Too Much Fried Food May Shorten Your Life

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Fried chicken, french fries and chicken-fried steak might be delicious, but treating yourself to such fare regularly could be deadly, a new study warns.

Women who eat more than one serving a week of fried chicken or fried fish have an increased risk of heart disease and death, researchers re...

Uterus 'Scratching' Technique Won't Boost Fertility Treatment Success

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- An add-on procedure sometimes used before in-vitro fertilization won't increase a couple's chances of having a baby, according to a new study.

The technique is called endometrial scratching. A thin plastic tube is inserted into the uterus through the cervix and a small sample of tissue is t...

'Exceeding Expectations': Conjoined Twins Happy, Healthy After Separation Surgery

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of twin toddlers who were once joined at the head are "thriving" more than a year after surgeons used new techniques to separate them.

"We are so grateful and feel so blessed that we get to be their parents and watch them grow and thrive," said the twins' father, Riley Delaney.

Good News, Bad News on Levodopa for Parkinson's Disease

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The most potent drug available for Parkinson's disease, levodopa, treats symptoms of the disease but does nothing to either ease or increase its still-mysterious underlying causes, a new clinical trial has concluded.

Doctors often delay prescribing levodopa, or L-dopa, to Parkinson's patients ...

As Air Pollution Increases, so Do ER Visits

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Rising ozone levels and air pollution may be sending more people to U.S. emergency rooms with breathing problems, a new study finds.

In fact, increased ozone levels, a main component of smog, sent people of all ages to emergency rooms, the researchers found.

For each increase in oz...

Even Slight Rise in Blood Pressure Might Shrink Young Brains

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Young adults with blood pressure that's higher than normal, but not yet high blood pressure, are still more likely to have brain shrinkage than those with normal blood pressure, a new German study finds.

It's long been thought that high blood pressure takes decades to affect the brain.

Kids Exposed to Lead at Higher Odds for Mental Health Issues Later

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood lead exposure may trigger the development of long-term mental health problems, new research suggests.

The finding stems from a decades-long tracking of nearly 600 New Zealanders. All were born between 1972 and 1973. At that time, most gas products still contained high levels of lea...

Take the Stairs: An 'Exercise Snack' Can Do Wonders for Your Heart and Lungs

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Just a few exercise breaks -- or "snacks" -- a day can provide significant benefits, a new study says.

Specifically, it found that short sessions of intense stair climbing spaced throughout the day can improve heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness.

"The findings make it even ...

Gunshot Survival Carries a High Price Tag

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital readmissions of patients with gunshot wounds cost at least $86 million a year in the United States, a new study finds.

"So often, gun injuries are talked about in terms of mortality, as one-time events for medical care," said study author Sarabeth Spitzer, a fourth-year student at S...

AHA: Another Day at the Office -- Thanks to a Defibrillator Close at Hand

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (American Heart Association) -- On National Wear Red Day in 2018, few people at the Nashville law firm Lewis, Thomason, King, Krieg & Waldrop took notice of the occasion, which calls attention to heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

"I think we had forgotten about it being that day," said Tania F...

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.