for two days out of the week. All three groups showed better mental health after five weeks. But only the kindness group demonstrated substantial gains in social connectedness, or a person’s feeling of belonging. It appears that performing these acts of kindness decrease preoccupation with one’s own thoughts and feelings.
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It appears that finding ways to manage your emotions after a stressful event can help limit neurodegeneration and slow down brain aging. In a new study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers at the University of Geneva examined the brains of both young and older adults after being confronted with the psychological suffering of others. With older adults in particular, they found altered neuronal connections in regions of the brain involved in managing emotions and autobiographical memory. The neuroscientists contend that better management of negative emotions, such as by meditation or mindfulness training, might help slow or stop degeneration of the brain with age. In general, people who can better regulate their emotions, and change their mental states quickly, have been shown to have lower risk of depression and better mental health compared to those who stay in the same emotional state for longer periods of time.
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A new study shows that children who frequently check social media exhibit changes to their brains over time. In the study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at the University of North Carolina performed annual brain scans of 169 children between the ages of 12 and 15, a period of rapid brain development. They observed that children who habitually checked their social media feeds exhibited dramatic changes in the way their brains responded, specifically heightened sensitivity to social rewards from peers. The researchers believe this hypersensitivity to feedback from their peers, associated with frequently checking social media feeds at a young age, could have long-term consequences well into adulthood.
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Skipping exercise to do something less active, like sitting to watch TV or sleeping, decreases your memory and thinking ability, according to a new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. UK researchers analyzed data from almost 4,500 adults. They determined that those who skipped exercise in favor of eight minutes of sedentary behavior exhibited 1 to 2 percent decreases in their cognition scores. Although these decreases were small, they show how even minor changes in physical activity can affect your brain health. On the other hand, choosing to exercise for nine minutes instead of sitting or lying down improved cognitive scores 1 percent.
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Time-restricted eating, commonly called intermittent fasting, involves limiting your eating to a small window during your day. A new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism shows that this approach to eating affects the expression of genes in multiple tissues, including the gut and brain, and might explain some of the health benefits ascribed to intermittent fasting. From a weight loss perspective though, another new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests this diet might have little, if any, effect. Researchers at Johns Hopkins found no association between an interval of the day in which people had their meals and their weight. Instead, only eating smaller meals was associated with weight loss. It’s important to understand that no one strategy works for all people when it comes to diet. Eating healthy foods, exercising on a regular basis, and then possibly trying time-restricted eating intervals a few times a week might be the best approach.
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Telephobia is the fear and avoidance of phone conversations, and it’s common among people with anxiety. A survey of office workers found that three-quarters of millennials have anxious thoughts when their phones ring. For three of every five millennials, these anxious thoughts cause them to completely avoid phone calls. Interestingly, in recent years we have also seen anxiety, depression and loneliness increase in this age group. Experts think that despite their worries, talking on the phone can actually improve their mental health. They contend that calling someone you feel close to and engaging in meaningful conversations over the phone can alleviate loneliness and help young people reconnect with others.
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A new study shows that gardening can reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses, including cancer and mental health disorders. In the study, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder recruited almost 300 adults who had not gardened before, gave them an introductory gardening course, and allocated a small community garden plot, as well as seeds and seedlings. The researchers found that compared to controls who did not garden, the gardeners increased their intake of fiber by eating more fresh produce. They got more exercise tending the garden. And they felt more socially connected. All of these factors have been shown to be protective against cancer, mental health issues, and various chronic diseases.
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Data from a new study published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics shows that the number of births in the U.S. has continued to drop, continuing a trend spanning the last five decades. Researchers found that 52 percent of women between the ages of 15 to 44 gave birth between 2015 to 2019, compared to 55 percent in the four years prior. The number of men who had fathered a child also dropped from 44 to 40 percent in that time frame. Explanations for these declines include women obtaining higher levels of education and pursuing their careers, changing family values, relationship instability, and financial concerns. The number of women who have their first child at age 35 or older continues to increase. In fact, the number of women who wait until age 35 or later to have a baby has increased nine-fold compared to 50 years ago. Surprisingly, though, nearly half of women under age 45 are childless.
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Doctors often treat men with erectile dysfunction, or ED, with medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, such as Viagra and Cialis. These drugs help relax smooth muscles in the blood vessel walls, leading to increased blood flow to the area. In a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers at the Huntington Medical Research Institute showed that these medications reduce the risk of death 25 percent and the risk of dying due to cardiovascular-related causes 39 percent. And it appears that men who take larger doses obtain even greater protective benefits. What is needed now is a large, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study to better determine the dosage, frequency and side effects of this potential preventative treatment.
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Globally, about 6 million people die from sudden cardiac arrest. Over the last five years, European researchers have been collecting data on sudden cardiac arrests to improve their treatment and prevention. In a series of studies from that research, they have shown that despite the common perception that sudden cardiac arrest happens without warning, people who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were more likely to have visited their primary care doctor in the weeks leading up to the event. The researchers also determined that women were less likely than men to receive a resuscitation attempt by a bystander, even when it was obvious, they were experiencing cardiac arrest. Women who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests but who were resuscitated still had lower odds of overall survival than men. One explanation for the lower odds of survival could be that women are more likely to delay getting care after their initial symptoms appeared.
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Procrastination doesn’t just hurt your productivity and performance. It also negatively affects your health. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, Swedish researchers recruited over 3,500 college students to determine the relationship between procrastination and poor mental and physical health. They compared students with a greater tendency to procrastinate with students with a lower tendency. Nine months later, the researchers found that higher levels of procrastination were associated with higher symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Students with higher levels of procrastination were also more likely to report disabling pain in the shoulders or arms, worse sleep quality, more loneliness, and more financial difficulties.
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Retiring early could actually worsen your health, according to a new study published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York studied participants in a voluntary pension program in China and concluded that early retirement may accelerate cognitive decline in late adulthood. On one hand, early retirement showed some positive health benefits, including reduced consumption of alcohol. The researchers also found early retirees reported lower rates of volunteering and social interaction. In particular, the reduced social interaction from early retirement had two negative effects – reduced social, emotional and physical well-being as well as less mental and intellectual stimulation, which appeared to accelerate cognitive decline.
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A new study shows that children who don’t get enough sleep tend to consume more calories, especially calories from unhealthy foods. In the study, presented at The International Congress on Obesity, researchers from New Zealand analyzed data on over 100 8- to 12-year-old kids. The children went to bed an hour earlier than normal for a week and an hour later than normal for a week. The children wore activity trackers and recorded what they ate and drank, including ultra-processed foods and unhealthy snacks. The researchers found that the sleep-deprived kids ate 96 more calories from junk food and overall more total calories than the kids who got enough sleep. Worse, the kids who didn’t sleep enough and who also didn’t exercise ate more junk food and ate more in the evening.
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Male pattern hair loss is the most common form of hair loss in men, sometimes occurring as early as the late teens or early adulthood. By age 35, nearly two-thirds of men will have some form of hair loss. In a new study published in the journal Nutrients, Chinese researchers determined that participants with male pattern hair loss consumed significantly higher amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages compared to normal participants. Male pattern hair loss individuals consumed over 4200 milliliters of sugar-sweetened beverages, compared to about 2500 among normal participants. Sugar-sweetened beverages include soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, energy drinks, sweetened waters, and coffee or tea with added sugars. The CDC estimates that 63 percent of young Americans and 49 percent of adults drink sugar-sweetened beverages daily.
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Obesity affects nearly 20% of kids and teens in this country. New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that physicians treat obesity in children aggressively from an early age, including medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13. The authors of the guidelines argue that delaying treatment and waiting to see whether children overcome obesity on their own as they get older only worsens the problem and can lead to lifelong health problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes. One of the medications pediatricians are starting to recommend is Wegovy, a weekly injection of the peptide semaglutide. This drug, made popular largely by celebrities touting its weight-loss benefits on social media, has been shown to reduce the body mass index of obese teens by 16 percent. Still, some experts caution that more focus needs to be placed on kids’ diets, including the overconsumption of sugar and ultra-processed foods.
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Being a perfectionist might increase your risk of burnout, according to newly released research in Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery. Burnout has been increasingly recognized in the workplace in recent years. Symptoms can include constant exhaustion, emotional numbness, and confusion at home or at work. Affected people might display a disconnect from their friends and family or reduced performance at work and in tasks at home. But stress and problems in the workplace are not the only risks for burnout. The guide suggests that stress at home can also trigger burnout. In particular, personality traits, such as being a perfectionist, can play a role. Perfectionists often set unrealistic standards for their own performance, which might be hard to achieve.
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Video games might actually benefit the brains of the children who play them. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers at the University of Vermont collected data from over 2,200 children between the ages of 9 and 10. The children performed two cognitive tasks while undergoing functional MRIs. The researchers looked at whether children who played 3 or more hours per day differed in their performance and brain activation patterns during the cognitive tasks compared to children who didn’t play video games at all. The researchers observed that the children who played video games outperformed the non-video gamers on both cognitive tests. They also appeared to have faster reaction times and superior working memory, along with brain function improvements in areas involved in vision, attention and memory processing.
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A new study shows that vegetarian diets might lead to more cases of depression compared to diets featuring meat. In the study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, Brazilian researchers surveyed over 14,000 adults. They observed that those who didn’t eat meat were twice as likely to have a depressive episode compared to meat eaters. The results follow a 2018 study in France which found that vegetarians who didn’t eat legumes, like beans, peas, or lentils, were more likely to experience symptoms associated with mental disorders like depression. I believe that more factors than just whether or not you eat meat are involved in the risk for depression. For example, if you eat a lot of processed foods and sugar, you have a higher risk for numerous health problems, meat or no meat.
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As we get older, our body compositions start to change, including decreased muscle mass and increased abdominal fat. A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that low testosterone might play a role. Korean researchers obtained data from over 1,600 participants between 22 and 84 years old. Each one had their testosterone level measured and underwent an abdominopelvic CT scan. The researchers found that low testosterone was highly correlated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Men with decreased testosterone were closely related to increased insulin resistance and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. But even when adjusting for metabolic syndrome, low testosterone was specifically linked to subcutaneous abdominal fat. On the other hand, higher testosterone levels were correlated to increased abdominal muscle mass. The results suggest that older adults struggling with their muscle and fat composition might talk to their doctors about testosterone and have their levels checked.
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People tend to have their worst sleep between their early thirties and their fifties, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers from multiple institutions collected sleep data from over 700,000 people from 63 countries. Overall, they observed that the average amount of sleep among all people was 7.01 hours per night, on the lower end of the recommended amount of sleep. Younger participants, around age 19, slept the most, but then sleep duration started to drop. Among people in their early thirties to those in their fifties, sleep duration was the shortest. Adults older than that had slightly longer nights of sleep. Why people 30 to 50 have the worst sleep is unclear, although work and child responsibilities likely play a role.
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If you were lucky enough to get a virtual reality system for Christmas, understand that you might use it for more than fun and games. Several studies published in recent years suggest that virtual reality workouts might have benefits greater than even traditional exercise. Virtual reality involves wearing a headset that generates three-dimensional environments that you can explore and interact with. You become part of this virtual world, manipulating objects within it. For example, in VR, you could feel like you’re climbing a mountain while standing in your living room. Studies have shown that exercise in virtual reality can help you work out longer, reduce pain while you exercise, reduce your desire to eat after your workout, increase heart rate and provide both mental and physical workouts. While I still believe traditional exercise outdoors or at gyms is invaluable, VR workouts could provide a healthy alternative a few days a week.
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Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world. Roughly 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. At any one time, about 30 percent of adults suffer from low back pain and 15 percent experience neck pain. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that two non-surgical treatment protocols led to a reduction in spine pain-related disability after 3 months. These treatment protocols – a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial intervention or an individualized postural therapy intervention – can be implemented by primary-care providers. These programs have the potential to not only decrease a very common cause of pain and loss of function afflicting millions of people, but they could also reduce healthcare costs compared to traditional injections and surgery as well.
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A new study shows another potential benefit to exercise. In the study, published in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia determined that a single exercise session can suppress tumor growth in cancer patients and actively fight cancerous cells. They studied nine patients with late-stage prostate cancer and measured the levels of myokines, a protein released by skeletal muscles that appear to protect against chronic diseases. They found that patients had higher levels of myokines immediately following their workout. The researchers point out that exercise is not a cure for cancer, but it might prolong life expectancy of those with cancer.
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Recently I discussed findings from the Center for Countering Digital Hate that suggested TikTok’s algorithm promoted self-harm and eating disorder content to teenagers. A new study goes even further, saying that all social media platforms appear to make children and adolescents embarrassed by the way they look. The youth mental health charity stem4 surveyed over 1,000 people aged 12 to 21. They found that three out of every four children as young as 12 dislike their bodies. That percentage increased to eight out of 10 among adolescents 18 to 21. Nearly half of those surveyed said they have become withdrawn, started exercising excessively, stopped socializing, or harmed themselves because they are bullied or trolled online about their physical appearance. Since 97 percent of children 12 and older are on social media, it’s worth examining the effect that it has on the health of our youngest generation.
