“Prehab,” Helps Patients Recover Faster from Joint Replacement Surgery For people contemplating a hip or knee replacement, the prospect of a long post-surgical recovery can be a daunting one. The grueling rehabilitation sessions, the frustration of re-learning everyday movements, the weeks of waiting to return…

Potential health benefits identified for children of reducing SSB intake over 12 months In the first study to investigate blood lipid levels in association with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of Boston area schoolchildren, researchers found there was…

For women undergoing hysterectomy, removal of “hanging” abdominal fat and skin—a cosmetic procedure called panniculectomy—can be performed at the same surgery without increasing the risk of complications, reports a study in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the…

A commonly prescribed antidepressant may alter brain structures in depressed and non-depressed individuals in very different ways, according to new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study – conducted in nonhuman primates with brain structures and functions similar to those of humans –…

Banning smoking in the workplace and increasing taxes on cigarettes have discouraged teens and young adults from taking up smoking, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Merced.The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, used data on the smoking habits of…

The Lancet published the results of the PROUD study, which shows giving daily HIV medication to gay men who are HIV negative yet at high risk of becoming HIV positive is highly effective at preventing new infections. The authors, led by Professor Sheena McCormack, of…

Growing up on a farm provides protection against asthma and allergies Researchers at VIB (a leading life sciences institute in Flanders, Belgium) and Ghent University have successfully established a causal relationship between exposure to so-called farm dust and protection against asthma and allergies. This breakthrough…

If you have survived years of pushing, pulling, lifting, lowering and rotational forces assaulting your shoulders, thank your healthy articular cartilage. It is the smooth, white, lubricating connective tissue covering the ends of bones that meet at a joint. Cartilage promotes low-friction movement and helps…

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome that causes major disruption in several areas of life for many women. Many treatment options have been proposed, but which are most effective? A comprehensive review of the evidence, including specific treatment guidelines, is…

A panel of world experts in aging convened at Saint Louis University recommended that everyone 70 and older should have their memory and reasoning ability evaluated annually by a doctor or health care provider.This is the first time routine brain health screenings have been recommended…

Research examines vulnerability to nicotine addiction among nonusers Fast Facts: –Nicotine is clearly addictive — it leads to habitual and compulsive use. But scientists have been puzzled by the process of nicotine addiction because, unlike other addictive drugs, many people report disliking nicotine the first…

Overweight and obese adults are advised to exercise to improve their health, but more than 50 percent do not do so. New research presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics suggests that taking vitamin C supplements daily can have similar…