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Dr. Crandall: Vitamin D More Critical Than You Think
You probably need more vitamin D - even if you live in sunny Florida. Vitamin D, often called the "sunshine vitamin," is vital for bone health, immunity, heart health, and overall wellness. While we can get it from sunlight, egg yolks, and certain fortified foods, many...
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New Blood Pressure Guidelines Stress Early Treatment
Nearly half of U.S. adults should receive earlier treatment for high blood pressure, including lifestyle changes and medications, according to a set of new guidelines issued by America's top heart health groups. The guidelines call for early and more individualized treatment...
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Don't Ignore Warning Signs of a Heart Arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat - occurs when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heart's rhythm misfire. This can cause the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or erratically. Some arrhythmias are harmless; others can be...
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Blood Oxygen Feature Returns to Apple Watches
Apple will bring a blood oxygen measurement feature to some of its watch models via a software update after receiving approval from the U.S. government amid a protracted legal dispute over the technology, it said on Thursday. The move will allow users of Apple Watch Series...
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Using an Air Purifier Lowers Blood Pressure
Folks fighting high blood pressure might receive some help from a household air purifier, a new study says.Even in areas with relatively low air pollution levels, using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier at home might significantly lower a person's blood...
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Calculator Predicts Stroke Risk For A-Fib Patients
A newly refined test can help detect which people with abnormal heart rhythms need treatment for an increased risk of stroke, researchers report. Adding blood tests to an existing risk calculator can help doctors suss out which patients with atrial fibrillation would most...
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Study Refutes Blood Thinner Brain Bleed Risk After Fall
A new study challenges the long-standing belief that older adults taking blood thinners face a significantly higher risk of brain bleeding after a fall. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury and death among...
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Flavored Vape Bans Slowed Cigarette Smoking Declines
State bans on enticing flavors of e-cigarettes bring real benefits in terms of lowering vaping among adults of any age, new research finds. But it points to a downside, too: A slowdown in statewide declines of cigarette smoking after flavored vapes were banned. "Both...
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Most People Inhale 68,000 Microplastics per Day
Scientists say the average person may be inhaling microscopic, lung-penetrating plastic particles at a rate that's 100 times what was previously assumed: 68,000 per day. "Everywhere we look, we find microplastics, even in the air we breathe inside our homes and cars," said...
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Your Heart Could Be Aging Faster Than You
Researchers who've developed a new "heart age" calculator say many Americans have unhealthy hearts that are physiologically older than their chronological age, with men faring worse than women.The research team theorizes that telling folks their heart age might help spur...
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Preventing Tongue Swallow Delays Lifesaving CPR
When a person collapses from cardiac arrest, many on the scene first try to prevent them from swallowing their tongue, believing it to be necessary in helping them to breathe. Experts call that a potentially fatal misconception that could delay lifesaving CPR. New Israeli...
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How Palliative Care and Hospice Differ
If a doctor diagnoses you with a serious illness and suggests palliative care, don't jump to conclusions. It doesn't mean you have mere months to live, NIH News in Health emphasizes. Palliative care, which is focused on comfort care and symptom management, may be recommended...
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Dr. Crandall: Spices Prevent Heart Disease Progression
If you are looking to boost your heart health, adding spices to your diet is an easy and scientifically proven way to do it. Spices and heart health came up in the context of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan's death at age 71, reportedly attributed to cardiac arrest. Dr....
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RSV Increases Older Adults' Risk for Heart Failure
Older adults hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) face an elevated risk of developing heart failure and a dangerous heart rhythm problem, a Canadian study found. The risk for heart failure was seen even in individuals without a history of heart problems,...
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US Agencies to Define Ultra-Processed Foods
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration are gathering data to create a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods. The agencies announced a joint Request for Information (RFI), to be published...
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7,000 Steps a Day Effective at Reducing Health Risks
Walkers don't need to march 10,000 steps a day to gain substantial health benefits, a comprehensive new evidence review has concluded. Instead, getting just 7,000 steps a day appears to be most effective in reducing a person's risk of death and chronic illness, researchers...
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'Weekend Warriors' With Diabetes Slash Death Risk
A "weekend warrior" exercise schedule can lower diabetics' risk of early death, a new study says.People with diabetes who get all their recommended weekly exercise in one or two sessions - the "weekend warrior" approach - were 21% less likely to die early from any cause...
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Endurance Athletes Risk Dangerous Heart Scarring
Apparently healthy endurance athletes could have scar tissue building up in their heart, increasing their risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, a new study says. About half of a large group of middle-aged male cyclists and triathletes showed signs of scarring in their...
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Study: Eggs Don't Raise LDL 'Bad' Cholesterol
A new egg study has produced sunny-side-up results for the oft-maligned breakfast staple. Eggs are commonly thought to increase risk of heart disease by raising people's cholesterol levels. But people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their "bad" LDL...
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FDA Panel: Remove Boxed Warning on Menopause HRT
A panel of experts selected by the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unanimously recommended that the agency remove the boxed warning on hormone replacement treatments for menopause. Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary gathered the panel of 12 experts to...
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Dr. Crandall: Trump's Leg Swelling Common With Flying
After being examined for swelling in the legs, President Donald Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, according to a White House announcement. This condition, in which valves inside certain veins don't work the way they should, allowing blood to pool or...
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Poor Oral Health Linked to Chronic Health Problems
Poor dental health could be a harbinger of chronic illnesses like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, a new study warns. People with missing teeth, coated tongues and other signs of poor oral health also were more likely to have elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol and...
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What to Know About Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Swollen legs led to President Donald Trump being diagnosed with what's called chronic venous insufficiency. It's a fairly common condition among older adults but requires a thorough checkup to rule out more serious causes of swelling in the legs. Here are some things to...
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New Ways of Preserving More Hearts for Transplants
Two university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies - advances that could help recover would-be heart donations that too often go unused. The new research aims to overcome barriers for using organs from someone who...
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Common Cause of High Blood Pressure Overlooked
Doctors are regularly overlooking a common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure, a new paper warns. As many as 30% of high blood pressure patients seen by heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism,...