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Migraines affect more than one billion people across the world each year. For a large percentage of them, the migraines can be debilitating. A new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience shows that your diet and eating habits can trigger migraines or make them worse. Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the close to 9,000 subjects studied, over 1,800 suffered from migraines. The researchers found that those with mild, moderate or severe malnutrition experienced more intense headaches. They also had lower levels of vitamins and nutrients in their diets, such as fiber, folate, riboflavin, selenium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin K. On the other hand, migraines sufferers tended to drink more coffee and consume more theobromine, which is found in chocolate.
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It might not surprise you, but a new study shows that women are generally more empathetic than men. In the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Cambridge, Harvard and other institutions studied a specific type of empathy called cognitive empathy. Cognitive empathy is when a person can understand what someone else might be thinking or feeling and then use that knowledge to predict how the person will act or feel going forward. The researchers collected data from a cognitive empathy test called the “Eyes Test” from over 300,000 people in 57 countries. In 36 countries, women scored significantly higher in their cognitive empathy scores than men did. In no country did men outscore women. And the results showing women had more cognitive empathy held true across eight languages and for people of all ages.
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5α-Reductase inhibitors, medications such as finasteride and dutasteride, are commonly used as treatments for male-pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. In recent years, concerns for an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia from taking these drugs has surfaced. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers in Sweden collected data from over 2.2 million men aged 50 to 90. They found that for the men taking these 5α-reductase inhibitors, they had an initial increased risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia, but those risks decreased over time. On the other hand, the medications were linked to depression, and the elevated risk of depression remained constant over time. Essentially, it means these popular medications are at least associated with an increased risk of depression.
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More than 800,000 people die from suicide every year. A new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research suggests that telehealth can be an effective mode of intervention. Telehealth, or telemedicine, refers to getting healthcare treatment without an in-person office visit. For this study, researchers at Brightside Health in Oakland, California collected data on almost 8,500 patients who received psychiatric care through their online platform. The telehealth psychiatric care consisted of 12 weeks of treatment, video consultations, messaging, and prescribed medication from psychiatrists. The researchers observed that their telehealth psychiatric treatment reduced suicidal ideation after 12 weeks. The patients were over four times more likely to have remission of their suicidal ideation than a control group. The authors believe that telehealth can improve symptoms and provide effective treatments to those struggling with their mental health.
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TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform, with more than one billion users. Two-thirds of U.S. teenagers use it. The average American user watches 80 minutes of TikTok videos each day. A new study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate suggests that TikTok’s algorithm promotes eating disorders and self-harm content to teenagers. The researchers made new accounts for 13-year-olds in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. They recorded any videos about body image, mental health, or eating disorders suggested by the app’s algorithm on the “For You” feed. They observed that TikTok showed teenagers body image and mental health content every 39 seconds. Self-harm and eating disorder content was shown to new TikTok accounts within minutes of scrolling the app’s “For You” feed. And the TikTok algorithm displayed three times as many harmful body image and eating disorder videos to vulnerable teens compared to standard teenagers, and 12 times as many self-harm videos to vulnerable teens.
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A new study suggests that older adults who don’t drink enough fluids could age more quickly and face a higher risk of disease. In the study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, researchers from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute collected data from over 11,000 adults who had their first medical visits between the ages of 45 and 66 and then followed them for 25 years. The researchers used sodium levels in the patients’ blood as an indicator for dehydration. The researchers found that the participants with blood sodium levels on the higher end of the range of normal were 50 percent more likely to show signs of physical aging beyond what would be expected for their age compared to people with lower sodium levels. They had a 20 percent higher risk of premature death. They also had higher risks for chronic diseases such as heart failure, stroke, diabetes and dementia. But more research is needed to prove that adequate hydration can slow aging and prevent disease as we get older.
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Owning a pet might boost our brains as we age. In a recent study published in the Journal of Aging and Health, researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 20,000 participants over age 50 every two years. They found that people over age 65 who owned a pet for more than 5 years had higher cognitive scores compared to people of the same age who did not own a pet or who owned pets for shorter periods of time. Dementia increases significantly as adults enter their 80s and 90s, so efforts to prevent cognitive decline are important. A number of modifiable factors are thought to be related to the development of dementia, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, stress, and social isolation. Having a pet appears to be one lifestyle change that could improve the brain function and overall health of older adults through emotional support and buffering of stress.
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Close to 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year in the U.S., with someone experiencing a stroke every 40 seconds. A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open suggests that stress raises the risk of a stroke dramatically. Researchers in Ireland collected data from more than 26,000 people in 32 countries. People who had severe work stress were more than twice as likely to have an ischemic stroke, or a stroke caused by a blood clot, than people with no work stress. They had a five times higher risk of a hemorrhagic stroke, or a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain. Stress at home, such as divorce or family conflict, also increased the risk of stroke. Some of the ways to decrease your risk of stroke are to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, lower high blood pressure, avoid smoking, and find ways to manage your stress.
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A new study forecasts that the number of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes might skyrocket in the coming decades. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn’t use insulin the way it should. It has increased dramatically in the last two decades among U.S. children and adolescents. According to the new study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, if the incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise as fast as it did between 2002 and 2017, over half a million young people may have diabetes by 2060, an almost 675 percent increase. And the researchers predict the increase could be greater among minorities. Diabetes presents numerous health risks, such as heart and kidney disease, nerve damage, and premature death. And it is believed that the condition could worsen more quickly in younger patients compared to older adults.
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A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics shows that pediatric mental health emergency room visits are increasing rapidly across the country. Researchers at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles studied ER visits for over 200,000 children at 38 children’s hospitals in the U.S. They observed that pediatric mental health ER visits increased 8 percent every year between 2015 and 2020, while ER visits for all other problems increased by only 1.5 percent per year. Mental health revisits to the ER increased by more than 6 percent annually. The authors believe we need changes at the hospital and overall healthcare system level to reduce the increasing burden on emergency departments from children with mental health issues as well as to better care for the health of kids across the country.
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Each year, thousands of people commit to giving up alcohol for a month, also known as “Dry January.” And while most would expect that the health benefits would only last for that month, research shows that the effects can last much longer. In a 2018 study published in the journal BMJ Open, researchers followed moderate to heavy drinkers who were otherwise healthy. One group gave up alcohol for a month, while the other drank normally. After one month, the non-drinkers had a number of health improvements – lower weight and blood pressure and lower markers for type 2 diabetes and cancer – despite no change in diet or exercise. But 6 to 8 months later, the people who gave up drinking for one month had a significant reduction in the amount of alcohol they were currently drinking, drinking less often and consuming less alcohol when they did drink.
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Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have identified four factors that affect how alert you feel in the morning. In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers analyzed data on a variety of lifestyle factors from 833 adults. Not surprisingly, those who slept longer than usual or woke up later than their usual time showed higher levels of alertness the next morning. Also, those who consumed a high carbohydrate breakfast and those who showed a lower blood glycemic load after breakfast had greater morning alertness. Finally, increased physical activity during the 10 most active hours of the previous day led to more morning alertness the next day. However, physical activity at night was associated with lower morning alertness.
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Grip strength might predict older adults at risk for chronic disease or early death. In a new study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, researchers at the University of Michigan demonstrated that grip strength can demonstrate existing muscle weakness, and that this muscle weakness is associated with accelerated biological age. Just as smoking has been shown to predict disease and mortality, the researchers argue that muscle weakness could be the new smoking. To increase your grip strength, the researchers emphasize the need for regular muscle-strengthening activities, like lifting weights, for at least 30 to 60 minutes each week to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and death.
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If you routinely hit the snooze button, it might be a sign you are “chronically tired,” according to a new study published in the journal Sleep. Researchers at Notre Dame found that people who use an alarm to wake up feel more groggy than those who wake up naturally. They observed that people who wake up naturally without an alarm sleep longer and drink less caffeine in the day. They are also less likely to feel tired during the day. When we wake up naturally, our bodies experience a stress response just to make us feel alert. Using an alarm appears to bypass this stress response and interrupt our sleep cycles. Close to three in five adults hit the snooze button each morning.
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A new study links drinking sugar sweetened beverages to unhealthy levels and sizes of cholesterol in your blood, a condition called dyslipidemia. In the study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers concluded that drinking sugar sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks, led to higher levels of the potentially dangerous LDL cholesterol, apoB, triglycerides, and non-HDL cholesterol. They concluded that drinking these beverages was associated with dyslipidemia, which increases cardiometabolic risk in adults. Sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar we get in our diets.
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Women experience between 50 and 75 percent more adverse drug reactions than men do. In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers looked for the specific reasons that women are more likely to suffer the negative side effects of many medications. They found a number of different factors, more than just the differences in body weight between men and women. Some of the factors that made women more susceptible included body temperature, iron levels, lean body mass, fat levels, and heart rate variability. Rather than just adjusting the doses of medications by body weight, the researchers argue that each drug should be studied individually in women to determine the potential side effects and whether they can be taken safely.
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Yesterday, I explained why almost everyone fails to achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Here are four tips to succeed with your 2023 resolution. First, find a partner, ask her or him to keep you accountable, and check in with that person every day. Announce your goal publicly – maybe on social media – and report your progress every day. Get a large wall calendar, and put an “X” on the day when you have completed your goal for that day. Then don’t break the streak. And finally, write down why you set that goal, and place it somewhere you will see it to remind yourself of it often.
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As we head into 2023, millions of people will set a New Year’s resolution. Whether it’s to make more money, spend more quality time with your family, or improve your health, it’s likely you will fail. A majority of Americans have given up on their New Year’s resolution by January 12. That’s less than two weeks! Only eight percent achieve their New Year’s resolution. There are two common problems with resolutions that set you up for failure. One, you make a vague goal, like to exercise more. Make it specific, like “Perform 30 minutes of exercise each day.” And two, don’t make your goal a negative, like “I’m not going to drink alcohol.” Instead, focus on something positive that accomplishes the same goal. “I’m going to drink water with every meal.”
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Women who struggle to conceive appear to have an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and angina, according to two new studies published in the European Journal of Epidemiology and Fertility and Sterility. Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health studied women who had tried to get pregnant for at least a year before they succeeded. They found that the women who experienced reduced fertility had a 20 percent higher risk of stroke and heart attack over the next 14 years. Looking at another group of women with reduced fertility, they had a 14 percent higher risk of all cardiovascular disease. These studies do not reveal the cause for the increased risk. The researchers speculate that childlessness could be a marker for an increased risk of other health problems. It’s also possible that the stress of trying to get pregnant may affect the health of your heart.
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Being unhappy or lonely might age you faster, according to the findings of a new study published in the journal Aging. Researchers collected data on more than 4,400 Chinese adults over the age of 45, looking at social and economic status, health history, biometrics and blood sample data. They also collected responses to 8 markers of their psychological states. The researchers found that being on the lower end of a psychological well-being scale, especially feeling lonely or unhappy, has the effect of speeding up the aging process by more than 1.5 years. This aging effect from loneliness or unhappiness was stronger than the effects of biological sex, living area, marital status, and smoking status.
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Most adults don’t realize that alcohol increases the risk of cancer, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Researchers surveyed close to 4,000 people. They asked the participants, “In your opinion how much does drinking the following types of alcohol affect the risk of getting cancer?” asking them about wine, beer and liquor. Alcohol consumption has been linked to several types of cancer, including breast, mouth and colon cancer. Less than one-third recognized that alcohol consumption was a risk factor for cancer. Barely more than one-fifth recognized that drinking wine could raise the risk of cancer. And most surprisingly, over 10 percent thought that drinking wine reduced their risk of cancer.
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Optimism might be a quality that helps you live longer and better, according to two new studies. In one study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers found that the most optimistic women lived 4.4 years longer on average than the least optimistic women. In fact, the most optimistic women were also more likely to live past age 90. This link between optimism and longevity existed for all racial and ethnic groups. In the second study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers observed that more optimistic men experienced fewer negative emotions, likely due to reducing their exposure to daily stressors and better attitudes towards more stressful situations.
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Watching too much television as a kid elevates the risk for future addictions, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Researchers in New Zealand collected data on TV viewing time of children born between 1972 and 1973 when they were 5 to 15 years old. They observed that children who watched excess television were more likely to have addictions to gambling, smoking, alcohol, and marijuana. They argue that their data proves that parents should aim to limit their kids’ screen time, ideally two hours or less per day.
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Shingles is a condition in which you develop a painful rash that lasts a few weeks. A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that having shingles increases the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed data from over 200,000 adults. They found that for a first stroke, the risk is up to 38 percent higher among people with a history of shingles compared to people with no history of shingles. The risk of coronary heart disease was 25 percent higher. Most people who get shingles are over 50, having had chickenpox as children. The researchers argue that their findings show that getting the shingles vaccine could reduce the risk of later cardiovascular complications.
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Adults should exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that less than half of mothers exercise that much. UK researchers analyzed data from almost 850 women between the ages of 20 and 34. They found that women with school-aged children averaged about 26 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Mothers with more than one child got 21 minutes per day. And mothers with children 4 years old or younger only got about 18 minutes per day. While there is no doubt that children make it difficult to find free time to exercise, research suggests that regular physical activity can help parents cope with the daily challenges of being a parent.
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Strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability in this country. A new study published in the journal Neurology suggests that statin medications lower the risk of the most dangerous type of stroke. Researchers in Denmark analyzed the medical records of over 88,000 people who did not have a history of stroke. Almost 2,200 had a stroke from an intracerebral hemorrhage during the study period. An intracerebral hemorrhage involves blood from an artery suddenly leaking into the brain. The researchers found that adults who were on statin drugs at any time during the study had a 16 percent and 17 percent lower risk of a bleeding stroke, depending on the location. Those who took a statin for more than five years had a 33 to 38 percent lower risk. In addition to statins, other stroke prevention efforts can include exercise, eating a healthy diet, and stopping smoking.
