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Beware of Stressful Events in the Evening

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Stress in the evening may take more of a toll on your body than stress at other times of day, a new study suggests.

The reason? Later in the day, the human body releases lower levels of the hormone that helps ease stress, according to researchers from Japan.

"Our study suggests a pos...

A Family Tragedy Highlights Carbon Monoxide Danger

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- It was a chilly morning in Louisville, so Juvenal Garcia Mora warmed up the car inside the garage before planning to drive his two children to school.

By the next day, all three were dead -- victims of a tragedy that highlights the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Mora, 39, his 3-year-old...

U.S. Flu Activity Low Right Now, but Rising: CDC

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Flu season is getting off to a slow but steady start, a U.S. health official said Friday.

As of now, only Georgia is seeing high levels of infections, but cases are being reported throughout the nation.

"Flu activity is still fairly low, but as expected we have been seeing activity sl...

Approach That New Gene Testing Kit With Caution

MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Lots of Americans will unwrap a scarf or sweater this holiday season. But a growing number will receive a gift that's potentially life-changing: an at-home genetic testing kit.

Home DNA testing yields clues to ancestry and, potentially, genetic risk for medical conditions. But there are a numbe...

Physical Therapy Can Help You Avoid Opioids When Joint Pain Strikes

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- People who get prompt physical therapy for pain in the knee, shoulder or lower back may have less need for opioid painkillers, new research suggests.

The study, of nearly 89,000 U.S. patients, found that people given physical therapy for their pain were 7 percent to 16 percent less likely to fi...

Gene Tweaking Prevented Obesity in Mice

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A modified version of the CRISPR gene-editing technique could help fight obesity without having to alter any genes, a new study in mice suggests.

CRISPR, an acronym for a family of DNA sequences, generally involves cutting or editing DNA to correct genetic defects that cause disease.

Th...

Crohn's, Colitis May Be Tied to Prostate Cancer

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Men with inflammatory bowel disease have a significantly greater risk of prostate cancer, a new study finds.

About 1 million men in the United States have inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

"These patients may need to be screened more ca...

AHA: Thyroid Problems Linked to Worsening Heart Failure

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- The thyroid is a tiny powerhouse. The gland, which is located at the base of the neck, releases hormones that control how the entire body uses energy and affects an array of organs throughout the body – including the heart.

Now, a new study from researchers at the University of ...

Does Diabetes Damage Brain Health?

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes has been tied to a number of complications such as kidney disease, but new research has found that older people with type 2 diabetes can also have more difficulties with thinking and memory.

During a five-year study, participants with diabetes showed a decline in verbal memory and flu...

Healthy Sleep Habits for Kids Pay Off

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Good sleep routines can help children get the rest they need, researchers say.

For the new report, investigators reviewed 44 studies from 16 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. The studies included a total nearly 300,000 children, aged 4 months to 18 years....

Could You Have Silent Gallstones?

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 20 million Americans have gallstones. Most don't have any symptoms, but not all will escape a gallstone attack.

The gallbladder is a small organ in the upper right abdomen. It's a reservoir for bile, the fluid made by the liver to aid digestion. Experts aren't sure why, but gallstone...

The Lowdown on Low-Fat Milk (It's All Good)

FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Calcium is best known as a building block of strong bones, and studies show that getting it from the source -- milk -- is more effective than supplements.

Nutritionists also are learning that it has another important role that's especially beneficial for dieters. Res...

California Farm Implicated in Outbreak of E. coli Tied to Romaine Lettuce

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Federal health investigators said Thursday that they've pinpointed at least one California farm implicated in the recent outbreak of E. coli illness tied to romaine lettuce, but they added that more farms are probably connected.

So far, 59 people across 15 states have come down with the ofte...

Women Doctors Say They're Penalized for Motherhood

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Women juggling a medical career and motherhood often face significant workplace discrimination, a new study finds.

Researchers conducted an online survey of U.S. doctors who were mothers. The age range was 24 to 62, and most worked more than 40 hours a week.

Common complaints includ...

Can Alzheimer's Be Spread? Mouse Study Hints It's Possible

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A brain protein linked to Alzheimer's disease might potentially be transmitted to people during neurological procedures, a new preliminary study suggests.

Genetically engineered lab mice developed amyloid-beta deposits in their brains after they were injected with amyloid-laced samples of hum...

Research on Almost 2,000 Brains Brings Insight Into Mental Illness

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say a massive genetic analysis of the human brain has yielded new insights into the underpinnings of psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism.

Scientists at 15 institutions analyzed nearly 2,000 brains, and their findings are detailed in 11 studies p...

New Disease-Bearing Tick Set to Spread Throughout United States

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- An Asian tick newly introduced into the United States has the potential to infest a wide swath of the country, researchers say.

It could carry numerous diseases that threaten humans with it.

The Asian longhorned tick "could spread all the way from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada,"...

Coming Soon: A Tiny Robot You Swallow to Help You Stay Healthy

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The future of medicine may be here: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they've developed an ingestible capsule that can be monitored outside the body for health data, using Bluetooth wireless technology.

The capsule could deliver drugs as well as sense the condition...

Chain Restaurants Serve Up More Calories Than Fast Food Spots Worldwide

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Fast food gets a lot of blame for rising obesity rates, but meals at chain restaurants contain even more calories, two new international studies show.

The first study assessed the calories in 13,500 meals from six fast-food and 21 full-service restaurant chains in the United Kingdom. The res...

AHA: The Eyes Have It for High Blood Pressure Clues

THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- When Dr. William White shines a bright light in his patient's eye, he's looking for more than just vision problems.

He's searching for clues indicating the effects of high blood pressure, or hypertension, and what he finds could help prevent heart attacks, strokes and other seriou...