Regular naps may be one of the privileges of retirement but research is pointing to napping as a contributor to the cognitive decline. Scientists are now testing the idea that older people should instead meditate or learn a language to preserve brainpower and wellbeing. Brain scans can help reveal which activities promote cognitive health in...
Life insurers reject naloxone carriers
Public health officials — including some state and local governments — want a lot of people to be carrying naloxone so that they can easily help save a life if they see someone who has overdosed on opioids. But people who carry it are now finding that they can’t get life insurance because the insurance...
Statins overprescribed for primary prevention
Even healthy people who don’t suffer from a cardiovascular disease are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, if they meet certain risk criteria. However, for years the use of statins for primary prevention has been hotly debated among experts. “Ultimately, this measure helps to prevent heart attacks or strokes in only a few cases. But...
How safe is your complementary health product?
NUS researchers have found that skin allergies are the most common adverse reaction associated with the use of complementary health products. Complementary health products are a diverse group of commercial products which are commonly consumed by the general public to enhance their health. These include Chinese proprietary medicines and health supplements, which typically contain ingredients...
ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notification available today on Apple Watch
Starting today, the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 marks the first direct-to-consumer product that enables customers to take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist, capturing heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms like a rapid or skipped heart beat and helping to provide critical data to physicians. The irregular rhythm notification...
What are the benefits of bone broth?
What are the benefits of bone broth? Bone broth is a liquid containing brewed bones and connective tissues. To make bone broth, people use cow, chicken, and even fish bones. Drinking bone broth may be beneficial for the joints and digestive system, among other things. The bones and tissues of many types of animal may...
Next-generation asthma inhalers
In Europe alone, there are almost 30 million people who suffer from asthma. The myAirCoach project provides an innovative smart inhaler device along with integrated mobile Health (mHealth) personalized asthma monitoring services for empowering and guiding patients with asthma to manage their own health on a daily basis. Credit: Konstantinos Votis Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of...
Three more blood pressure drugs recalled over cancer concern: Here’s what you need to know
A generic drug company has recalled three commonly prescribed blood pressure medications over concerns they could include small amounts of a cancer-causing impurity. The recalled drugs all include the blood-pressure medication valsartan, the subject of a series of recalls by several drug companies since July. (Photo: Story Blocks) The generic drug company Mylan Pharmaceuticals recalled 104...