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Regularly eating foods high in flavonoids, like fruits, cruciferous vegetables, and tea, might lower your risk of future heart disease. In a new study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, Australian researchers determined that older women who consumed high levels of flavonoids were less likely to develop extensive abdominal aortic calcification. This is a condition in which calcium deposits build up in your abdominal aorta that supplies blood to your abdominal organs and lower extremities. Abdominal aortic calcification increases the risk of dementia, heart attack and stroke. You can get these anti-oxidant flavonoids by consuming more fruits, vegetables, spices, tea, and other plant-based foods.
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Many people believe they are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water – 8 ounces each – every day. A new study suggests there is no correct amount of water to drink. In the study, published in the journal Science, researchers studied over 5,600 people from 26 countries. They determined that people’s water consumption varies greatly, anywhere from four to 25 cups of water per day. Water needs appear to peak for men in their twenties, while the amount for women stays roughly the same until age 55. The researchers concluded that there is not a specific number of glasses the average human should consume each day. People should adjust the amount of water they drink based on a number of factors, like how physically active they are, how hot and humid it is, and how much they weigh.
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If you want to lose unhealthy and dangerous visceral fat, a green Mediterranean diet might be best. In a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers in Israel studied almost 300 people for 18 months. They compared the effects of a standard healthy diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the green Mediterranean diet with less red meat and additional walnuts, green tea and a green drink each day. The green Mediterranean diet reduced visceral fat 14 percent, significantly more than the other two diets. Visceral fat is the fat that collects between and around our internal organs. It has a close association to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and premature death.
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How old your child is when he or she gets a phone does not seem to have any effect on their development. In a new study published in the journal Child Development, researchers at Stanford followed a group of more than 250 children for five years. Over those five years, most of the children received their first cell phone. The average age at which children received their first phones was just over 11 and a half years old. Families generally chose an age when the parents felt it was best for the child. The researchers found that based on a number of different measures, the age at which children get their first phones has little, if any, effect on outcomes like grades, sleep, depression and well-being.
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A large percentage of adults struggle with sleep, but for many, sleep becomes so much of an issue that they use sleeping pills. A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that those people in better shape are less likely to need them. Norwegian researchers collected data from roughly 240,000 people. The researchers found that over the 12 years of the study, 17 percent of the participants developed sleep issues that caused them to get a prescription for a sleep medication from their doctors. They found that the adults in the best physical shape used fewer sleep medications. The researchers claim the data suggests that being physically fit can also help you sleep better.
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It’s been said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If that saying is true, then we might want to choose people who are physically active to be in our circles. In a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers created a mathematical model to learn the influence of social interactions on community exercise patterns. Their model showed that without social interactions, populations experienced a long-term decrease in physically active individuals, and most people exhibited sedentary lifestyles. But when the model had sedentary people interacting frequently with people who were active, they became more active themselves over time. In other words, if you want to exercise more, spend more time with people who like to exercise.
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Hip fractures can be devastating injuries to older adults, often impairing their ability to walk even after surgery to fix them. In a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, researchers at the University of Leeds found two simple ways women can reduce their risk of hip fracture. Using participants from the UK Women’s Cohort Study, the researchers determined that women who eat an additional 25 grams of protein each day decrease their risk of hip fracture 14 percent. That can be animal or plant protein. Eating 3 to 4 eggs or a steak or piece of salmon would add 25 grams of protein. Surprisingly, drinking an additional cup of coffee or tea each day reduced the risk 4 percent.
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Surgery poses substantial risks for older adults, according to a new study published in JAMA Surgery. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine analyzed Medicare data as well as data from the National Health and Aging Trends study. They found that almost 1 in 7 older adults die within a year of undergoing major surgery. Having dementia, frailty, and undergoing emergency surgery increased the risk of surgery for seniors. Chronic medical conditions like heart or kidney disease, having trouble moving around, and having less ability to take care of themselves also led to higher surgery risks. Finally, age was a significant risk factor. Patients who were 90 or older were six times as likely to die after surgery than adults between 65 and 69.
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Eating a high-salt diet, like most Americans do, appears to increase stress. In a new study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland looked at the effects of high salt consumption on stress and the brain in mice. They observed that eating a large amount of salt-rich food activated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates the body’s response to stress. A high-salt diet also increased hormones that affect cardiovascular, cognitive, immune, and metabolic functions. In other words, in addition to salt playing a role in heart, kidney and blood vessel function, it also influences the way our bodies and brains handle stress.
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Obesity might harm the brain health of children and adolescents. According to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, researchers collected and analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, including over 5,000 children 9 to 10 years old. They measured each child’s body mass index – or weight adjusted for age, sex, and height. They used MRIs to identify changes in the children’s brains. The researchers found that higher weight in childhood is associated with poor brain health. Among obese children, they observed significant impairment to the integrity of the brain’s white matter, especially in parts of the brain associated with control, motivation, and reward-based decision-making.
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One-third of seniors say they would go back in time to relive part of their lives, according to a survey of 2,000 older adults conducted by OnePoll for BrightStar Care. Asked if they could relive one decade of their lives, over half chose their thirties or twenties. Asked if given the chance to redo one major life decision, saving more money was the most popular choice, followed by investing earlier. Finally when asked to give advice to their younger selves, responses included accepting challenges, following your intuition, and seizing life.
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Frequently consuming ultra-processed foods appears to be linked to an increase in the risk of early, preventable deaths. In a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers in Brazil determined that about 57,000 deaths there were related to consumption of these foods. That number is likely much higher in the U.S. and other wealthy countries, as people here consume far more ultra-processed foods. According to the researchers, cutting back on these ready-to-eat foods, like prepackaged soups, frozen pizzas, potato chips, candy and sodas could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths every year.
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It appears that a daily mindfulness and meditation practice might be as effective as a common medication for managing anxiety. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers divided almost 300 adults diagnosed with generalized anxiety, panic disorder, or social anxiety into either a group who received a daily dose of the medication Lexapro or a group who did weekly mindfulness classes and daily meditation. The participants who took the anxiety medication improved 20 percent on anxiety scales. The group who did the meditation and mindfulness practice achieved the same improvement. This practice might be appropriate for those struggling with anxiety who wish to avoid medication.
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More and more adults are struggling with their sleep, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Researchers analyzed sleep data on over 9,000 Americans aged 20 and older. When looking at sleep debt – or the difference between the amount of sleep you need versus what you get – they found that 30 percent of adults have one hour of sleep debt per night. Roughly 10 percent have a two-hour sleep debt. And almost half of the adults noted what sleep experts call social jet lag – or a difference between someone’s natural biological clock and the hours required at their jobs and schools.
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Children who feel poorer than their friends have worse mental health than those who are or who feel equal or richer than their friends. In a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers from the University of Cambridge analyzed perceived economic inequality within friendship groups of almost 13,000 11-year-olds. They […]
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Becoming comfortable cooking at home appears to boost your mental health. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers at Edith Cowan University assigned over 650 adults to a seven-week healthy cooking course and measured the effects on the participants’ cooking confidence and mental health. The researchers observed that adults who […]
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On this Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to consider performing random acts of kindness for others. The benefits of your generosity don’t just help your recipient. It can help you and your health. Studies have shown that being kind to others improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, decreases pain, and boosts happiness. On this often […]
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Exercising in the morning appears to be associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers followed over 86,000 middle-aged and older adults who were free of heart disease at the start of the study. The participants wore activity trackers on […]
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If you like to exercise outdoors but struggle with pollen allergies, you might want to exercise in the morning. In a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers at Emory University measured pollen at three sites in Atlanta in March 2021. They determined that pollen […]
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The number of children seen in emergency rooms for suicidal thoughts has increased significantly over the last five years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers at Northwestern University analyzed the data from hospitals in Illinois to determine how many children between the ages of 5 […]
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Only 15 minutes of vigorous exercise each week – or just two minutes each day – appears to reduce your risk of death, cancer, and heart disease. In a new study published in the European Heart Journal, Australian researchers followed over 70,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 69 with no evidence of cardiovascular […]
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Constantly staying connected on social media appears to have negative mental health consequences for many adults and children. In a recent study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, researchers found that people who post a large number of selfies tend to have higher levels of certain narcissistic traits and more fragile self-esteem. […]
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Blood sugar control is critical as we get older, but especially for the millions of people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers in New Zealand have discovered a fairly simple way to maintain blood glucose levels after meals – what they call exercise snacks. They compared 30 minutes of continuous, moderate-intensity exercise before a meal to […]
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Alcohol offers no health benefits to younger adults, according to a recent study published in The Lancet. Researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington looked at the risk of alcohol consumption on 22 health outcomes, including injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers for men and women between the ages […]
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Consuming sugar and leading a sedentary lifestyle has harmful effects on men. In a new study published in the journal Endocrinology, researchers at the University of Missouri examined the insulin resistance of blood vessels in 36 young, healthy men and women. Vascular insulin resistance is a hallmark of obesity and type 2 diabetes that contributes […]
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Women who sleep well might have improved work-related ambitions, according to a new study published in the journal Sex Roles. Researchers at Washington State University surveyed 135 adult workers twice each day for two weeks. At lunchtime each day, participants reported how they slept the night before and described their current mood. Each evening, they […]
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Osteoarthritis affects over 32 million adults in this country. A new study suggests that gaining even a small amount of weight significantly worsens arthritis of the knees. In the study, presented at the International Congress on Obesity, Australian researchers reviewed the data for over 250,000 patients. They found that an increase of just 11 pounds […]
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Pregnant women who drink even small amounts of caffeine before giving birth tend to have babies who turn out to be shorter as children. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that children of mothers who consumed caffeine during […]
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A new study shows that one of every 10 adults over the age of 65 in this country has dementia. Over one in every five has some cognitive challenges. In the study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, researchers analyzed the cognitive test results of 3,500 participants 65 and older. Those tests measured aspects such […]
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It appears that being in a happy marriage or long-term relationship can help you recover faster from a heart attack. In a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, Yale researchers analyzed close to 1,600 men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 across the country treated for heart attacks. […]
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It appears that the sounds we hear throughout the day impact our mood and mental health. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany studied the effects of traffic noise and birdsong on close to 300 participants. They found that listening to […]
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Being unhappy could age you faster than smoking. In a new study published in the journal Aging, researchers looked at the impact of mental health on our biological clocks. They found that psychological factors, such as feeling unhappy or lonely, added over 1.5 years to a person’s biological age. This aging effect of being unhappy […]
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The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mortality. Olive oil has been thought to be the main reason for these benefits. In a new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Spanish researchers compared the eating habits of over 12,000 Spanish adults and […]
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A large majority of adolescent girls experience bloating, cramps, and abdominal pain during their periods. A new study presented at the annual meeting of The North American Menopausal Society suggests that some foods these girls eat might make their dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, worse. Researchers at Rutgers University found that diets high in inflammatory foods […]
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If you want to stay out of a nursing home as you get older, you might want to stop smoking and start exercising now. In a new study presented at the International Conference on Obesity, researchers at the University of Sydney analyzed data on over 127,000 Australians. They divided the participants into three groups based […]
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We have all heard that we should walk 10,000 steps per day, but to improve our health, we don’t even need to walk that much. In a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers at Vanderbilt University had over 6,000 participants over the age of 40 wear activity trackers at least 10 hours […]
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A new study shows that men age faster than women, starting in their twenties. In the study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers in Finland analyzed data from over 2,200 twins. They used four different epigenetic clocks, which are biochemical tests that measure biological age. They also looked at each person’s body mass index […]
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Menopause is a time where women develop an increase in the risk of heart disease. Women who experience more frequent or more severe hot flashes during menopause are more likely to have conditions that raise the risk of having heart problems, according to data presented at the North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting. Researchers at […]
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Spending time near water during childhood, such as the ocean or lakes, is linked to better mental health as an adult. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, researchers surveyed 15,000 people in 18 countries about their experiences of “blue spaces,” such as near the ocean, up until age 16. They found […]
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A new European study in the New England Journal of Medicine got a lot of attention for suggesting that colonoscopy might not be beneficial as a screening tool for colorectal cancer. Physicians here in the U.S., including those with the American Cancer Society and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, argue that study had flaws. […]
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A new study published in the journal Brain Sciences points to three factors that might protect against cognitive decline. The first – regular exercise – is not surprising. But the other two – meaningful relationships and passion – might be. Norwegian researchers compiled studies on cognitive decline. They observed that maintaining social relationships improves cognitive […]
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A new study suggests that self-employed women might have better cardiovascular health. In the study, published in the journal BMC Women’s Health, researchers at UCLA analyzed data from over 4,500 women over age 50 and compared those who were salaried employees, those who worked for wages, and those who were self-employed. They found that women […]
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It’s estimated that between 6 and 8 percent of all pregnant mothers take antidepressant medications. In the past, there has been tremendous debate about the safety of these medications for the children of the mothers taking them. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Harvard researchers analyzed data from over 145,000 […]
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A new study is gaining lots of attention by suggesting that vegetarians are more likely to become depressed. In the study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, Brazilian researchers surveyed over 14,000 adults to learn about their diets and to identify episodes of depression. They observed that regardless of socioeconomic, lifestyle factors and nutrient […]
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A new study shows that eating more refined grains, like white flour, white rice and white bread, is linked to an increased risk of premature coronary artery disease. In the study, presented at the American College of Cardiology Middle East 2022, researchers analyzed over 2,000 Iranian adults with premature coronary artery disease. They had the […]
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Switching from a 5-day work week to one that is only four days long might help us get more sleep. Economist Juliet Schor and the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global analyzed data from over 300 workers at 16 companies in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. They observed that the employees who now worked only […]
