Latest Stories

The pain of knee osteoarthritis affects more than 14 million Americans who often seek relief from their well-meaning doctors. But one remedy that’s proven quite lucrative for pharmaceuticals is proving nothing but ineffective and risky for patients…

The scariest thing about stroke is how it can strike without warning. That’s why knowing if you have any risk factors can help. But what if you’re genetically at higher risk of stroke? While it can seem you’ve been dealt a pretty poor hand, there is a trump card that helps put the odds back in your favor…

Have you ever looked at a thin person and assumed they must workout a lot? Because the secret to being thin is burning calories, right? The truth is thin people tend to be far less active than those of us with a few extra pounds. Turns out there’s something else up their sleeve…

Women tend to live longer than men, but usually spend their later years living with conditions that make life miserable. What if just two nutrients could lower those risks of age-related decline and make those golden years, well, golden?

Sedentary behavior gets a bad rap. For a few years now we’ve heard the ills of sitting too much and its dangerous effects. But it seems to always center around the TV. But what about your computer? Can it double your stroke risk, too? And if so, what can you do about it?

If you’re locked in a constant struggle with weight, you know what to eat is the daily question, and often a confusing one. There is so much diet advice out there! You’ll be happy to know that, based on research, a group of scientists is backing one particular diet as the best candidate for sustained weight loss…

Until someone finds a “fountain of youth,” aging will continue to take a toll on all of us. There are ways to slow the aging process through diet and exercise, but no way to reverse it — until now. For the first time, and in humans — not mice, researchers were able to reverse two key biological elements of aging…

With age may come wisdom, but it can also bring a number of health problems, including some that require surgery. But surgery in our senior years is especially risky, and new findings show some common medications can make it much worse. Here’s what you need to know…

Carotenoids make fruits and vegetables colorful. But more than that, carotenoids are powerful antioxidants with a serious capacity to scavenge free radicals and protect your body’s cells and tissues from oxidative damage and these three major health threats…

Thanks to the fact that the over 60s age group is growing faster than any other, research is focused on how those living longer into old age can do so without succumbing to years of frailty and disability. And they may have found at least one of the secrets to living better longer…

Americans are not fans of eye exams. The American Academy of Ophthalmologists reports most of us won’t see an eye doctor even when problems develop. That’s a mistake: an exam could find signs you’re headed for stroke or heart attack even before your doctor can…

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are both brain disorders. And while Parkinson’s symptoms are more physical, they share symptoms, including dementia and disease progression. New research shows they also may share a common enemy that worsens brain destroying proteins.

There’s no doubt avocados are high in fat and calories. But can eating them actually help you lose weight? Smaller studies have suggested that’s the case. What did the largest and longest study to date on the health impacts of avocados find?

Foot ulcers are a major complication of unmanaged blood sugar. And they should be taken seriously. Severe ulcers can lead to amputation. That’s why to avoid them, doctors recommend proper management of blood sugar and weight loss. Add an important vitamin to that list…

Certain types of cancer have been found to increase a survivor’s risk for diabetes. And survivors who develop diabetes don’t fair as well as those who don’t. Could maintaining healthy blood sugar levels be the key to better odds and longer survival after cancer?

Some of the biggest medical studies to date, responsible for medication and procedures, have been conducted without a single female subject. But is that holding the medical community back from using protocols designed for men on women? Not at all and not without consequence…

No one likes to exercise. But every day 2,200 Americans die from a heart attack. But you know what? There are about 335,000 recurrent heart attacks each year, too. That means a lot of people survive. But is exercise a good idea after the fact, can it keep you from another, and what kind’s best?

For the longest, I was stuck with an extra 10 or 15 pounds that I felt I needed to lose. I can’t count how many times I’ve wished for a magic pill that would turn me into a fat burning machine. Well, thanks to researchers in Kyoto, Japan, we may have gotten a little closer to that magic pill.

If a close family member had Alzheimer’s, you know that fear of one day developing the disease yourself. On the other hand, no family history could give you a false sense of security. That’s because a trifecta of three common health conditions has been found to carry a much higher risk than genetics…

Aging is still a difficult subject to talk about. Maybe that’s why the aging process is surrounded by myths that many people believe. Here are seven of them we’d like you to stop falling for. You’ll improve your health, live longer and enjoy life more!

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in American men, and the most heritable cancer. If your father had it, there’s a high chance you will, too. If you are at increased genetic risk, recent research spells out exactly what you can do to dramatically decrease the odds it will take your life.

