Health Tips

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- At just a couple of calories a cup, good old black coffee packs quite a punch. It wakes you up, boosts your metabolic rate and decreases the risk of some diseases. Not that habitual coffee drinkers need convincing, but evidence of its health benefits stacks up quickly: It gives you energy and may help you lose weight and sharpen your mental focus, thanks to the magic of caffeine. Studies have shown that caffeine may improve your mood, help your brain work better and improve performance during exercise. A regular java habit is associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Additionally, in one study, caffeine was linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants, which may help protect cells from damage. Higher consumption of coffee -- caffeinated and decaf alike -- was associated with a lower risk of total mortality, including deaths attributed to he...

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Living with a potentially disabling condition like multiple sclerosis (MS) can be difficult, but new research suggests patients get better at dealing with it over time. "There's an aging paradox in healthy adults. We expect people who are older to be more depressed and anxious because of aging processes [such as physical aches and pain and losing friends and family], but instead, people who are older tend to be less depressed and have better well-being in comparison to younger adults," said study author Yael Goverover. "We saw this same pattern in people with MS. Older patients with MS reported less depression and better quality of life compared to younger people," Goverover explained. She's an associate professor of occupational therapy at New York University, and a visiting scientist at the Kessler Foundation in East Hanover, N.J. Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. It ...

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- When you're hungry, everything's annoying and tempers can get short. Now, animal research might help explain why. Researchers working with rats found that the sudden drops in blood sugar that occur with hunger make people "hangry." That drop in blood sugar -- and the ensuing mood changes -- may also be a key to depression and anxiety, the study authors said. "We found evidence that a change in glucose level can have a lasting effect on mood," said study author Francesco Leri, from the psychology department at the University of Guelph in Canada. "I was skeptical when people would tell me that they get grouchy if they don't eat, but now I believe it," Leri added. Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, "is a strong physiological and psychological stressor," he said in a university news release. For the study, the researchers injected rats with a glucose blocker that caused low blood sugar....

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Calories in must be less than calories out -- that's the basic rule of dieting. But there's more to losing weight because more than hunger often motivates people to eat. So how can you find effective motivation to change your eating habits and lose weight? Try these five keys to weight-loss success. Monitoring your diet and exercise efforts is job number one to stay the course. Choose the method you're most comfortable with, from pen and paper to an online journal or app. Be sure to include daily food intake, exercise output and your weight changes. Accountability is crucial. That's why regularly checking in with a weight-loss coach can keep you on track, especially if he or she provides personalized feedback. Yes, this is an expense, but one that could be offset by smaller grocery bills. Be part of an in-person or even an online weight-loss group for the social benefits along with the opportunity to share tips. A weigh...

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may raise the risk for hip fractures among dialysis patients by nearly 20 percent, a new study suggests. Many people with kidney failure take medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which curb production of stomach acid. "Proton pump inhibitors are the sixth most common type of medication prescribed among patients who are dependent on dialysis; however, their use is associated with increased hip fracture risk," said the study's leader, Dr. Chandan Vangala. Vangala's team advised that dialysis patients on a proton pump inhibitor should be routinely assessed to determine if they still need the medication. The drugs in question include PPIs such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and pantoprazole (Protonix). For the study, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston examined data from the U.S. Renal Data System. They identified all ...

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza killed an estimated 80,000 Americans during last winter's flu season, making it the deadliest season in more than four decades, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. A particularly virulent flu strain, H3N2, rampaged across the United States during the 2017-2018 season, causing a record number of deaths and hospitalizations, the data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Compounding the problem, flu vaccination rates also dipped last year, leaving more people vulnerable to the virus, added U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. "Those two things combined to make it a particularly bad flu season," Adams explained. At a news briefing Thursday, Adams and other public health officials urged Americans to get their annual flu shot, to protect both themselves and those around them. Dr. William Schaffner, director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said, "Getting vaccina...

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Viruses and blood flow issues can, in rare cases, trigger sudden and profound hearing loss. Now, South Korean research supports the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatments to restore hearing in these patients. A review of the collected evidence suggests that -- added to standard drug therapy -- hyperbaric oxygen treatment "is the most beneficial treatment option" for what doctors call "sudden sensorineural hearing loss," according to a team led by Dr. Tae-Min Rhee. He's a specialist in hyperbaric medicine at the National Maritime Medical Center in Seoul. One expert in the United States explained that this type of sudden hearing loss is rare but very troubling to patients. "Sensorineural hearing loss occurs in about 1 out of 10,000 people," said Dr. Darius Kohan, and is thought to be triggered by a viral infection or circulatory problems within the ear. Kohan directs otology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York ...