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We usually think nightmares are problems that interrupt the sleep of children. But half to 85 percent of adults have nightmares too. About 1 in 20 adults report experiencing them every week. In a new study published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, U.K. researchers observed that adults between 35 and 64 years old who experienced distressing […]
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Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day might help you live longer. In a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Australian researchers compared the quantity and type of coffee consumption to the risk of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality for almost 450,000 adults ages 40 to 69. They […]
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Lifting weights as you get older appears to decrease your risk of death. In a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers at the University of Iowa followed nearly 100,000 people over ten years. They found that people who lifted weights once or twice a week — without doing any other […]
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A new study shows that more exercise and less sitting might decrease your risk of breast cancer. In the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers used genetic markers from hundreds of thousands of European women and linked them to physical activity, sedentary time, and cases […]
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When we’re young, we want to be older, but as we get older, we wish we were young again. A new study published in the journal Psychology and Aging shows some benefits and risks for both age groups. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego studied 62 adults in their twenties and 54 adults […]
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Performing daily breathing exercises might your lower blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health. In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at the University of Colorado had healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 to 82 perform daily five-minute breathing exercises using a resistance-breathing training device. They observed that 30 […]
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Eating walnuts early in life might lead to healthier habits and better overall health later in life. In a new study published in Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, researchers at the University of Minnesota used health and diet data from over 3,000 people between the ages of 18 and 30, followed for more than 30 […]
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In recent years, scientists have tried to determine the impact of social media use on our mental health. In a new study published in the American Economic Review, researchers used the rollout of Facebook on college campuses to learn its effect on students’ mental health. They correlated the rollout of Facebook on different campuses across […]
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Night owls, or people who stay up late on a regular basis, might be more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease because they don’t burn fat well. In a new study published in the journal Experimental Physiology, researchers at Rutgers University divided over 50 middle-aged adults into either early birds or night owls. They […]
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The well-being of young adults in this country is much worse than it was 20 years ago, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Harvard researchers collected data from the U.S. Census, as well as online and telephone surveys, to determine various domains of well-being for adults of all ages, including […]
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Roughly 20 percent of Americans work night shifts, forcing them to eat meals during the day and at night. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that eating at these late hours increases the risk of depression and anxiety. Researchers took 12 men and seven women and created […]
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Even if you exercise for 30 minutes each day, your risk of poor health increases if you sit the rest of the day. In a recent study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers in Finland had over 3,700 adults wear activity trackers for one week that allowed them to […]
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Eating more vegetables each day might make you happier. In a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture studied 75 adults who normally ate low amounts of vegetables. Half of them were assigned to eat two and a half servings of vegetables, […]
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New research suggests that children are losing one night’s worth of sleep each week by using social media. In a study presented recently at the British Science Festival, researchers surveyed 60 10-year-old children about their sleep and social media use. The children averaged 8.7 hours of sleep each night, less than the recommended 9 to […]
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Living in an area with more green space, like trees, flowers, grass, gardens, and parks, appears to boost the brain function of middle-aged women. In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from Boston University, Rush University, and Harvard analyzed cognitive tests and residential green space data from almost 14,000 women in their […]
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African Americans who frequently participate in religious activities or who hold deep spiritual beliefs are more likely to have better cardiovascular health. In a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers at the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins screened almost 3,000 Black adults in Jackson, Mississippi, which is known to […]
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Getting less than 8 hours of sleep each night increases the risk that children and adolescents become obese. In a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2022, Spanish researchers grouped participants between 12 and 16 years old into three groups. Those who slept fewer than 7 hours were labeled very short sleepers. […]
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A new study shows that eating ultra-processed food on a regular basis might increase your risk of colon cancer. In the study, published in The BMJ, researchers assessed the dietary intake of over 46,000 men and almost 160,000 women with no cancer at the start of the study and followed them for 24 to 28 […]
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A new study from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics shows that less than one-quarter of American adults meet the Physical Activity Guidelines. The CDC recommends 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. They also recommend […]
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Drinking tea might lower your risk of death, according to a new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute collected data from almost half a million adults between 40 and 69 years old. They determined their level of tea consumption and then followed the participants for […]
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Work-related burnout has become increasingly common, and it can lead to decreased job performance, mental and physical exhaustion, and numerous health problems. Signs of workplace burnout include feeling fatigued, having negative feelings toward your job, and reduced efficiency in performing the tasks of your job. In a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, […]
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Despite there being a widespread perception that aging is bad, 7 in 10 adults say their lives have gotten better with age. In the survey of 2,000 adults over age 25 conducted by OnePoll, three-quarters of respondents say that age is not something to fight or fear. They believe instead that they want to spend […]
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Taking oral or inhaled steroid medications for asthma, allergies, or autoimmune diseases appears to produce negative effects on the white matter of the brain. In the study, published in the journal BMJ Open, Dutch researchers found the greatest amount of white matter damage in people who use oral steroids regularly over long periods of time. […]
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The number of emergency room visits caused by children ingesting batteries has more than doubled in recent years, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers with Safe Kids Worldwide found that most of these injuries occurred in patients 5 years old or younger. In 85 percent of the cases, button batteries […]
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If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you might be less willing to help other people. In a new study published in the journal PLOS Biology, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley performed a series of experiments on the effects of sleep on prosocial behavior. The participants completed questionnaires assessing their willingness to […]
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Adding weights to your workout routine might help you live longer than just doing aerobic exercise alone. In a new study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers collected data on over 400,000 adults who completed questionnaires about their exercise routines, including how much and what types of exercise. They found that adults […]
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If you don’t get quality sleep on a regular basis, you might have a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. In a new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2022, researchers at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research studied 7,200 adults, looking at five sleep habits and baseline […]
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Getting regular aerobic exercise has previously been shown to improve our health in many ways. But a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open shows that three types of exercise might be especially helpful in lowering the risk of cancer, heart disease and death. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute collected data on […]
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We often excuse ourselves when we eat junk food, saying we do it because we are anxious or depressed. But a new study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition shows that the reverse might be true – namely that eating junk food makes us more likely to feel anxious or depressed. Researchers from Florida […]
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A new food study and rating scale is receiving a lot of attention for suggesting that ice cream with nuts or chocolate and potato chips might actually be healthier than a multigrain bagel with raisins. In the study, researchers at Tufts University developed a “food compass,” rating foods on a scale of 1 to 100. […]
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Most of us struggle to find time to exercise. For some people, it’s easier to do short workouts most days of the week, while others prefer longer workouts once or twice a week, such as on the weekends. A new study suggests that at least for muscle building, one way to work out might be […]
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Young adults who consume high-calorie “cheat meals” might be more likely to develop an eating disorder. In a new study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, researchers at the University of Toronto collected data from over 2,700 young adults between ages 16 and 30. They found that young adult women often consumed cheat meals […]
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If you like to take mid-day naps on warm afternoons, scientists might have an explanation as to why you do. In a new study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers at Northwestern studied fruit flies. They found a switch in the brains of these flies that makes them want to sleep when the weather […]
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Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. A new study shows that almost half of the deaths caused by cancer can be linked to preventable risk factors. In the study, published in the journal The Lancet, researchers analyzed data on cancer deaths from 2010 to 2019 across over 200 countries. They looked at […]
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After a long day of thinking and working hard, it’s easy to make poor decisions, such as eating unhealthy foods. A new study published in the journal Current Biology shows that the brain fatigue that results from thinking and making decisions all day at work influences the neurotransmitters in our brains that affect our ability […]
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Women who go into menopause when they are younger than 40 have a greater risk for future heart problems, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. Korean researchers collected data on over 1.4 million females. They found that the risk for heart issues increased for women who entered menopause earlier in […]
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A new study shows that time-restricted eating – what most people know as intermittent fasting – can improve weight loss, blood pressure and mood. In the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers tested a specific form of time-restricted eating in which the subjects ate only between 7 AM and 3 PM, and they followed […]
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A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention aims to encourage more children to wear helmets while riding a bike and doing many recreational activities. Bicycle riding is one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries among children, causing about 26,000 emergency room visits each […]
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Eating a vegetarian diet might increase the risk of hip fracture in women. In a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers at the University of Leeds in England followed over 26,000 middle-aged women for approximately 20 years. They compared the risk of hip fracture among vegetarians, pescatarians, or people who eat fish […]
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Sleeping next to your romantic partner or spouse not only improves your sleep quality, but it also boosts your mental health. In the new study, published in the journal Sleep, researchers from the University of Arizona collected data from 1,000 adults. Those who shared the bed with their romantic partner on most nights suffered from […]
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Taking a short walk, even for as little as two minutes, can greatly reduce your blood sugar after a meal. In a new study published in the journal Sports Medicine, researchers in Ireland compiled the data from seven studies that compared the effects of sitting, standing or walking. They found that just a few minutes […]
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New national guidelines aim to prevent weight gain in middle-aged women. In a new study outlining the clinical guidelines published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers with the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative reviewed data on almost 52,000 middle-aged women. They found that women gain an average of 1.5 pounds per year between 40 and […]
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A new study shows that ultra-processed foods aren’t just bad for your physical health. They are bad for your brain’s health too. Processed foods are those full of flavorings, colorings or other additives and few whole food ingredients. Examples of ultra-processed foods include bread, chips, cookies, ice cream, candy, soft drinks, hot dogs, and frozen […]
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Older age and smoking are the biggest risk factors for developing any type of cancer over the next five years, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer. Researchers from the American Cancer Society collected data on almost 430,000 adults who were cancer-free and followed them for five years. Just over 15,000 of […]
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Exercising and playing games appears to benefit the brain health of older women. In a new study published in the journal Neurology, researchers at the University of California, San Diego examined over 750 older adults using brain scans and tests of thinking speed and memory. They analyzed cognitive reserve, or the brain’s ability to withstand […]
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Eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables with carotenoids might improve the eye and brain health of women. In a new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers at the University of Georgia looked at the dietary intake of carotenoids like lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, as well as beta-carotene and lutein, which are […]
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A new study suggests that depression can be common for men and women after birth of their baby and for the first year after delivery. In the study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers at the University College London compiled data from 23 previous studies involving close to 30,000 couples in 15 countries. […]
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Even if you get the right amount of sleep each night, there is a good chance you aren’t getting the quality of sleep you need to feel alert and energetic. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Sleep, Harvard researchers surveyed over 1,000 adults, asking them to rate their sleep based on […]
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Current guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week for better health. But a new study published in the journal Circulation suggests that you can have much greater health benefits – and a longer lifespan – by doubling that amount. Harvard researchers analyzed data from over 100,000 adults over a period of 30 […]
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We know that exercise is good for your heart. But a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggests that using a sauna after your workout might help your heart even more. Researchers in Finland divided 47 adults into three groups – exercise three times per week, exercise plus a 15-minute sauna session […]
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If you want to get more exercise and physical activity, try wearing a fitness tracker. In a new study published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, Australian researchers compiled data from almost 400 studies that included data on wearable activity trackers and the physical activity habits of roughly 164,000 people. They found that using these […]
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Mothers who experience sleep problems are more prone to parental burnout, according to a new study published in the journal Brain and Behavior. Researchers studied 224 mothers of school-aged children. They observed that insomnia, hypersomnia, and other sleep issues are linked to parental burnout. This burnout can manifest as mothers feeling exhaustion and unhappiness from […]
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New research suggests that alcohol directly accelerates the aging process. In the study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, scientists from Oxford Population Health examined the link between alcohol consumption and telomere length in almost 250,000 adults. Telomeres are DNA sequences that cap the end of chromosomes, protecting them from damage. Telomere length is considered […]
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Getting outside and working in the garden might improve your mental health, according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Researchers at the University of Florida assigned 42 volunteers to either gardening or art-making groups. During the gardening sessions, participants learned to transplant plants, sow seeds, and harvest and taste edible plants. […]
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It turns out exercise won’t erase the harmful effects of an unhealthy diet. In a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia examined the diets and exercise patterns of more than 360,000 British adults over 11 years. They considered a “bad diet” to be […]
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Which diet is better for your heart – the Mediterranean diet endorsed by most nutritionists, or the ketogenic diet, or keto? A new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers some insight. Stanford researchers had 33 patients with prediabetes or diabetes follow both diets for a month, one after the other. They […]
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We know that sleep is critical for our mental health, but a new study shows that a certain phase of sleep is important for our emotional health as well. In the study, published in the journal Science, Swiss researchers examined the brain activity of mice during wakefulness, REM, and non-REM sleep. They found that during […]
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A new study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that childhood obesity has become more common in this country in recent years. Researchers at Emory University followed two nationally representative samples of children from kindergarten to fifth grade. One group of children was studied from 1998 to 2004, while the other group was followed from […]
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We have probably all felt irritable or grumpy when we felt we needed to eat, a condition many people jokingly call being “hangry.” According to a new study published in the journal PLOS One, being hangry is a real phenomenon. English researchers surveyed 64 adults five times a day at random times for three weeks. […]
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Most adults are busy with work or family obligations, so exercising can be difficult to do every day. A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine shows that weekend warriors who do all their physical exercise at once rather than over the course of the week can still get the same benefits, at […]
