The benefits of spending time outdoors are numerous –- fresh air, sunshine, relaxation. Who wouldn’t want that? Apparently, many Americans don’t. Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago tracked outdoor activities over several decades, and found a sharp decline among US... Read more →

Mammograms are recommended for all women over the age of 45 as a breast cancer screening tool. Some insurance and Medicare plans provide full coverage for these tests because they are deemed necessary and beneficial. Other plans apply co-pays to mammograms, and other similar medical interventions, despite... Read more →

In this election year, it is important to recognize the barriers faced by some Americans in exercising their right to vote. Recent testimony before the US Senate Special Committee on Aging highlighted the impairments many senior citizens face in making it to the polls. Many older adults live in long-term... Read more →

We all know stress can affect our health on a variety of different levels. Poor immune function is one result of chronic stress, most commonly leading to increased susceptibility or longer duration of the cold or other common, mild infections. Researchers have now shown that higher levels of chronic... Read more →

Biopsies are important in the detection of cancerous and precancerous lesions, but they are painful, require anesthesia, and can leave scars. A new tool may remove the needles and blades involved, replacing them with a noninvasive, handheld scanner. A researcher at Queensland University of Technology... Read more →

We all know the benefits of getting adequate sleep. Two recent studies points out the effects of sleep patterns on body weight. In one trial, children who slept less than 9 hours per night were three times as likely to be overweight, independent of their level of physical activity. Children with shorter... Read more →

In an attempt to localize the part of the brain responsible for hunger, surgeons in Toronto inadvertently identified and stimulated a portion of the brain involving in memory and learning. This finding may lead researchers to develop new techniques for improving brain function in dementia. The surgeon... Read more →

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has a bad reputation, due in part to the graphic media portrayals we see in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and A Beautiful Mind, and probably also in part to an innate distaste for the idea of receiving electrical shocks to the brain. Despite the popular... Read more →

While the treatment options available for fatal diseases have expanded greatly in recent years, many patients do not respond to conventional therapy and are left with no therapeutic options. As an example, despite the millions of dollars that are poured into investigational research each year, cancer... Read more →

Research in the field of dementia prevention and treatment is widespread, as people are living longer and thus developing dementia at a higher rate. Three recently published studies point to the importance of diet and exercise in the development of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, the two most... Read more →

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, predominately women, and can produce severe abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits. No physical abnormalities can be identified on examination, and patients are often left with suboptimal symptomatic treatments... Read more →