Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Neck inflammation: an undeniable link to headache pain

I have a special insight when it comes to headaches. Not only have I suffered them all my life, I’m also a chiropractor. And there’s one thing I can tell you without a doubt… if you want to defeat them, you’ve got to address the inflammation in your neck.

Carolyn Gretton

OTC supplement improves walking for people with PAD

Peripheral artery disease is painful and can restrict the ability to walk, due to fatigue and poor blood flow in the legs. But researchers uncovered a vitamin that could counter these symptoms and get people with PAD on the move again…

Carolyn Gretton

The alarming truth about ‘forever chemicals’ and your skin

Our skin protects us from the outside world. But there are some things it can’t defend against. Known to enter the body through air, food or water, sneaky “forever chemicals” lurking in personal care products, furniture and more also have an open door through your skin.

Joyce Hollman

A complex relationship: women, weight and high stroke risk

There’s been a lot of conflicting information on weight and health status. But most experts agree: maintaining a healthy weight improves many areas of health. For women though, depending on when weight struggles started, the risk of stroke is much greater.…

Carolyn Gretton

This ancient Chinese herb could be the next big thing in cancer treatment

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has millennia of evidence backing up its remedies. Which is why when searching for the next cancer breakthrough, researchers have turned to an unusual medicinal herb with a solid reputation for acting against cancer cells…

Joyce Hollman

Eczema flare-up? Cut back on the salt

Salt. It’s tied to hypertension and heart health, and now, would you believe skin? It makes sense how it gets in your bloodstream to impact arteries, but how it affects your skin will leave you scratching your head, and maybe your eczema flare-up…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

7 sneaky medications that cause constipation

Constipation can be caused by many things, though most people never suspect their medications. But, it turns out at least 7 sneaky medications you could be taking right now that may be making your restroom trips more troublesome than they should be.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The at-home test that determines heart attack risk in minutes

Someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the U.S. We know what the risks are. But how do your personal risks add up? You see your doctor once a year, but is that enough to avoid the number one killer of men and women in this country?

Carolyn Gretton

The one time the benefits of exercise don’t hold up

If exercising to be healthy, how much exercise should you get and how hard should you workout? For supercharged benefits, vigorous exercise appears to have a greater impact than moderate exercise. But for immune health, the opposite may be true….

Joyce Hollman

The link between diabetes and silent heart attacks

The human body is complex. Conditions that may seem unrelated can have connections below the surface, like diabetes and the increased risk for heart problems. And as if it couldn’t get more complex, there’s the “silent heart” attack factor…

Joyce Hollman

The low-fat answer to lung cancer, even for smokers

Diet has long been proven to make a huge difference, not only in matters like weight, but in disease risk. And one component, fat, gets the most attention. No wonder. When your choice of fat can reduce lung cancer risk, even in smokers, that’s a big deal.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why night shift leads to weight gain and diabetes

Working night shift does more than mess with your sleep. Flipping your schedule on its head releases a cascade of damage that leads to chronic metabolic conditions that research shows can turn your good health bad surprisingly fast…

Carolyn Gretton

What drinking alcohol on a plane can do to your heart

Maybe you’re traveling for vacation. Maybe for business. Either way, you may not think twice about enjoying a cocktail to unwind, unless you know about the risk that drink carries for your heart that it doesn’t when you’re on the ground…

Joyce Hollman

7 amazing benefits of pterostilbene

If you try to stay on top of your heart, brain and blood sugar health, you’re aware of resveratrol, the polyphenol found in red wine and dark chocolate. But what about its powerful cousin? From blood pressure to calorie burn, you’ll want pterostilbene in your life…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Margarita burn: The risk to watch for

If you’re hitting the pool or the beach this summer, you may want to think twice before you reach for a citrusy cocktail. You could end up with an unexpected “allergy-like” reaction that could quickly end a good time…

Carolyn Gretton

Easing chronic pain the drug-free way

Doctors admit relieving chronic pain leaves them baffled. Often the pills don’t even work or their sides effects can be intolerable. If that’s where you are, a surprisingly simple answer might take a little time, but has been shown to work for thousands of people…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Food and drugs that harm your ‘memory’ transmitter

Researchers have found that in patients with Alzheimer’s, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and learning, called acetylcholine, gets depleted. If that could be avoided, could cognitive decline? Thankfully, a few simple changes could keep that from happening.