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While many people don’t think of insomnia as a typical symptom of premenstrual syndrome, a majority of women do struggle with it during their periods. According to new research from Bodyform, 69 percent of women experience decreased quality and quantity of sleep during their periods. Close to 7 of every 10 women struggle with sleep […]
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A new study demonstrates that American adults frequently overestimate the quality of their diet. In a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, researchers surveyed about 9,700 participants, asking them to rate how healthy their regular diet was. They then assessed the actual quality of each participant’s diet. Roughly […]
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A new study reveals the sleep habits of men and women and how they change over time. In the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia collected sleep data from over 11,000 individuals aged six and older who wore accelerometers for seven straight days. The researchers found that […]
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I discussed recently how less than one in five American adults were found to have excellent heart health, according to a new study from the American Heart Association. It turns out that our children aren’t doing much better. The study, published in the journal Circulation, shows that fewer than 30 percent of children and adolescents […]
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A new study shows that moderate exercise is safe during pregnancy, and it can help prevent childhood obesity and diabetes. In the study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, Brazilian researchers collected data on leisure-time physical activity for pregnant volunteers. Each woman reported her exercise during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The researchers […]
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Less than one in five American adults is in excellent heart health, according to a new study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers used the new Life’s Essential 8 checklist, which assesses diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. They […]
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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and second deadliest cancer in the U.S., causing over 50,000 deaths each year. A new study shows that the typical American diet might be to blame. In a new study published in the journal Gastroenterology, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that diets consisting […]
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More people are putting on weight than ever. It now appears that much of this extra weight comes early in adulthood. In a new study published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers at Brigham Young University collected data on 10-year weight change patterns from almost 14,000 American adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination […]
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Pickleball has exploded as a sport in recent years. It initially attracted baby boomers with injuries or less ability to run as they got older, but younger people are also starting to flock to the sport. Two recent studies showed that despite the smaller courts used in tennis, pickleball can provide the same benefits as […]
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A new study suggests that children who spend time with dogs have lower stress. In the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers examined the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in children before and after spending 20 minutes with a trained dog twice a week for four weeks. The researchers compared the results […]
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How light or dark your bedroom is doesn’t just affect the quality of your sleep. It could influence several health problems, according to a new study published in the journal Sleep. Researchers at Northwestern’s Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine in Chicago studied over 550 participants between the ages of 63 and 84. The participants […]
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If you can’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds, you might have a greater risk of dying in the next 10 years, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Brazilian researchers tested over 1,700 adults between the ages of 51 and 75. The participants were asked to stand […]
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It appears that a particular vitamin might lower the risk of dementia later in life. In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Australian researchers analyzed health data from almost 300,000 participants in the UK Biobank. They compared the participants’ vitamin D levels to brain imaging studies. The researchers observed that low […]
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A new study suggests that a lack of sleep might make other people look less attractive to you. In the study, published in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep, Swedish researchers used eye-tracking technology to determine what 45 male and female participants were looking at in real time. Participants got no sleep at all […]
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If you have too much self-confidence, it might hurt your health. Each person’s level of self-confidence is different, and it influences our behaviors, actions, and decisions. It also plays a role in risk-taking, drinking alcohol, and more. In this new study, researchers at the University of Vienna collected data from over 80,000 European adults aged […]
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Stress appears to weaken and age your immune system. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Southern California analyzed questionnaire responses from over 5,700 adults over the age of 50. Participants discussed their lifestyle and professional stresses, traumatic events and discrimination. The researchers […]
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Walking might be good for your knees, even if you have arthritis. In a new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston surveyed over 1,000 people ages 50 or older with knee osteoarthritis and followed them for four years. Of the patients who did not walk […]
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Drinking coffee might not pose an increased risk for pregnancy-related complications, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Since they couldn’t ask pregnant women in the study to drink certain amounts of coffee, researchers at the University of Queensland used genetic analyses to mimic a randomized control trial analyzing the […]
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Optimistic women live longer. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Harvard researchers collected data from almost 160,000 women from different racial and ethnic groups between the ages of 50 and 79 followed them for up to 26 years. They found that the 25 percent of […]
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A surprisingly high percentage of men are insecure about their appearance, according to a survey of 2,000 adult men conducted by OnePoll with L’Oreal Paris. The researchers found that on average, men feel insecure about their looks three times a week. The most common worries were gray hair – which half of the men surveyed […]
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Drinking coffee might lower your risk of mortality, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed more than 170,000 participants. They got a baseline assessment of participants’ coffee consumption, including whether they drank sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, or unsweetened coffee, and then followed them for seven years looking at all-cause […]
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Many adults think that moderate drinking is safe, but a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests that binge drinking, even occasionally, might lead to numerous health consequences. Researchers followed 1,300 drinkers over nine years. They found that women drinking an average of more than one drink a day and men […]
The post 212. Occasional binge drinking linked to multiple health issues appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Consuming foods and drinks with high fructose corn syrup could cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. High fructose corn syrup is found in soda and candy and has previously been linked to obesity and diabetes. The new research is based on data […]
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Adults who sleep with a partner or spouse tend to sleep better than those who sleep alone. In a new study published in the journal Sleep, researchers at the University of Arizona collected data from over 1,000 adults. They found that people who slept next to their partner most nights reported less fatigue, less severe […]
The post 210. People sleep better with a partner than alone appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
A new study shows that a once-a-week medication for diabetes helps people lose weight. In the study, published in the The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tested the drug Tirzepatide, which is sold under the brand name Mounjaro. Tirzepatide was recently approved by the FDA to treat type 2 diabetes. Researchers studied over 2,500 […]
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Over the last decade, the number of kids poisoned by melatonin has skyrocketed over 500 percent. In a new study published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers collected data on more than 260,000 children poisoned by melatonin from 2012 to 2021. Poisonings from the popular sleep supplement soared from about 8,300 in […]
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Living close to nature appears to lower your risk of depression and improve your brain function. In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from several universities, including Harvard and Boston University, collected data from almost 14,000 women with an average age of just over 60. They measured attention, learning, working memory, and […]
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Roughly 60 percent of young children in this country attend some kind of formal child care or daycare program, for an average of around 30 hours a week. A new study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that most of those kids are not getting enough exercise there. Researchers observed 96 child care centers and […]
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Children growing up in a family with strong family bonds have a good chance of thriving later in life. In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers at Columbia University surveyed over 37,000 children between the ages of 11 and 13 in 26 countries. They found that adolescents who reported having a great […]
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Just twenty minutes of daily exercise appears to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease in your seventies. In a recent study published in the journal Heart, Italian researchers collected data from almost 2,800 people aged 65 or older for over 20 years. They observed that people who got between 20 and 40 minutes a day […]
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One of the recommendations often given to people struggling with obesity is to perform aerobic exercise, like jogging. Unfortunately, many of these people have trouble going for a run or fast walk. In a new study published in the journal Obesity Reviews, researchers from Edith Cowan University focused instead on lifting weights as a strategy […]
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Having insomnia in your middle adult years is associated with poorer cognitive function after retirement. In a new study published in the Journal of Aging and Health, researchers at the University of Helsinki studied over 3,700 working adults aged 40 to 60 and followed them for 15 to 17 years. They observed that memory problems, […]
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Children who played adventurously had less anxiety and depression and were generally happier during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In a new study published in the journal Child Psychiatry and Human Development, researchers at the University of Exeter surveyed almost 2,500 parents of children 5 to 11 years old. The researchers asked the parents how often their […]
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When faced with a stressful situation, women benefit from a hug. Men don’t benefit nearly as much. In a new study published in the journal PLOS One, Dutch researchers assessed the stress responses to hugs from a romantic partner in 76 people. Women who received a hug from their partner showed significant drops in levels […]
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Women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy, whether from preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, have a 63 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. In a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed data from more than 60,000 […]
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Frequently eating processed foods and red meat are linked to an increased risk of early death, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers at Loma Linda University collected data from over 77,000 members of Seventh-Day Adventist churches, who typically follow healthy diets. Each participant completed a questionnaire about […]
The post 198. Eating lots of red meat and processed foods can increase your risk of early death appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Half of women who have gone through menopause did not tell their partner at first, according to a new survey conducted by TENA, a hygiene and health company, and OnePoll. Researchers surveyed 2,000 women who had gone through menopause or who were currently going through it. Almost 80 percent did not talk about their symptoms […]
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A healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables might help kids with ADHD, according to a new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience. Researchers at Ohio State surveyed parents of 134 children with ADHD symptoms. They asked about typical foods the children ate and portion sizes. They also inquired about ADHD inattention symptoms, […]
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A new study suggests that women are perceived as more sexually and physically attractive, feminine and of a higher status when wearing high heels. In the study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers from Bucknell University showed two silhouettes of women with or without high heels to a group of over 400 […]
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A new study suggests that mothers with obesity during pregnancy could increase the risk of their children developing cardiac problems in later life. In the study, published in The Journal of Physiology, researchers from the University of Colorado studied pregnant mice and the hearts of each mouse’s fetus. They observed that the hearts of fetuses […]
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Numerous studies have looked at the effects of screen time on kids, but a new study offers surprising findings: Playing video games may actually boost a child’s intelligence. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the Karolinska Institute studied roughly 5,000 children aged 9 and 10 for two years. Each […]
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Colonoscopies in younger women can significantly cut their risk of colon cancer, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Oncology. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed data from over 100,000 U.S. women. They found that women who started colonoscopy screening at age 45 had a 50 to 60 percent lower risk of […]
The post 192. Colonoscopies in women under 50 can significantly lower risk of colon cancer appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Studies have shown that using your phone at night can interfere with your sleep, but whether it plays a role in mental health has been difficult to understand. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Copenhagen analyzed over 250,000 smartphone activities during self-reported sleep periods among over […]
The post 191. Nighttime smartphone use doesn’t worsen mental health appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
A new study suggests that men in a relationship have more time to exercise, possibly by taking it away from women. In the study, recently published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, Australian researchers collected data from 7,000 households made up of heterosexual couples aged 25 to 64. They analyzed disparities in physical […]
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If you take medications for high blood pressure, adding ibuprofen might increase your risk for kidney damage. In a new study published in the journal Mathematical Biosciences, Canadian researchers used computer-simulated drug trials to assess the risk of adding ibuprofen, a popular over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, to diuretics and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, which are common medications […]
The post 189. Combining ibuprofen and blood pressure medications might be bad for your kidneys appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Eating only during the day might help you live longer than eating at night, according to the findings of a new study published in the journal Science. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center gave reduced calorie, low fat, low sugar diets to mice, which extended their lifespan 10 percent. But giving the […]
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A new study shows that coffee can raise your cholesterol, but it depends on the type and whether you are male or female. In the study, published in the journal Open Heart, researchers surveyed over 21,000 adults over the age of 40, asking how many daily cups of coffee they drank and what brew type […]
The post 187. Coffee affects cholesterol levels differently for men and women appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
If you have a young child who refuses to eat vegetables, you might consider giving him or her a reward for trying them. In a study presented earlier this month at the European Congress on Obesity, Dutch researchers placed almost 600 children between the ages of 1 and 4 into three groups: exposure to vegetables […]
The post 186. How to get your kids to eat more vegetables appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
A new study suggests that what you eat affects your risk of gum disease and maybe your overall health. In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University at Buffalo studied over 1,200 postmenopausal women to see whether carbs, and specifically sugar, affected the bacteria in the mouth and under […]
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Over the last two decades, prediabetes among children in this country has more than doubled, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers at Mount Sinai reviewed data from the CDC. From 1999 to 2018, the rate of prediabetes in adolescents jumped from around 11 percent to over 28 percent. The […]
The post 184. Twice as many kids have prediabetes than 20 years ago appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Replacing regular table salt with a salt substitute can lower the risk of stroke 14 percent and combined risk of stroke and heart attacks 13 percent. The new data comes from a recently published study by The George Institute for Global Health. They recruited over 20,000 participants 60 and older with high blood pressure living […]
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A child’s odds of becoming an emotional eater is largely influenced by how their mothers eat in response to their emotions, and how they use food with their children. In a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers surveyed almost 200 mothers of 3- to 5-year-olds in the […]
The post 182. Mothers influence emotional eating in their kids appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
It appears that exercise, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids might reduce your risk of cancer. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers of Aging, researchers from several European countries found that exercise, vitamin D, and omega 3s each lowered the risk of cancer, but combining all three led to a 61 […]
The post 181. Exercise plus certain supplements reduces cancer risk appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Smartphones have improved our lives in many ways, including connecting with others and finding information quickly, wherever we are. But many experts have questioned what effect the use of digital devices has had on our mental health. In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, German researchers tried to figure out […]
The post 180. Cutting phone use just one hour a day improves mental health appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Exercise appears to decrease your craving for fatty foods, according to a new study published in the journal Obesity. Researchers at Washington State University taught 28 rats to press a lever which would deliver a high-fat pellet treat for them to eat. They then withheld the fatty treat for 30 days. They brought back the […]
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How fast you walk might affect how quickly or slowly you age. In a new study published in the journal Communications Biology, researchers at the University of Leicester collected genetic data on over 400,000 adults in the U.K. They found that people who regularly performed brisk walks throughout their life were biologically 16 years younger […]
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For almost one-fifth of people who exercise, “no pain, no gain” is a constant mantra. According to a new survey of over 2,000 adults performed by the Jewett Orthopedic Institute in Orlando, Florida, almost 20 percent of adults experience pain while exercising. That same percentage – 18 percent – of adults push through pain on […]