There are a number of things that can cause your blood pressure to go up. But two of the most common contributors are age and weight. A new study has found a two-step system can significantly lower blood pressure even if you’re over the age of 55, overweight or obese…

Scientists discovered that loneliness can actually be ‘seen’ in our blood. While it sounds crazy, they saw that people who live with loneliness have very specific compounds in their blood, plus a nutrient deficiency that helps explains their condition and specific heart dangers…

While a higher risk of heart disease can be inherited, lifestyle can outweigh even these genetic tendencies. In a first ever study measuring specific factors that affect heart health, the news is grim for most of us, based on that simple fact, unless…

Many people don’t realize that COPD is actually an umbrella term that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema and sometimes asthma. Nor do they realize how widespread and dangerous it is — especially if you’re a woman…

Need a good reason to take extra care of your thyroid? Here’s a good one: If something goes wrong — surgery is risky. But if you absolutely must have it removed, there is one very important thing you must ask your surgeon…

Study after study has shown the health benefits of apples give credence to the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But, there are many ways to enjoy apples, and they’re not all created equal when it comes to reaping their nutritional value…

Multiple sclerosis has had doctors and scientists stumped ever since it was first identified. While they could put up theories of what might cause the crippling autoimmune disease, the proof was elusive, until a solid connection was linked to a common virus…

While stomach cancer is only the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide, it’s the third most common cause of cancer death. Because it’s so dangerous, it’s important to know the signs, risks and best prevention…

No one is sounding loud alarms about monkeypox yet, but cases have started to rise. An interesting thing is that most of them are in people under 50. Unlike the last virus that made older adults a target, if you’re 51 or over, you may have little to be concerned about…

Decades of research showed that high systolic blood pressure was more likely to cause serious cardiovascular problems. So cardiology guidelines focused way more on the upper number. There are even some experts who think diastolic blood pressure can basically be ignored. That’s advice that could kill you.

We’ve all heard the warnings… If you don’t watch your cholesterol and keep it low, you’re putting yourself at risk for heart disease and even stroke. So, we eat better, get more exercise, take the meds, and in general think that the lower our numbers are, the healthier we are. But, that may not be true…

We place a lot of emphasis on how diet affects health. Selecting whole foods over processed foods is really not optional, not if you want to increase your odds of living a long, healthy life free of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But there’s something you’d never expect sabotaging your best health efforts…

Sometimes, deciding whether someone should be on statins is very clear. In a patient with documented heart disease, diabetes, or genetically-driven very high cholesterol, meds make sense. But many people without known risks are advised to take cholesterol-lowering drugs. If that’s you, what should you do?

Nothing feels better than stepping out in a brand new outfit. But as great as it feels to rip off the tags and head out the door, there’s one question that’s always plagued me… do I need to wash new clothes before I wear them?

People with Lyme disease suffer fatigue, brain fog, aches, pain and a host of other symptoms, while millions of people (including doctors!) tell them that there’s no such thing as chronic Lyme disease. But do you know what’s crazy about all this? The Lyme disease epidemic might not be an unfortunate act of nature.

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to stress. When you sprain your ankle, it becomes inflamed in order to cushion and protect your joint from further damage. If you eat something too spicy, your intestine may become inflamed, protecting your digestive tract. But inflammation has its downsides, too…

I first read about the double cleanse in a beauty blog. It’s a system based on the Korean regimen of skincare and it promised to deliver clearer, healthier skin and smaller pores. To break it down to its simplest form, you use an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser. Here’s what it did for me…

Science has shown how “beneficial” bacteria can improve health. It’s exciting stuff! In fact, studies show that bacteria can protect you from everything from cancer to autoimmune diseases to heart disease. Need proof? The latest study found that a single strain of bacteria could curb cardiovascular disease risk.

With age comes wisdom, they say. But other things come with age, too. Like less room in your brain to hold all that wisdom. The unfortunate truth is that, the older we get, the less grey matter we have. But what if you could slow down this “brain shrink”? What if you could find a way to make your brain younger?

Diabetes can damage your blood vessels, steal your vision, and raise your risk of kidney disease, heart attack and stroke. What makes it especially scary is that it can sneak up on you. Luckily, there is something you can do to prevent diabetes before it starts or to gain control over your blood sugar if you’ve already been diagnosed…

When it comes to coffee and cancer, you get a lot of mixed messages. Several studies show coffee can reduce the risk of different cancers. Yet, there was that controversy last year requiring coffee shops to post carcinogen warnings. A new study shows that you can drink your coffee without a single cancer-related thought crossing your mind.