Carolyn Gretton

Unraveling the sleep connection to migraine

Migraine can accompany sleep disorders, like insomnia, trouble falling or staying asleep, poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. But is migraine what’s causing these sleep problems or vice-versa? The answer could lead to relief…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The longevity debate: To run or not to run

There have been questions about whether running long distances is good for your health or not. Some data shows it could induce a heart attack but some says it lowers risk of death in general. If you’re on the edge, the longevity debate may settle it for you…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

When alcohol sets women up for heart disease

Far too many women still believe dangerous myths when it comes to heart disease, like it being an issue that mainly impacts men. The truth is it’s the #1 killer of women in the U.S. And your personal risk can be far higher depending on your drinking habits…

Joyce Hollman

The drink that encourages bone growth and blocks bone loss

A Chinese medicinal herb has been shown to not only block bone loss, but encourage bone growth. That’s great news for anyone with osteoporosis. Even better, the active compound responsible for that phenomenal bone support is also found in coffee beans…

Carolyn Gretton

The RA patients with the highest risk of heart trouble

It’s known that rheumatoid arthritis carries a higher risk for heart trouble. But researchers are finding it can vary, and hope personalized treatments that tackle the effects of oxidative stress, sky-high inflammation and out-of-control immune cells can take that threat down…

Joyce Hollman

How to stack the odds against bad genes by 62%

If you’ve inherited a genetic predisposition that could shorten your lifespan, it may feel like the cards are just not in your favor. You might think “game over.” But is it really? A first ever study compared genetics to lifestyle and the findings might blow you away…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How car seats increase your exposure to carcinogens

A car wreck is the worst we might expect when climbing into a car. But safety features have been designed that could limit injury. However, thanks to outdated federal standards, every single moment we spend in our vehicle means breathing in known carcinogens…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Prostate problems: Too common to ignore

There isn’t enough confirmed evidence about the precise blend of influences, including genetic, environmental and dietary, that lead to prostate issues. This uncertainty means there’s no simple way to avoid these problems. But the connection between prostate and heart health is a place to start…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

3 amazing benefits of summer’s best heart-healthy vegetable

If you didn’t know, there’s a vegetable you need to take advantage of right now on your next visit to the farmer’s market. It’s the one that provides huge amounts of 8 important nutrients, a compound that lowers blood pressure and one that fights disease-causing inflammation…

Joyce Hollman

The fast health benefits of taking the stairs

Not everyone has the knees to take the stairs. But if you’re able to, you should know it’s the answer to two types of exercise in one and can turn back several factors that add up to metabolic syndrome, heart attack and stroke in just a matter of weeks…

Carolyn Gretton

The 2 worst ultraprocessed foods you should ditch now

Ultraprocessed foods have been associated with bad health and early death. But avoiding them has seemed an impossible task, til now. A 30-year study reveals a starting point: Remove the two worst offenders shown to have the strongest impact on your health…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The new stroke risk? Being 65 or younger

Most of us think stroke is something that happens when you’re old. Not anymore. Not only can a stroke occur at any age, the numbers game shows more people under 65 are having strokes than ever before. Here’s why stroke rates are rising so dramatically in younger people…

Joyce Hollman

Kombucha: The bacterial boost your metabolism needs

You may have heard of kombucha, but not jumped on board the hype. Well, if you’re looking to reduce fat, lower triglycerides and lose weight, kombucha can get you there by boosting the bacteria your body needs to ramp up your metabolism.