The post 177. Almost one-fifth of adults push through pain during exercise appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Students and adults who want to learn and remember information better might focus on getting better sleep, suggests a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers at Brown University studied two groups of people to determine how sleep affects learning and memory. Both groups were given a variety of tests and training. Participants […]
The post 176. Sleep improves your memory appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Eating processed meat appears to make you feel more mentally and physically fatigued. In a new study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers examined 20 young adults between their mid-twenties and mid-thirties. They collected samples from the participants’ gut microbiome to see which foods were linked to energy and fatigue. They found that only eating […]
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Unrelated to COVID-19, it turns out that olfactory impairment, or the loss of smell, is associated with a higher risk of early death. In a recent meta-analysis published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers pooled data on over 21,000 patients. They found that compared to people with a normal sense of smell, […]
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A new study shows that a child’s physical fitness is related to his or her concentration and health-related quality of life. In the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, German researchers studied over 6500 boys and girls. They found the higher the level of children’s physical fitness, the better they can concentrate and […]
The post 173. Sports and exercise increase concentration and quality of life for kids appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Compared to women in other wealthy countries, American women have the highest rates of maternal mortality and preventable mortality. In a new study published by the Commonwealth Fund, researchers compared health data on women, not just from the U.S., but also the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. […]
The post 172. American women have a higher preventable mortality rate than those in other wealthy nations appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
A new study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders offers insight into which children are most likely to be bullied, and which ones might do the bullying. Researchers analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. They found that nearly half of children with ADHD are victims of bullying, while about 1 in […]
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Dog bowls and other pet food dishes have been shown to have high levels of bacterial contamination, almost as high as toilets. And many human outbreaks of bacterial infections have been linked to contaminated dog food. A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE shows how few people follow the recommended guidelines for safe […]
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In the U.S., makers of alcoholic beverages are required to put a notice about the risks of drinking and driving, operating machinery, drinking while pregnant, and other general health risks. But many have speculated that more prominent warning labels might further discourage drinking alcohol, especially among younger people. According to a new study out of […]
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New research suggests that the average person ingests five grams of plastic particles each week. In a study published in the journal Exposure & Health, researchers at the Medical University of Vienna calculated the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics that enter our food supply. Discarded plastic breaks down into micro and nanoparticles that enter the […]
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Having certain personality traits might affect your later risk of cognitive impairment, according to a study published last week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Researchers at the University of Victoria in Canada analyzed the personalities of almost 2,000 people, looking at three key personality traits – conscientiousness, extroversion and neuroticism. Neuroticism is […]
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If you want to improve your health and reduce your risk of earlier death, you might measure your waistline. According to new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the U.K., people should aim to cut their waistlines to less than half of their height. For example, for people 5 feet […]
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Eating avocados might lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. In a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, Harvard researchers followed over 100,000 men and women who completed dietary questionnaires every four years for three decades. None had a history of heart disease or stroke at the beginning […]
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People who fail to get enough sleep are at higher risk for putting on unhealthy belly fat. In a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at the Mayo Clinic studied 12 healthy, non-obese young adults. Each participant slept nine hours for the first four days. Then half were […]
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Social media use might affect the mental health and life satisfaction of young girls earlier than it does for boys. In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, psychologists at the University of Cambridge analyzed data from about 84,000 British people between 10 and 80 years old. They found that girls who increased […]
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If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue, you might consider taking a cooking class. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, Australian researchers studied over 650 adults who took a 7-week cooking course. People who participated in the cooking program saw significant improvements in general health […]
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Artificial sweeteners like aspartame might be associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancer. In a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, French researchers analyzed data from over 100,000 adults. They found that the participants who consumed the most artificial sweeteners in their diets, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, had higher risks […]
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If you want to improve your mental health, but you can’t get to the gym or go for a run, try playing music. In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, Australian and German researchers analyzed the data from 26 previous studies involving almost 800 participants looking at the impact of singing, playing, or […]
The post 160. Music benefits mental health almost as much as exercise appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Drinking coffee appears to help your heart and may extend your life. In new studies being presented at the upcoming American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, Australian researchers analyzed data from a database of roughly 500,000 people about how much coffee they drank every day and then followed those people for 10 years. The […]
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Barely one-fifth of Americans get enough exercise, according to the CDC, which might be a big reason for the higher-than-ever rates of obesity. But a new survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Zhou Nutrition, reveals some of the obstacles people claim to face when trying to develop an exercise habit. One […]
The post 158. Survey shows adults try many different exercise programs appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.
Long-term antibiotic use might be linked to cognitive decline, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS One. Harvard researchers collected data on over 14,000 women who took antibiotics for at least two months in their fifties for medical issues such as respiratory infections, dental problems, and urinary tract infections. They found that […]
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Spending time with dogs has been shown to have numerous health benefits. But a new study published in the journal PLOS One shows that dogs can influence how we experience physical pain. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan had over 200 emergency room patients rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10. The […]
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Loneliness is unfortunately common among older adults in this country, especially for retirees who no longer have the social relationships provided by their jobs. A new study by AgingInPlace.org collected data from the 50 states to rank the loneliest and least lonely states in America. They used factors such as the number of single-person households, […]
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A new study shows that the health of our children is getting worse. For the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers used annual data from the National Survey of Children’s Health to examine trends in children’s health-related measures from 2016 to 2020. They calculated a drop in physical activity of children of almost 20 percent. […]
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Almost 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. But a new study shows that adding exercise to your daily routine can cut your risk by up to one-third. Researchers at the George Washington School of Medicine followed almost 650,000 military veterans, splitting them into five groups based on how metabolically demanding their physical […]
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It appears that watching TV, playing video games, and spending time on phones and tablets might lead to increased behavioral problems, at least in children 12 years old and younger. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers at the University of Calgary performed a review of almost 90 scientific studies involving […]
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Performing strength-training exercise for only 30 to 60 minutes each week can cut your risk of heart disease in half. According to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, people who performed muscle-strengthening exercise 30 to 60 minutes each week combined with any amount of aerobic activity had a 28 percent […]
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A new study suggests yoga might be a great way to lose weight. In the study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers at Brown University followed 60 obese or overweight women. Each woman participated in a three-month behavioral and diet weight-loss program. Then the researchers split the women into two groups, with one group […]
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Regularly consuming a high protein, low carb diet might greatly impact the testosterone levels of men. In a recent study published in the journal Nutrition and Health, researchers collected data from over 300 healthy males in their late twenties. They studied levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and testosterone, a sex hormone involved in sperm […]
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Statins, medications to lower cholesterol, used by over 200 million people across the world, might not do much to lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke. According to a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found statins had an “inconsistent and […]
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Exposure to ambient light while sleeping at night can lead to an elevated heart rate and increased blood sugar the following day. According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Northwestern analyzed the effects of sleeping with moderate light and sleeping with dim light. Participants exposed […]
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Twice a year, Americans struggle with the fall back and spring forward time changes. Last week, the Senate passed regulation that would make daylight savings time permanent. There are many theoretical benefits to having an extra hour of light in the early evenings all year, including increased shopping leading to economic and business growth, fewer […]
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It appears that spending time alone might improve your sense of well-being – if you are doing it by choice. In a new study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Israeli researchers followed over 150 students who described their social experiences three times a day for ten consecutive days. They reported their feelings at […]
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Children and adolescents who suffer concussions in sports or other activities have an increased risk of mental health problems, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. Canadian researchers collected ten years of data from children aged 5 to 18 who sought medical care during that period for either concussions or orthopedic injuries. […]
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Being an optimistic person might help you improve your emotional well-being. In a new study published in the Journals of Gerontology, researchers at Boston University compiled data from 233 older men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study over eight years. They found that those who were more optimistic reported lower negative moods and more […]
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If women want to avoid gaining weight in their fifties, they should make lifestyle changes in their forties. In a new study published in the journal Menopause, researchers at the University of North Carolina recruited 72 women between ages 35 to 60. Twenty-four were premenopausal; 24 were perimenopausal; and 24 were postmenopausal. The women in […]
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A new study suggests that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can improve your sleep. In the study, published in the journal Sleep Health, researchers analyzed data from over 1,300 adults. They found that blood levels of EPA, DHA and total omega-3 fatty acids were consistently lower among adults who had experienced very short sleep (less […]
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We have known for years that owning a dog or cat is associated with lower stress and blood pressure. But new research suggests that having a pet can prevent cognitive decline as you get older. Researchers at the University of Michigan collected cognitive data from over 1,300 older adults with normal cognitive skills. The participants […]
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A new study shows that physical activity programs at work may benefit employees’ mental health and well-being. In the study, published in the journal Current Psychology, researchers at Deakin University in Australia enrolled almost 3,000 workers in a 50-day online workplace wellness program which stressed walking and other physical activity during the work day. They […]
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Performing muscle strengthening for just 30 minutes per week can reduce your risk of death up to 20 percent. In a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Japanese researchers compiled data from studies around the world. They found that performing only 30 to 60 minutes of muscle strengthening activity every week […]
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New research shows that exercise literally becomes harder to do the less often you do it – and offers an explanation why. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at the University of Leeds discovered that low levels of physical activity lead to the deactivation of a vital protein in the […]
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New data shows that having certain health conditions as a teenager causes you to age faster as an adult. In the study, published last week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers tracked the health and behavior of over 900 people from age 3 to 45. They found that three conditions as an adolescent were associated […]
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A new study shows that NAD levels are correlated to both your age – and your physical activity. In the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers studied over 50 people: people between 20 and 30 years old, older people aged 65 to 80 with normal levels of physical activity, people 65 to 80 […]
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A new study shows that vegetables provide no benefit against cardiovascular disease. While the study is getting a lot of media attention, you might want to resist the temptation to completely give up vegetables. Researchers at Oxford analyzed the diets of almost 400,000 British adults. They found that raw vegetables could benefit the heart, but […]
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Your relationship status might affect how easily you fall asleep. In a study published in the journal Sleep Science, Australian researchers surveyed almost 800 adults. They found that people who live with a regular partner tend to fall asleep faster than people who have occasional or casual partners, or those who are single. People who […]
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More than half of women over the age of 50 have hair loss. In a study published last week in the journal Menopause, researchers in Thailand measured the hormone levels of almost 200 postmenopausal women. They also analyzed the density of hair in the middle of the scalp, where female pattern hair loss generally begins. […]
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For years, nutritionists have warned that eating a lot of potatoes is bad for your health, being linked to weight gain, body fat, and diabetes. A study published last week in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests French fries might not be that bad for us. Researchers conducted a study of over 180 adults […]
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Improving your diet could add over a decade to your life, and even more if you start early. In a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, researchers from Norway used data from the Global Burden of Disease study, which tracks causes of death, diseases and injuries, and risk factors from patients around the […]
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Well over half of women who become pregnant start their pregnancies in poor health, according to a new study published in the journal Circulation. Researchers at Northwestern collected data on pre-pregnancy heart health risk factors for more than 14 million women. They found that roughly three out of five newly pregnant women already had high […]
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What you eat has a bigger impact on your health than any drug when it comes to fighting the aging process. In a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers found that following a diet with appropriate calories and sufficient macronutrients can slow down aging and metabolic disorders more effectively than popular anti-aging […]
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Since cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death across the world, it’s important to take steps to lower our risk. Taking omega-3 fatty acids has long been thought to be part of that prevention strategy. A new study published in JAMA Network Open shows that a particular source of omega-3s, krill oil, might […]
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Researchers at Yale have shown that cutting your calories, even a little bit, might improve your health as you get older, and might help you live longer. In a new study published in the journal Science, the researchers followed more than 200 participants for two years. Half of the group cut their daily calorie intake […]
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It sounds ridiculous, but new research shows that lifting weights for as little as three seconds a day can have a positive impact on muscle strength. In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, researchers had almost 40 college students perform one muscle contraction at maximum effort for three […]
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If you struggle to get quality sleep each night, it could hurt your heart. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of South Florida collected sleep data from almost 7,000 adults, as well as data about their history of heart disease. The researchers studied many aspects of sleep, […]
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New research shows that labeling foods and meals as “light” might actually backfire and lead people to eat more, and possibly gain weight. In a study published in the journal Appetite, researchers studied almost 40 adults and had them eat a lunch of penne pasta, tomatoes, pesto, oregano and basil. In one trial, the meal […]
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New research shows that having more body fat is linked to cognitive impairment – and aging of the brain. In a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers measured the adiposity of over 9,000 participants, collecting data on both total body fat and visceral fat, or the fat around your organs in your […]
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If you want to lose weight, try to get more sleep each night. In a study published last week in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers studied 80 obese adults who slept less than six and a half hours each night. They counseled the subjects about how to get better sleep and recommended they spend […]
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In recent years, scientists have honed in on mTOR as a key modulator of aging and age-related diseases. Finding ways to inhibit mTOR has become a hot topic as a potential way to extend human lifespan. A new study published in the National Library of Health found that two diet strategies appear to effectively inhibit […]