You’ve probably never heard the term “Ambien zombie” before. So, let me explain this growing problem… When you take Ambien or other sleep aids, they do two things that can get you in trouble: They give you Teflon brain, meaning new memories won’t stick. They also release your inhibitions…

You’ve probably heard about the lawsuits over Roundup causing cancer. Its nasty reputation is finally catching up to it… Could you have been exposed? The answer is most certainly, yes. Here’s what you need to know about past exposure and protecting yourself from the newest glyphosate danger… liver disease.

Ladies, the next time you think about pampering yourself with a manicure, you may want to skip the part where they polish your nails. Three of the chemicals known to be most toxic to humans are in that cherry red polish (all of the colors, actually!), and make no mistake, they’re getting into your body.

People who drink wine moderately have lower rates of heart attacks and diabetes, live longer and have healthier brains. There are hundreds of studies that show this. However, not all wines are created equal. So, how do you go about finding a wine that offers you the best health benefits possible?

One in nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. This means many men will face a particularly difficult choice between cancer treatment and the possibility of Alzheimer’s or dementia. There are ways to reduce your risk of prostate cancer and the possibility of androgen therapy…

Researchers found the “high-risk” version of an Alzheimer’s gene actually responds more favorably to certain lifestyle changes that could lower risk. So, here’s a “plain talk” explanation of the genetic factors that can increase or decrease your risk, and how to outsmart those genes to stay clear of Alzheimer’s.

Milk’s benefits have been hotly debated over the last decade. But a review of 14 scientific papers points to solid evidence that milk and dairy in your diet provide some hefty health benefits you don’t want to go without — especially if you want to avoid some of the biggest disease risks of our time…

If there’s one thing most people have learned about visceral fat (think “beer bellies” and apple-shaped bodies), is that it’s bad. And they’re right… A new study confirms visceral belly fat is connected to heart disease, above and beyond any risk related to excess weight. So what can we do about it?

We’ve all heard that spending too much time sitting leads to obesity, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, even cancer. Are we doomed? Maybe not… A new study reveals that where you sit and what you’re doing makes a huge difference to the health risks that previous studies associated with sitting…

In 2000, about 1 in 150 children had autism. Today, it’s closer to 1 in 59 children. Whether autism rates are actually rising, or awareness is just increasing diagnoses is a question that still needs an answer. Another question that needs an answer? What causes autism in the first place. One theory? The cause is in our food.

What do urinary tract infections and brain damage have to do with each other? As bizarre and frightening as it sounds, there’s a correlation between having a UTI or other infection and having a stroke. What’s more, it seems that having an infection can heighten your chances of brain damage from a stroke.

By now we all know that sugary drinks are no friend to good health. At the same time, most of us have a guilty pleasure… Mine is Big Red. I simply love that bubbly red soda. Should I be worried? I try to limit my consumption to only once in a while, so I’m thinking “no harm, no foul” there, right? WRONG.

This month an astounding report was published claiming little if any reduction in heart disease outcomes is obtained through nutritional supplements and dietary interventions. Unfortunately for me, I know too much to let this claim stand without a rebuttal…

Is social media making us miserable? It seems like it sometimes… Suicide rates are on the rise, and studies link social media to higher rates of depression. A 2012 study, for example, found that the more time you spend on Facebook, the more likely you are to be depressed. But that doesn’t make sense, because staying social is good, right?

Melatonin is an insomniac’s dream. But there are even more great reasons to supplement with melatonin: It just may be the single most powerful anti-aging supplement you can take.

When you look at yourself in the mirror every morning to make sure your fly’s zipped, your cowlick’s tamed and your green smoothie didn’t give you a “mustache,” it’s easy to get hung up on one thing… your weight. Fuhgeddaboudit! Focus on muscle and all falls perfectly into place…

Research is pointing to mindful eating as a way to reduce the symptoms of stress-related conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease. It’s also suggesting that it’s a potentially powerful way for people with diabetes to help stabilize blood sugar. But that’s not all. Here’s how it works…

People with Alzheimer’s genes may have more of these forgetful moments than everyone else… even when they’re in their late teens and 20s. A new study published in the journal eLife found that people with a family history of Alzheimer’s performed worse on memory tests from the age of 18 on.