Carolyn Gretton

Mediterranean diet improves cancer treatment for melanoma

Polyphenols are a subset of phytonutrients that are especially “bioactive.” They’re known for drug-like effects in human health. Considering the plethora of nutrition in the Mediterranean diet, finding it’s helpful in cancer treatment is no surprise…

Joyce Hollman

12 conditions that throw you off balance

As we get older, our sense of balance can weaken somewhat. But if you’ve seen your balance worsen in a way that’s not gradual, something else could be going on. Here are twelve health issues that can make you less steady on your feet…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Breaking the link between air pollution and osteoporosis

Is it any wonder that 80 percent of Americans living with osteoporosis are women? By nature, the odds are against us. And now we’re learning with every breath, it gets worse. Air pollution is eating away at our bones, but we’re not as helpless about it as it might seem…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The green fruit that keeps deep belly fat away

When we think about weight loss, we think about dropping body fat. But when you lose “deep” fat, you drop risks for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Problem is, it’s a lot harder to get rid of than regular fat, unless you eat this green fruit daily…

Carolyn Gretton

Is 11 minutes a day enough to keep early death at bay?

If you think you don’t have time to exercise, you’re far from alone. The recommended amount of 150 minutes a week often stops people cold. What if, in the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, you could reduce several risks that often lead to an early grave?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What any man can do to ‘last longer’

It’s no secret that having a good sex life can make your whole life feel better, your relationships run more smoothly and boost your confidence. But problems can sneak into the bedroom that create more frustration than joy. Here’s a secret every man should know…

Carolyn Gretton

Why skipping breakfast means getting sick more often

There are many proven reasons breakfast has earned the title of “most important meal of the day.” And the popular practice of fasting is proving yet another reason why: a chain reaction set off by inflammation that can make you sick easily and more often and set you up for heart problems…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Is revitalizing old blood the secret to slowing aging?

Research has demonstrated the power of young blood to rejuvenate older bodies, making hearts and muscles stronger and minds sharper. But you can’t walk into your doctor’s office and ask to be hooked up to an IV of blood from a 20-year-old. Here’s what you can do…

Joyce Hollman

How ultra-processed foods destroy your hunger hormones

Astrocytes are star-shaped cells in the brain that express receptors for hormones, including ghrelin, which signals hunger, and its counterpart, leptin, which signals fullness. But just 10 days of the wrong foods dismantles that whole system…

Carolyn Gretton

This early warning could save your heart years before signs of trouble

Given how deadly a heart attack or stroke can be, it helps to get as much advance warning as possible. But too often that’s not the case by the time the heart signals a problem. But there’s another part of the body where researchers have discovered a tell-tale sign that may save lives years in advance.

Carolyn Gretton

Conclusive: Vitamin D’s viral ‘protective effect’

During the pandemic, there was a lot of research into how nutrition might give us an edge, and one vitamin stood out. Now that the worst appears to be behind us, you may be wondering what was ultimately decided. Does vitamin D have exceptional clout or not?

Jenny Smiechowski

Drink away high blood pressure and bad cholesterol

If you follow a few simple rules, you can drink tomato juice until your heart’s content (and your heart will be very content — and healthy — with lower BP and cholesterol!). That’s what people in this study did, and look how it worked out for them? Ready to give it a go?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to lower sleep apnea risk in 20 minutes

Snoring, waking up gasping for air or with a headache in the morning and feeling tired and irritable are all signs of sleep apnea, a condition that affects more than 29 million Americans. A new study has found an easy way to reduce your risk of sleep apnea in under 20 minutes per day…

Joyce Hollman

5 ways eating a banana could save your life

Will a banana a day keep heart disease away? Let me count the ways… bananas are high in potassium, a mineral that plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy heart. Without enough of this mineral, your heart and arteries simply cannot function the way they’re supposed to.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How forever chemicals set you up for disease later in life

If you think forever chemicals are new, you’d be wrong. PFAS have been around since the 1940s. That means most of us have been around long enough for PFAS to have taken advantage of a vulnerable window of time when they set us up for disease later in life…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why omega-3s came out on top of COVID-19