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One of the leading causes of the growing rates of childhood obesity has been sugary drinks, like sodas and juices. In a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, researchers at the University of North Carolina tested pictured warning labels on the drinks to see if they discouraged parents from buying them for their […]
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If you want to avoid bone and joint pain later in life, make sure to get at least one hard workout in each week. In a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers at the University of Portsmouth followed about 6,000 adults over age 50 for more than 10 years. They found that […]
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Using a fitness tracker can help you be more physically active, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers from Denmark compiled data on over 16,000 participants from hundreds of studies and trials using exercise monitors, like phone apps and Fitbits. They found that using fitness apps increased physical activity by […]
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New data shows that Americans’ use of the over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin has increased significantly over the last 20 years. In the study, published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from the Mayo Clinic and China found that by 2018 Americans were taking more than twice the amount of melatonin […]
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Harvard researchers have discovered that women who suffer miscarriages are more likely to die before the age of 70. In a new study published in the British Medical Journal, they followed over 100,000 nurses over a 24-year period. About one quarter of them had at least one pregnancy ending in miscarriage during that time. The […]
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For decades, we have heard the suggestion that a glass of wine each night is good for our heart, and our health. Recently, studies have called into question that assumption, showing that it was based on flawed research studies. A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that having even one alcoholic […]
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A new study by Mornings.co.uk shows how well each city and state sleeps, as well as countries across the world. Researchers used Twitter, searching for tweets containing the hashtags #goodmorning and #goodnight, to determine the average wake-up times and bedtimes of people in over 130 countries, then calculating the average night’s sleep in each country. […]
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A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports offers a surprising way you might lose weight – chewing your food more slowly. Researchers studied 11 healthy men and had them consume the same amount of food in three different ways. When they chewed the food for 30 seconds before swallowing, they had increased diet-induced […]
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If you work or study a lot, you might be resistant to taking a break, whether it’s watching TV, going out with friends, or any other leisure activity. But those relaxing activities can be good for your mental health – depending on how you look at it. In a new study published in the Journal […]
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We have discussed links between frequent social media use and worse mental health, but a new study suggests it might be bad for our physical health too. Researchers at the University of Buffalo surveyed over 250 college students about their social media use and physical health. They also took blood samples. They found that the […]
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I bet most of us have reached for comfort foods to try to get us out of a bad mood at some point in our lives. But that cheeseburger or ice cream often makes us feel even worse, not just physically, but worse mentally as well. A series of studies and a recent article in […]
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It appears that your eyes could help determine your risk of early death. Researchers in the U.K. have developed a machine learning model that can accurately predict a person’s remaining years of life simply by looking at their retina, the tissue at the back of the eye. They determined that using these scans could predict […]
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If you worry that your teenage kids don’t get enough sleep, here is another cause of concern. It affects what and how much they eat. In a new study published in the journal Sleep, researchers analyzed the sleep patterns and eating habits of 93 14-to-17-year-olds over three weeks. Then one group was given six and […]
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If you have suffered an injury or battled bone or joint pain for a while, you might want to think twice before choosing to undergo surgery. According to a study just published in the BMJ, researchers at the University of Bristol in England reviewed ten of the most common elective orthopedic surgical procedures and compared […]
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Here’s a scary forecast for healthcare in this country. A new survey of more than 20,000 respondents at 124 institutions across the country, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that one in every five physicians in this country plans to leave his or her current practice in the next two years. Even worse, one of […]
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A new study in mice offers insight into the best time of day to exercise. In a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers had mice jog on wheels for an hour early in the day and others run the same amount in the evening. Others sat on locked wheels to serve as controls. […]
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If you or your partner plays fantasy football and other fantasy sports, it might be affecting their mental health. A new study published in the journal Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies looked at almost 2,000 players of fantasy football, but of the English soccer variety. The researchers collected data on time spent playing, researching and […]
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Living alone and having multiple failed relationships might increase the risk for poor health – but only among men. In a new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, researchers at the University of Copenhagen studied over 4,800 adults for over 25 years. Among the data they collected was the number of […]
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If you want your kids to do well in school, make sure they get regular exercise. In a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, researchers in Switzerland conducted shuttle run tests on students aged 8 to 12 to assess the children’s cardiovascular fitness. They found that students who […]
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The vast majority of adults do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to a new CDC study. The data comes from a long-term study of almost 300,000 Americans over more than 30 years. The current dietary guidelines recommend adults eat 2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit […]
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If you want to live a healthier, longer life, you might add more olive oil to your diet. In a new study published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers analyzed data on more than 90,000 people followed for 28 years. Those who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a […]
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Exercise, and even walking, might improve the brain health and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults. In a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers compared the health of microglia cells in active and less active adults in their eighties. These are the immune cells of the brain and central […]
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Many studies have shown that people who eat diets high in red meat have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke than those who eat little red meat. For years, saturated fat has been suggested to be the reason, but that link has been hard to prove. In a new study published in the […]
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Most of us have heard that drinking a glass of wine or having a beer each night might be good for our hearts, and our health and longevity. Well, a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine suggests that might not be the case. German researchers studied over 4,000 adults and found no difference […]
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Social media before bed appears to disrupt our sleep, and TikTok appears to be the worst, according to a survey by the sleep science platform Sleep Junkie. They surveyed over 2000 people and found that over three-quarters of people use their phones right up until they go to sleep. A second survey of 128 of […]
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When a patient has surgery performed by a surgeon of the opposite sex, the outcomes tend to be worse, especially when it’s a female patient and a male surgeon. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Surgery, researchers at the University of Toronto found that women had a 15 percent higher relative risk […]
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People who eat more pro-inflammatory foods have a higher risk of later dementia and cognitive decline. In a new study published in the journal Neurology, researchers collected data from over 1,000 adults with an average age of about 73 and followed them for just over three years. They assessed the inflammatory nature of foods eaten […]
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Moving throughout the day can help older, overweight individuals lose weight and keep it off, even if they don’t exercise. In a new study published in the journal Obesity, researchers at Wake Forest University enrolled 183 obese or severely overweight adults between 65 and 85 years old. The participants assigned to a regimen called SitLess, […]
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The percentage of young adults with obesity has skyrocketed over the last four decades, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Johns Hopkins collected data from over 8,000 adults aged 18 to 25 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found that the prevalence […]
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Roughly three-quarters of a million couples in this country decided to end their relationships in 2019, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. New research suggests that children of divorced or separated parents are more likely to suffer mental health problems if they witness their parents arguing. In the new study, published in the […]
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Active, physically fit men and women are more than twice as likely to be moderate or heavy drinkers compared to people who are out of shape, according to a recent study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Researchers studied over 40,000 adults participating in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, evaluating […]
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In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, adults sat far more hours during the day than normal, working from home and shopping and ordering food online. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers at Iowa State University collected data about mood and behavior for over 2,300 adults across the […]
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A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that eating in the daytime might be better for your health than eating at night. Researchers split 19 men and women into two groups. One ate meals during the daytime, while the other ate during the night. The nighttime eaters had over a six percent […]
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This year’s flu vaccine might not offer much protection against the strains of the influenza virus currently circulating, according to a new study. Each year, the flu vaccine is created to protect against what are expected to be the dominant strains of the virus. This year, the flu vaccine was designed to protect against four […]
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A large percentage of people who set New Year’s resolutions this year will try to start exercising. But it’s not just about starting a behavior. It’s about sticking with it. Here are some medical and behavioral science ideas to help you start and stick to a workout habit. First, remind yourself every day by setting […]
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A new Medifast survey reveals that less than half of Americans plan on setting a New Year’s resolution this year. Since only about 1 in 10 people stick with their resolutions, I thought I would share tips for success for those of us setting health-related resolutions. Pick one goal instead of a list of goals. […]
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As we enjoy the holidays and head into the new year, we need to take a moment each day to feel gratitude for the pleasures we have. But it’s not just for our mental health and happiness. Gratitude helps our physical health too. In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan and University […]
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Christmas is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends, but it’s not easy to stay healthy. Here are a few ways to protect yourself this holiday season. It’s ok to overindulge for your big feast. But instead of mindlessly putting whatever is in front of you in your mouth, think about whether you […]
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For decades, health experts have denounced foods high in saturated fats, like animal meats, oils, and dairy, because they supposedly increased the risk of heart disease. But a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests saturated fat doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of heart disease. Instead, it depends on the […]
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Despite the fact that our bodies make vitamin D in response to sunlight, a large percentage of the population is deficient in it. Having insufficient vitamin D levels has been linked to a number of poor health outcomes, like some cancers, weak bones, and mental health issues. Now a new study published in the European […]
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If you’re struggling to work or study, or just in a bad mood, consider doing an easy workout. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Japanese researchers used brain imaging to study adults at rest and after a short run. They found that only 10 minutes of moderate intensity running improves both […]
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Starting college is a big change for teenagers, but a new study published in the journal BMJ Open shows that many struggle with mental health once they get to school. Researchers surveyed almost 1,700 first-year undergraduates at a Canadian university. Six months after starting college, 37 percent had anxiety symptoms and 33 percent experienced depressive […]
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If you want to improve your mood – and your brain – you might consider going for a run. In a new study published in the journal Nature, researchers had 26 participants run on a treadmill for 10 minutes, completing cognitive tests before and after the run and before and after a 10-minute rest. They […]
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According to data from the University of Pittsburgh, one in three children lacks consistent health insurance in this country. In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that 34 percent of children now are underinsured, an increase of 2.4 million kids compared to just three years earlier. The researchers found that the […]
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Almost 800,000 people have a stroke in this country every year. And someone dies of a stroke every four minutes. According to a new study in the European Heart Journal, researchers analyzed data from over 13,000 stroke patients in 32 countries looking for risk factors for a stroke. In the hour leading up to the […]
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A new study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that playing certain sports can help you live longer. Researchers followed over 8,500 people for more than 25 years. They found that tennis, badminton, and soccer increased life expectancy, with tennis adding almost 10 years of life. Cycling and swimming were fourth and fifth […]
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If you plan to eat a lot over the holidays, know that your body can compensate – for a little while. In a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers analyzed eight young men to look at the effects that short-term overfeeding had on the body. The men […]
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Since about two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women, experts have speculated on why women are at higher risk. Estrogen is thought to be one factor, as levels of this hormone drop after menopause. In a new study published in the journal Neurology, researchers studied the gray matter in the brains of almost 100 […]
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While exercise is crucial to our health in so many ways, a new study suggests that standing and walking can be almost as helpful. In the study, published in the journal Diabetologia, Dutch researchers had postmenopausal women do four weeks of sitting for 14 hours a day, four weeks with one hour of vigorous exercise […]
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Intermittent fasting has become very popular as a strategy to lose weight. In a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers at Brigham Young University found that performing a vigorous workout just before starting a fast can start the fat-burning process about three and a half hours faster […]
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A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests that mothers should hold off giving their babies fruit juice. Researchers studied over 4,000 mothers and followed their children’s health for seven years. The children who had been given juice before they were a year old were 50 percent more likely to drink lots of […]
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When it comes to screen time and the affect of digital devices on the stress and attention spans of children, the total amount of time spent on digital media might not be the most important factor. It might be multitasking or using additional media while already using a primary digital device. In a new study […]
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Helping others just might help you – and your health. Researchers at Ohio State University studied over 1,000 adults to determine the role of relationships on measurements of health, including chronic inflammation, which is linked to aging and a number of medical conditions. They found that positive relationships may be associated with lower inflammation only […]
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If you’re a soon-to-be mother, here is some important news regarding your weight and your future child’s health. A new study published in the journal Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology shows that the mother’s weight before pregnancy is linked to the development of certain allergic diseases among their children. Canadian researchers analyzed the medical records of […]
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While we know that exercise has many physical and mental health benefits, a new study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships shows that exercising with a partner might better increase your happiness. Researchers studied 95 undergraduates who were in a romantic relationship and who exercised two to three times a week. They found […]
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If you feel that your mother is nicer to your kids than she is to you, there might be a biological explanation. In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers at Emory University studied 50 grandmothers who claimed to have good relationships with their grandchildren and spent a […]
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Increased exposure to media coverage of weather disasters can lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms in young children. In a new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, researchers used imaging of the brain and information about anxiety and trauma for 400 children between the ages of 9 and 11. They then collected data regarding […]
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I don’t know about you, but I expect to eat way too much during this Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some simple ways to stay healthy during this festive time. It’s ok to eat whatever foods you want but try to limit how much you eat. Eat breakfast and lunch so you aren’t as hungry heading […]
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While in the past it was thought that drinking coffee during pregnancy was harmful, a new study suggests that low-to-moderate caffeine consumption might be safe. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied over 2,500 pregnant women, asking them about the number of caffeinated beverages they drank, taking blood samples to measure caffeine, and following them […]
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Seasoning your food with herbs and spices might do more than make your food taste better. It might improve your health. In a new study from the American Society for Nutrition, researchers at Oxford and Penn State University found that adults who seasoned foods with just over one teaspoon of herbs and spices was associated […]
