Is Your Workplace Making You Fat?

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Candy dishes, cupcakes and cookies abound in the typical office, so if you're striving to eat healthy, the workplace can be a culinary minefield.

Researchers surveyed more than 5,000 people and found that about one in four working adults said they got food or beverages from work at least onc...

Moms, Are You Victims of 'Invisible Labor'?

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers not only take on the lion's share of physical chores, they also shoulder most of the "invisible labor" involved in making sure the household is humming along, new research suggests.

Going beyond cooking and laundry, this means the mental strain of making sure there's enough food for b...

Liver Transplants Tied to Alcohol Use Doubled Since 2002

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of U.S. liver transplant recipients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) doubled over 15 years, but significant regional variations remain, a new study finds.

ALD has replaced hepatitis C as the most common reason for U.S. liver transplants. One reason is that hepatitis...

Can Artificial Intelligence Read X-Rays?

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- An artificial intelligence (AI) system can analyze chest X-rays and spot patients who should receive immediate care, researchers report.

The system could also reduce backlogs in hospitals someday. Chest X-rays account for 40 percent of all diagnostic imaging worldwide, and there can be large...

How to Safely Use Plastic Containers in Your Microwave

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For many, a microwave is indispensable, but questions remain about the safety of containers used to cook and reheat food in it.

Most of the controversy surrounds the chemicals used to make plastic containers soft or clear, like BPA and phthalates. These chemicals are called endocrine disrup...

Soup's On: Quick, Nutritious, Figure-Friendly Recipes

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Making soup is an easy way to get your veggies while having a warming, low-calorie meal. Soups can also double as easy lunches that just need re-heating. Here are two to try:

Creamy Asparagus Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves...

As More Smoke Pot, Are Their Jobs at Risk?

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- As increasing numbers of Americans use marijuana, there is a rising risk of job loss among those who use the drug, a new study suggests.

"Job loss may be an overlooked social cost of marijuana use," said study author Cassandra Okechukwu, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and ...

IVF Won't Cause Birth Complications: Study

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- "Test tube" babies are more likely to be premature and have a low birth weight, but it's unlikely that assisted reproductive technology is the reason why, researchers say.

Their findings challenge the widely held belief that procedures such as freezing embryos, the delayed fertilization of eg...

AHA: Too Much of This in the Blood Could Predict Unhealthy Aging

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (American Heart Association) -- A hormone found in the blood that's commonly linked to heart disease also might signal when someone is more likely to grow weaker or lose their ability to balance before they're 70.

People in their early 60s with higher-than-normal levels of brain natriuretic peptide, or BNP, walk...

Many Addiction Centers Lack Anti-Opioid Meds: Study

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Although the U.S. opioid epidemic dates back more than a decade, only 6 percent of treatment centers in 2016 offered the three medications approved to treat opioid addiction, new research reveals.

And only about a third offered even one of the three recommended drugs, the study found.

Mindfulness Might Ease Menopause Symptoms

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are "mindful" in their everyday activities seem to suffer fewer menopause symptoms, new research suggests.

The study couldn't prove that it was the mindfulness that was keeping symptoms at bay, but it does add to evidence for a link, said lead researcher Dr. Richa Sood. She's a women...

Body Size May Influence Longevity in Women, But Not Men

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Here's a new study finding that's bound to make tall, thin women happy: Their body size and their gender make it more likely they will reach the milestone age of 90 than either men or shorter, heavier women.

If these women exercised an hour a day, the longevity benefits were even greater, the ...

Will Healthy Seniors Benefit From Daily Aspirin?

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Daily low-dose aspirin is recommended for heart attack survivors or people at increased risk, but up to now experts have discouraged the practice for aging individuals in good health.

Now, a new evidence review suggests that some healthy seniors and middle-aged adults might gain a bit of benef...

'Poop Transplants' May Help Ease Painful Colitis

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease triggering pain and bloody stools, and it can raise the odds for colon cancer.

But now, research suggests that fecal transplants -- basically, delivering a healthy person's stool into the colitis patient's digestive tract -- may be an ...

Eating Before Bedtime Won't Send Blood Sugar Levels Soaring

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Avoiding food before bedtime probably won't help your blood sugar levels and health, a new study suggests.

Some experts say not eating for two hours before going to bed helps prevent high blood sugar (glucose) levels and related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. But there is...

HPV Vaccine Even Helps Women Who Didn't Get It: Study

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is highly effective in young women -- and may even offer some protection to those who don't get it, a new study suggests.

Researchers said the findings add to evidence that the vaccine -- which ultimately cuts the risk of several cancers -- is a b...

Blood Test Might Yield Early Warning of Alzheimer's

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Leaky blood vessels in the brain may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, researchers say.

They followed 161 older adults for five years and found that those with the most severe memory declines had the greatest leakage in their brain's blood vessels, regardless of whether the Alzheimer's-...

How to Fight Norovirus, the 'Cruise Ship' Germ

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Whether it's infiltrating a cruise ship, a restaurant or a college dorm, the norovirus is often in the news. It's the leading cause of illness from contaminated food in the United States.

While food can be tainted at its source, food workers who acquire the infection can unintentionally cause...

4 Exercises for a Better Back

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- To strengthen your back -- the most commonly injured part of the body -- it's important to condition both the muscles in it and the ones that support it, notably the abs.

Here are four moves to boost back fitness:

For the bird dog, start on your hands and knees. Tighten your abs an...

Is Air Pollution a Downer?

MONDAY, Jan. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution may not only make it hard to breathe, but it may also make you unhappy, a new study suggests.

In China, air pollution reportedly causes an average of 1 million premature deaths each year and costs its economy $38 billion.

But it also affects people's happiness, according...