The health and longevity of people in blue zones is just one reasons for tons of research on omega-3 essential fatty acids. They’ve held an ancient secret that in today’s world is still proving they’re not only essential because we can’t produce them on our own, but good health depends on them.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Erythritol: The sugar substitute linked to sticky blood and stroke

Blood clots in response to an injured blood vessel. It’s a normal response even to a paper cut. As the bleeding stops, the clot is no longer needed and dissolves. Things don’t always go as planned, but who would have thought an artificial sweetener could make things worse…

Jenny Smiechowski

Golf lovers do this better

You wouldn’t think being a spectator at a sporting event would have a positive impact on your health. But it does — at least when it comes to one sport in particular, whose fans could put just about anyone’s Fitbit score to shame…

Joyce Hollman

How irregular sleep hardens arteries

Studies have shown that not sleeping enough and having irregular bedtimes and wake-up times can put your heart at risk. Now, researchers have connected the dots between poor sleep and a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke…

Joyce Hollman

Laxatives linked to high dementia risk

Chronic constipations affects more Americans than care to admit. If you’re one of them and reach for laxatives for relief, take a close look at the type and how many you use. Your future brain health may depend on it…

Carolyn Gretton

The link between your toothbrush and silent brain damage

Over the years, we’ve learned more about how the health of your mouth can affect your entire body. But oral health risk factors that contribute to stroke prompted research into how caring for your mouth could save your brain from silent damage…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising truth about olive oil’s benefits

A daily spoonful of olive oil could tame a lot of health ills. But what makes it so healthy? For years polyphenols, phenomenal plant compounds, got all the glory. But a component that makes up almost 80 percent of olive oil’s composition is stepping forward…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The silent surgery risk your doctor may not know about

If you’re age 65 or older and considering surgery, know your risks. Especially if the surgery is elective. You’ll need to weigh the chances of a newly recognized risk and what it could do to your life… against the potential benefits you’ll get from having the surgery. And it’s a threat your doctor may not be aware of yet…

Joyce Hollman

Forget dieting: Adopt an ‘eat more-live better’ food style

The word “diet” conjures up images of deprivation, tasteless foods, and constant cravings for what we can’t have. But deprivation diets set you up to fail… unless you have willpower like Superman. Instead of starting a new “diet,” pledge to gradually change your “eating style,” and you’ll have greater success.

Joyce Hollman

Obesity causes brain changes that mimic Alzheimer’s

Strange as it sounds, obesity is a form of premature aging. But though that’s been well established, experts were still shocked to see how similar obesity-related neurodegeneration is to changes in an Alzheimer’s brain…

Joyce Hollman

Old diabetes drug with a dangerous past may treat Alzheimer’s

Ever hear the expression, “out of the frying pan, into the fire”? It means going from a bad situation to one that may be even worse. Like taking a drug linked to heart issues, bladder cancer and liver toxicity and giving it new life as an Alzheimer’s treatment.

Joyce Hollman

One a day with a friend rids loneliness and stress

Within each of us is a unique ecosystem of bacteria known as the gut microbiome. When it’s well-balanced, well-being flourishes. The same can be said for your social biome. And whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, helping yours thrive entails more than quality or quantity…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Research links common medications to tinnitus

The ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing and clicking of tinnitus can drive anyone crazy. And though doctors have tried for years to help, there’s been little known about the causes of the condition — until now. It turns out it could be sitting in your medicine cabinet at this very moment…

Carolyn Gretton

Common medications increase bowel disease after 40

Inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, can be painful and debilitating, causing chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, bloody stools, weight loss and fatigue. If you’re in your 40s, certain medications can increase your risk of developing one…

Carolyn Gretton

The road that leads to tinnitus noise triggers

Tinnitus can be caused by hundreds of health issues and external stimuli. But one recently identified source is something we’re all exposed to at one time or another — and it’s not-so-great news for people living in urban areas…

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