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If you have picky eaters in your family, you might try positive encouragement to try to improve their habits. Researchers at Duke University surveyed over 19,000 self-proclaimed picky eaters, asking them about personal experiences with food aversions and how their family members or partners handled their food pickiness. The researchers then used artificial intelligence to […]
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Going to bed between 10 and 11 PM might be best for your heart, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health. Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK followed more than 88,000 adults, tracking the times they went to bed and woke up, as well as […]
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If you want to boost your metabolism and hopefully burn more fat, add cinnamon to your coffee instead of sugar. Researchers at the University of Michigan exposed human fat cells to cinnamaldehyde, the substance that gives cinnamon its unique taste and smell. They observed the fat cells expressed more genes and enzymes that caused them […]
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The Mediterranean diet, high in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fish and fats like olive oil and nuts, has been touted as the best diet for your health. But a new study published in the American Journal of Critical Nutrition suggests this diet could harm your fertility and immune system unless you make one change. […]
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Drinking sugar-filled drinks can impact the behavior and math scores of preschool children. In a study published in the journal Health Economics, researchers studied over 450 children who consumed either sugary drinks or artificially sweetened drinks. While the behavior of young girls was not affected, consuming one sugary drink tended to induce an initial ‘relaxing’ […]
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How badly do some adults hate exercising? According to a new study by OnePoll for the fitness coaching app Freeletics, half of Americans don’t work out as much as they’d like because they just don’t enjoy it. But what’s crazy is to what lengths some say they would go to never have to exercise again. […]
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A large percentage of American workers are staying in their jobs because they are afraid of losing health coverage, according to a new survey of over 1400 adults conducted by Policygenius. The study found that one in three employees would be somewhat or very likely to quit their jobs in the near future if it […]
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Exercise reduces alcohol cravings among young adults, according to a new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Researchers studied 60 males and females between 18 and 25 years old. One group performed a five-minute exercise routine, doing squats, mountain climbers, push-ups, jumping jacks, heel kicks, and sit-ups. Another group sat silently for five minutes […]
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As we head into cold and flu season, Australian researchers have found that zinc supplements appear to shorten respiratory tract infections. In a study published last week in the journal BMJ Open, the researchers reviewed over two dozen clinical trials with more than 5,400 adults. Zinc lozenges or nasal sprays were estimated to prevent five […]
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Despite what has been suggested by doctors and surgeons for years, there appears to be no relationship between how much exercise or sports you do earlier in life and the development of knee arthritis. In a new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK analyzed […]
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New research out of the University of Michigan shows that half of new mothers are dealing with financial stress, especially from healthcare costs. The recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open shows that up to half of new or expectant moms can’t pay their bills, including healthcare bills. Three in five said healthcare […]
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According to a recent CDC report, over one-third of children between the ages of 4 months to 17 years are not getting enough sleep. The researchers found sleep issues were more common among minority children and kids from a lower social-economic background. Numerous studies have linked a lack of sleep for children with numerous health […]
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Breastfeeding might be protective to a women’s brain after she goes through menopause. In a new study published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, researchers at UCLA found that women over the age of 50 who had breastfed their babies earlier in life performed better on cognitive tests compared to women who had […]
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Great news for all you peanut butter lovers – including me. It turns out that peanuts and peanut butter might be good for your brain. In a study published in the Clinical Nutrition Journal, researchers at the University of Barcelona studied healthy adults aged 18 to 33 and tested their memory function and other aspects […]
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New research suggests that fast foods often contain harmful chemicals found in soft plastics. In a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, researchers at George Washington University tested 64 fast food items from McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Taco Bell and Chipotle. They found small amounts of industrial chemicals […]
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It might be surprising, to some, but new research shows men are just as emotional as women. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers at the University of Michigan followed groups of men and women for 75 days to learn more about daily emotions, both positive and negative. Even when factoring in women’s […]
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New research suggests that social sports might be better than exercising by yourself for living longer. In a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers collected data on physical activity habits from around 8,500 adults with no history of heart disease, stroke or cancer and then monitored them for 25 years. In that time, […]
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About half of children between 10 and 12 years old, and one-third of kids aged 7 to 9 engage with other people on social media, according to the University of Michigan Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. While the study found that two-thirds of parents are concerned about their children sharing private information through […]
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More physical activity and less screen time is linked to better mental health in our kids. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at Seattle Children’s Hospital found that less than 15 percent of teenagers are meeting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. But the more physical […]
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Do you love going to haunted houses? There might be a scientific explanation. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recruited 262 adults to attend an “extreme” haunted attraction and measured their EEG brain reactivity and surveyed the participants after the experience. They found that participants reported their mood improved, especially for those that were feeling […]
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Bags of candy, parties with lots of alcoholic beverages…How can we stick to our healthy habits this Halloween? Here are a few ideas. For kids trick-or-treating, consider using smaller containers to grab the goodies. Have them eat dinner before they go out. Maybe limit your child to a pre-set number of pieces of candy that […]
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Over 100 million people in this country have high blood pressure, which gives them a significant risk of a future heart attack or stroke. Medical experts have long believed that consuming too much sodium contributes to this risk. A new study of over 20,000 Chinese adults with high risk of stroke were instructed to substitute […]
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With more companies urging their employees to return to the office instead of working from home, a new study shows that commuting back and forth to work can be good for your health. In a study of 3,000 participants, researchers at University College London found that driving to and from work improved people’s mental health. […]
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If you struggle to sleep well or sleep enough, you might consider getting more natural sunlight during the day. In a new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers collected data from more than 400,000 adults in the U.K. They found that each hour of daytime light was associated with greater ease of […]
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A new study suggests that whole milk is no worse for kids’ health than low-fat milk. In the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers measured the obesity, body composition, blood pressure, and biomarkers of 49 children aged four to six who drank either whole milk or low-fat milk for three months. […]
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You probably see them driving through neighborhoods, but new data shows golf carts might not be as safe for kids as people might think. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that golf carts cause over 6,500 injuries to children across the country each year, a significant increase compared to a decade ago. More […]
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Getting in shape might be better for lowering your risk of death than losing weight. In a new study published in the journal iScience, researchers at Arizona State University reviewed all the research on early mortality risk associated with weight loss and physical activity over the past 10 years. They found that the cardiovascular and […]
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Young students who are more physically fit have better mental performance too. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University observed over 100 students between nine and 11 years old as they performed a series of cognitive function tasks immediately after exercise and after a 45-minute rest. In the study, published in the journal Psychology of Sport and […]
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What is the most common nightmare that people have? According to a recent survey of 2000 adults by Amerisleep, falling is the most common, with almost two-third of respondents claiming to have had it at least once in their lives. Being chased was the second most common nightmare, followed by death, feeling lost, and feeling […]
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A new survey shows that one third of people in a relationship consider their partner to be the most annoying person they know because of their bad habits. The survey, commissioned by LG Electronics, polled 2000 people in the U.K. Of those who found their partner the most annoying person in their life, they spent […]
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Good news for dog owners: A new study shows that women sleep better next to dogs than their human partners. Researchers at Canisius College surveyed almost 1000 women. Just over half shared their bed with at least one dog. Slightly more shared the bed with their human partner. They found that dogs were less likely […]
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Exercising at night can improve your sleep under the right conditions, according to a new study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. Researchers compiled data from 15 different sleep studies to see how exercise before bedtime affected healthy adults. They found that when exercise ended two hours before bedtime, people were able to fall […]
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Overweight and obese people can lower their risk of cardiovascular disease by increasing their fat intake and lowering the amount of refined carbohydrates in their diet. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers followed 164 overweight and obese adults who cut their processed carbs, like bread, pastries and other […]
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If you want your children to have the highest levels of mental well-being, encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables. In a new study published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health, researchers reviewed data from more than 8,500 children at 50 schools in England. Kids who consumed the recommended five or more […]
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Humans can live to age 130 and beyond, according to a new study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. Researchers analyzed people 105 years old and older from the International Database on Longevity, which covers more than 1,100 such people from 13 countries. They found that your risk of death generally increases as […]
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Married couples often have similar lifestyle habits and physical traits, making them likely to share the same medical problems. In a new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis, researchers examined over 33,000 couples in Japan and the Netherlands. They found that partners often shared lifestyle habits, like smoking and drinking, physical characteristics, like weight and […]
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We’ve known that obesity doesn’t have one cause. Instead, it’s a combination of factors over the long term, including exercise, nutrition, and genetics. People with gene combinations that put them at higher risk for obesity might be more likely to become obese by engaging in unhealthy behaviors than people without those genes. In a study […]
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A new study suggests men who drink tea might have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. In the study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers collected data from 25,000 men over 11 years. During that time, over 3,000 of the men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They found a positive association […]
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How do daily activities like vacuuming, washing dishes, doing laundry, and cooking affect your health? In a study published in the journal BMJ, researchers examined data from over 36,000 adults in the U.S. and Europe. They tracked each person’s movements with motion sensors and then followed them for six more years to track their deaths. […]
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High stress levels may hurt your physical health in the coming years, according to a new study published in the journal Circulation. Researchers studied over 400 adults with normal blood pressure, measured their levels of stress hormones and followed them for cardiovascular events, such as high blood pressure, heart pain, heart attacks and bypass surgery, […]
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Two new studies show how our kids’ health is getting worse. In a study published in the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association says that almost 60 percent of American children have poor cardiorespiratory fitness. Also known as aerobic fitness, this is the body’s ability to supply oxygen to the muscles during physical activity. It’s […]
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Maintaining a physically active lifestyle appears to reduce your risk of an anxiety disorder by over 60 percent, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults every year in the U.S. That’s roughly one in five adults […]
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Your diet appears to play a large role in your mental health, according to new research from Binghamton University. In a study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers analyzed the diets, exercise routines, and lifestyles of 2,600 participants. They found that for young women, eating breakfast daily, getting moderate exercise frequently, and keeping fast food […]
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New research shows that less than a third of mothers return to their pre-pregnancy fitness levels a year after giving birth. In a study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers at Martin Army Community Hospital in Georgia studied 460 females active in the military when they became pregnant. They found that only 30 percent […]
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A new survey of 1000 remote workers by Digital.com reveals some surprising reasons many people want to continue working from home. The survey found that three-quarters of those who owned pets want to stay home because of those pets. About the same percentage want to be able to nap or exercise, or watch TV or […]
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According to a new survey, over half of American adults say they can’t do 10 pushups in a row, and over one-third can’t do five. Gymless.org surveyed over 1400 adults and found that the percentages of adults who couldn’t do 10, or even five, straight pushups was fairly similar across age groups. And while you […]
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Chronic inflammation has received a lot of attention recently as an underlying factor in a number of medical conditions, like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and dementia, as well as the aging process. Fortunately, a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, […]
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Can taking a vacation lower your risk of heart disease? In a study published in the journal Psychology & Health, researchers at Syracuse’s Falk College Department of Public Health analyzed 60 working adults who all had a vacation planned in the upcoming months. They did bloodwork and looked at other indicators of cardiovascular health. The […]
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You’ve probably seen people in the gym staring at their phones. Maybe you do it too. But being on your phone can decrease the quality of your workout and increase your risk of injury. In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers found that people who ran or walked while texting or talking […]
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A new study shows that having people around you who are good listeners can build your cognitive resilience and maybe lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine analyzed data from over 2000 people in the original Framingham heart study that started in the 1940s. They looked […]
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Sleep deprivation can cause lasting effects to your mental performance up to a week later. In a study published last week in the journal PLoS One, Polish researchers examined participants between the ages of 20 and 22. Each one slept normally for four days to get a baseline amount of sleep needed each night. Then […]
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More than one billion people worldwide have obstructive sleep apnea, a reduction or complete blockage of airflow during sleep. Affected individuals can have excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, heavy snoring, and non-restful sleep. In a new study in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research, Penn State researchers collected data on over 42,000 people across the world. […]
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A new study shows kids today are eating more ultra-processed foods than ever before. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers collected data from over 33,000 responses to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey about the foods consumed by children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19. Today, two-thirds […]
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By now, we are all familiar with the plastic barriers to decrease the spread of the coronavirus in stores, schools and even nail salons. Unfortunately, it looks like those didn’t stop the spread of the virus, and it may have made the problem worse. A study published earlier this summer in Science found that desk […]
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Maybe you haven’t been infected with COVID-19 yet. Maybe you won’t get it this fall or winter. But you will be infected with the coronavirus sometime. That’s the consensus of over 100 experts surveyed by the journal Nature. Nine out of ten said that it is “likely” or “very likely” that the coronavirus will continue […]
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A new study showed children experienced accelerated weight gain during the summer months which continued into the school year as they largely stayed home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal Pediatric Obesity, found that children were less active, consumed more snacks, and engaged in more screen time compared to before the […]
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A new survey reveals about 4 in 10 parents say their children fell behind in school last year. The national survey, from the Kaiser Family Foundation, showed that kids fell behind in more ways than just academics. Roughly one-third said at least one of their children fell behind in social and emotional skills. About 30 […]
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If you’re pregnant, you need to seriously consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A new study published in the American Medical Association’s JAMA Network Open looked at almost 900,000 women who delivered babies between March 2020 and February 2021, including over 18,000 infected with COVID-19. Pregnant women with COVID-19 were 40 percent more likely to deliver […]
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Welcome to Better Than Ever Daily! My name is Dr. David Geier, double-board certified orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist and media medical expert. I help you feel and perform your best, regardless of age, injury, or medical condition. Each day, I’ll bring you the latest medical research and information you need to feel better and […]
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