(CNN)A new report from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, confirms a deep-seated fear for many seniors: the prices of the 20 brand-name drugs that are most prescribed to them have skyrocketed. Over the past five years, the cost of these medications has risen an average of 12% per year, with some doubling in price. Earlier this month,...
Category: <span>Patient Education</span>
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New research sheds light on weight gain, stress and our circadian rhythms
A recent study sheds new light on why people gain weight from long-term stress and disruption to their circadian rhythms. It also helps to explain weight gain from the use of glucocorticoid drugs, which are often used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. For the first time scientists think they have a molecular...
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Exercise could outsmart genetics when it comes to heart disease
Exercise, especially cardio fitness, could outweigh genetics when it comes to heart disease, according to new research. The study, published Monday in the journal Circulation, showed strength and cardiorespiratory fitness lowered the risk for heart disease across the board – whether people were categorized with low, intermediate or high genetic risk. “Genes don’t have to determine destiny,” said Dr. Erik Ingelsson,...
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Personalised prescriptions according to your genetics
Angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors are commonly prescribed to patients with high blood pressure. In rare cases, this type of medication can cause severe, even life threatening, swelling to the head and neck area. Approximately half a million Danes are currently prescribed some type of ACE inhibitor to reduce their blood pressure. Worldwide, that number is around 40...
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How to use a baking soda bath
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a household staple with many different uses, including baking. Adding baking soda to a bath may help detox the body or relieve itching, irritation, or infections. In this article, we look at the benefits of a baking soda bath and how taking one may help. We also examine some...
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Older adults grow just as many new brain cells as young people
Researchers show for the first time that healthy older men and women can generate just as many new brain cells as younger people. There has been controversy over whether adult humans grow new neurons, and some research has previously suggested that the adult brain was hard-wired and that adults did not grow new neurons. This...
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Best way to avoid back pain? Lift heavy things
Most people think that the human spine is one of evolution’s great flaws. After all, around 80% of adults suffer from lower-back pain. What more evidence do you need? The truth is, the spine is a robust structure. We’re just using it incorrectly. Everybody “knows” that you put your back out if you lift objects...
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Five things to consider before ordering an online DNA test
You might be intrigued by what your genes could tell you about your ancestry or the health risks hidden in your DNA. If so, you’re not alone. IMAGE: DNA testing has its risks, including that you don’t know who will own your genetic data. Credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash You might be intrigued by what your genes could tell...
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New research finds thirst is not the best indicator of hydration level
When it comes to staying hydrated, “just drink when you’re thirsty” has been a rule of thumb for years. Yet a recent study by University of Arkansas researchers may prove that thirst alone is not a reliable indicator of proper hydration levels. Stavros Kavouras, director of the Hydration Science Lab, says, “We believe that drinking...
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Study suggests pasta can be part of a healthy diet without packing on the pounds
Carbohydrates get a lot of bad press and blame for the obesity epidemic, but a new study suggests that this negative attention may not be deserved for pasta. Unlike most ‘refined’ carbohydrates, which are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, pasta has a low glycemic index, meaning it causes smaller increases in blood sugar levels than those caused by eating foods...