This week’s edition of Medical Myths will focus its beams on the many half-truths and misconceptions that surround heart disease. Among other topics, we cover smoking, coughing, exercising, supplements, and statins. Globally, heart disease is the number one cause of death. It is responsible for 17.9 million deaths each year. According to the Centers for […]
Music therapy involves using a person’s responses and connections to music to encourage positive changes in mood and overall well-being. Music therapy can include creating music with instruments of all types, singing, moving to music, or just listening to it. Music has powerful effects on the mind. Different styles of music can have a significant […]
Inflammation is part of the body’s defense mechanism and plays a role in the healing process. When the body detects an intruder, it launches a biological response to try to remove it. The attacker could be a foreign body, such as a thorn, an irritant, or a pathogen. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and other organisms, […]
According to the results of a recent systematic review, quitting smoking may produce positive health effects in a matter of weeks. The review found that people who quit smoking had a greater reduction in anxiety, depression, and symptoms of stress than people who did not. If accurate, these findings could help motivate millions of people […]
Findings from a new observational study support most of the current dietary guidelines on fruits and vegetables. Daily intake of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower risk of death related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, or respiratory disease. Starchy vegetables and fruit juices, however, did not appear to contribute to the […]
Over the centuries, this crystalline sweetener has invaded everyone’s snacks, drinks, guts, and minds. It has caused its fair share of controversy, too. Although everyone is familiar with sugar as a concept, we’ll start with a brief explainer. What is sugar? Sugar is a soluble carbohydrate — a biological molecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and […]
Flu activity is picking up across the country, with widespread infection in 24 states, according to the CDC. If that news has you worried about your own chances of coming down with the virus, here’s a major step you can take to protect yourself (if you haven’t already): Go get a flu shot. That’s right. […]
Growing evidence is showing that COVID-19 affects kids differently than adults. Children experience lower infection rates, accounting for less than 10 percent of cases in the United States. Infectious disease specialists say there are several factors that seem to protect children: immunity to seasonal coronaviruses, underdeveloped sinuses, and fewer chronic health conditions. A new model […]
There’s no zero-risk activity while the virus is still circulating. But older adults who have been vaccinated should feel more confident in taking part in activities with people who are considered low-risk. For older adults who have been isolated from family and friends for the better part of a year to stay safe from the […]
Of all the modern medical interventions we have at our disposal, few have been victim to as much falsehood as vaccines. As the world battles a pandemic, stripping the truth from the lies is more urgent than ever. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2010 and 2015, vaccines prevented an estimated 10 million […]