Most of us grew up hearing that we should warm up with a stretch. Strike and hold a pose, such as touching your toes, for 30 seconds or more, we were told, and you’ll be looser, stronger and injury-proof. But anyone who follows fitness science — or this column — knows that in recent years [...]
Scientists have turned up ample evidence that consumption of seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids may help protect against cardiovascular disease. But the data have usually been indirect, gleaned from food questionnaires used to estimate consumption. But now a new analysis relying on blood tests and years of clinical exams confirms that higher blood levels [...]
Mindfulness meditation, the ancient and flourishing practice that increases awareness of random thoughts and redirects attention to the present moment, has been used to manage stress, depression and even chronic pain. But can it improve test scores? Researchers in the department of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who have [...]
Like operations, medications and fad diets, health care policy is usually appraised with a simple question: Does it work, or doesn’t it? The assumption is that new regulations and practices either cut costs and improve care, or they don’t; and so, by simple extension, should be either supported or struck down. Last month, for example, [...]
Some cancer patients adopt a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with their doctors. Either they are more afraid or more brave than I am. I keep on asking, though the telling sometimes jolts me. “How long do you think these pills will work?” I ask about the experimental drug trial in which I participate. “About [...]
The Challenge: Can you solve the mystery of a baby who refuses to eat? Every month, the Diagnosis column of The New York Times Magazine asks Well readers to take on a difficult case and offer their own solution to a diagnostic riddle. This week, you’ll find a summary of a 3-month-old baby who suddenly [...]
Baldness may indicate an increased risk for coronary heart disease. The risk is associated only with male pattern baldness, the kind that starts at the top or back of the head, and not with a receding hairline, according to researchers who reviewed six studies that included 37,000 participants. The analysis, published online in BMJ Open, [...]
A new study adds to the evidence that chronic infection, known to be associated with vascular disease, is also associated with poorer performance on tests of mental ability. Researchers studied 1,625 people in northern Manhattan with an average age of 69, testing them with two well-validated tests of mental acuity. They also tested their blood [...]
Why is olive oil, the crown jewel of the Mediterranean diet, so good for your health? Nutritionists point to its abundance of antioxidants and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that protects the heart. But new research suggests that some of the benefits of olive oil might be contained in its aroma. The research found that [...]
Sandwiches are often about the meat or the cheese between two slices of bread, but with a simple shift of focus, a sandwich can be a healthful showcase for vegetables, as Martha Rose Shulman writes in this week’s Recipes for Health: Sandwiches of all kinds are perfect vehicles for vegetables, and I am always perplexed [...]
Older paternal age has been linked to autism in a man’s offspring, but now researchers have found that the older a man is when his child is born, the greater the risk for autism in his grandchild. Writing online in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers used Swedish government data on parental and grandparental ages of 5,936 children [...]
THE FACTS Doctors have plenty of good reasons to persuade people with sleep apnea to get it treated. The widespread disorder causes disruptions in breathing at night, which can ruin sleep and raise the likelihood of problems like obesity and fatigue. The standard treatment for the condition, a mask worn at night that delivers continuous [...]
Centuries ago, salt was more valuable than gold, but today the condiment has fallen out of favor. Now we know that its main component, sodium, can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. A new report, prepared by experts from three leading universities, projects that a small, steady reduction of sodium [...]
A long-term study of the chickenpox vaccine has found it highly effective after one dose and even more effective after two. Before 1995, when the varicella vaccine came into widespread use, chickenpox affected about 90 percent of the population, leading to thousands of hospitalizations and about 100 deaths a year. “Now a very safe vaccine [...]
Eating out is always tricky when you’re on a diet, but there is no need to avoid going out altogether. Try to limit your meals out to once a week during the weight-loss phase of your diet. Once you have moved onto the maintenance plan, you can eat out more often. Here are some simple [...]
Most women are anxious about their babys growth and development during pregnancy. A pregnancy calendar can inform you about the changes in your baby each week, and the important milestones of gestation. First Month. Your pregnancy begins when your partners sperm fuses with fertile egg in your ovary. The fertilized egg gets implanted in your uterus. [...]
Pink eye, or viral conjunctivitis, is the inflammation of the membranes lining the eye. The condition is commonly caused by viruses, and is contagious especially among children. Inflammation of the eye membranes may also be caused by other microbes and allergens. Considerations Pink eye may affect people of all ages. The condition, however, is more [...]
The pressure exerted by flowing blood on the walls of the arteries is known as blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is essential for the proper flow of blood in your body. An increase or decrease in the pressure may, however, lead to serious complications. Blood Pressure Chart Many people monitor their blood pressure regularly. A [...]
Lymphoma is the umbrella term for cancers of the lymphatic system – this system is part of the immune system in the body. There are a number of different types of lymphoma generally falling into one of two categories – Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin. The cause of lymphoma, at present, is unknown, despite that fact that [...]
Evening primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the primrose plant, native to the United States. It has been used traditionally by the Native Americans to treat a variety of conditions. The European settlers also added the seeds to their foods. Components Essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid make [...]