Your Dog May Be Leading You to a Healthier Heart

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Your dog might be your heart's best friend, if a new study is any indication.

Researchers found that compared with people who had no pets, dog owners tended to have fewer risk factors for heart disease: They got more exercise, and had healthier diets and lower blood sugar levels.

Even...

1 in 8 Teen Girls Has Faced 'Reproductive Coercion'

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A staggering number of teen girls are experiencing an insidious form of relationship abuse: reproductive coercion.

Researchers report that it affects 1 in 8 adolescent girls who are sexually active.

Reproductive coercion is a form of abuse in which a girl or woman is pressured into pr...

A Kid-Friendly Emergency Room Saves Lives

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Critically ill kids are far more likely to survive if they're treated at hospital emergency rooms that are well-equipped to care for children, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 20,400 critically ill youngsters seen in ERs at 426 hospitals in Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts,...

Give This Recipe for Tasty, Nutritious Beets a Try

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- "Eating the rainbow" is a great way to harness the different micronutrients in fruits and vegetables.

Among the reds (and yellows), naturally sweet beets are a great source of folate, the B vitamin, fiber and potassium. If you shied away from beets as a kid, it's time to give them a try.

Just One Pill for All Your Heart Health Needs? It's On the Way

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Imagine a single pill loaded with a battery of heart medications that you take once a day to cut your chances of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

A new clinical trial has turned that idea into reality.

The "polypill" reduced the risk of life-threatening heart health problems ...

CDC Warns of Drug-Resistant Salmonella in Beef, Cheese

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- An antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella is sickening people who eat contaminated beef and unpasteurized soft Mexican cheese, U.S. health officials warned Thursday.

First seen in 2017, this bacterial strain has already caused 255 Americans in 32 states to become ill, and many more cases a...

Push Stroke Patients Harder for Better Gains in Walking: Study

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke survivors can recover their walking ability faster through high-intensity step training than with less demanding rehab, a new study suggests.

"Rehabilitation after a stroke traditionally focuses on patients practicing low-intensity walking, usually only in a forward direction, which do...

HPV Vaccination Rate in U.S. Girls Has Stalled

THURSDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- While there's been a slight uptick in the number of American boys who get the HPV vaccine to help prevent certain cancers, a new study finds there's been almost no increase for girls.

And overall, too few kids are getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil, Cervarix), which can help p...

Large Opioid Rx After Heart, Lung Surgery Often Leads to Misuse: Study

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The more opioid painkillers that heart and lung surgery patients are prescribed, the more likely they are to become dependent on them, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed insurance claims from more than 24,500 Medicare patients who had heart or lung surgery between 2009 and 2015. Those pa...

Mixing Marijuana With Opioids May Not Be Good for Mental Health

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- As America continues to struggle with an opioid epidemic, marijuana has been suggested by some as a safer alternative to opioid painkillers. But taking the two together may leave users vulnerable to mental health issues, a new study finds.

Not only that, researchers found that those who combi...

CBD Is the Rage, But More Science Needed on Safety, Effectiveness

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Everywhere you look, CBD products are for sale, and they may hold promise for treating chronic pain, opioid addiction and other conditions.

But a new review says more human clinical trials on the safety and effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) products are needed.

"There are many intr...

Cases of Lung Injury Tied to Vaping Keep Rising

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Chance Ammirata was a vaper for almost two years. But three weeks ago, the 18-year-old began to have trouble breathing.

"I would say my chest felt like it was collapsing and tightening up, and I couldn't breathe," he told CBS News. After going to the emergency room, doctors told him h...

Every Minute of Exercise Counts When It Comes to Longevity

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise, even a little of it, can lengthen your life, a new study suggests.

The Norwegian researchers also found that too much sitting was associated with a higher risk of early death.

"Developing ways to limit sedentary time and increase activity at any level could considerably im...

TB Cases Drop Among the Young, But Racial Disparities Persist

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- There's good and bad news in a new report on tuberculosis rates among American children and teens: Overall, the number of cases have fallen by nearly half, but they still remain much higher among minorities than whites.

Tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial lung disease, is potentially fatal, but it...

Why Diet Sodas Aren't the Answer for Your Sugary Drink Cravings

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The health risks of sugary drinks, from juice to soda, are well known. They can lead to overweight and diabetes, stroke and other problems in the brain, including poorer memory and smaller brain volume.

But diet sodas aren't the answer. A number of studies have found an association between ar...

How to Protect Your Baby Against Eczema

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Using a rich moisturizer, even an inexpensive one like petroleum jelly, is one part of keeping eczema under control. Now researchers have found that this skin care step can keep many newborns at risk for the condition from developing it.

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is the most common inflam...

Fish Oil Not a Magic Pill Against Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- It would be welcome news to millions if fish oil supplements were proven to help prevent diabetes. But new research delivers very disappointing data on the prospect.

Previous research has hinted that fish oil supplements -- which contain omega-3 fatty acids -- might improve blood sugar met...

Deep Brain 'Zap' Restores Vivid Memories to Alzheimer's Patients

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Could a pacemaker for the brain improve the memories of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease?

New research suggests it might be possible one day: Electrical stimulation directed at key memory regions of the brain created intense flashbacks in some Alzheimer's patients, including sensa...

Dirty Air Is Deadly, Global Study Confirms

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution -- especially the fine particles that you breathe into your lungs -- can shorten your life, a global study reports.

The new research found that short-term exposure to air pollution upped the daily risk of death from all causes. The risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and ...

Drug Offers Hope Against a Tough-to-Treat Blood Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma who haven't responded to other therapies might have a new weapon against the disease, researchers say.

A drug called selinexor appeared to help patients with the blood and bone marrow cancer, according to a clinical trial involvi...