The United States, on a per capita basis, spends much more on health care than other developed countries; the chief reason is not greater health care utilization, but higher prices, according to a study from a team led by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researcher. The paper will appear in the January...
The individual mandate that requires most Americans to purchase some level of health insurance continues to be one of the most controversial aspects of the Affordable Care Act, even though, beginning in 2019, there is no longer a penalty for noncompliance in most states. A new study conducted by investigators at the Mongan Institute Health Policy...
Smoking is a hard habit to kick but when you do, the health benefits are almost immediate. According to the American Lung Association, your heart rate drops to normal levels in 20 minutes, your lung function improves in a couple of weeks and your risk of heart disease drops by half in a year. “But as...
“All the stresses and excesses of the holidays can leave your skin in bad shape, which makes you feel low, too,” said Megan Rogge, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “The challenge is that at the start of a new year, we all want to look great. The good news...
One of the classic cold symptoms is a cough. When coupled with a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue, it can make you feel pretty miserable. Usually after a week or so, the cold runs its course and most of the symptoms go away. But for some people, the cough hangs around a little...
You may not realize it, but as we age, we become more vulnerable to developing an alcohol use disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism. And, even if you don’t develop an alcohol use disorder, its important know that your body processes alcohol less efficiently the older you get, says Brad Lander, a clinical psychologist and addiction...
If quitting smoking is one of your New Year’s resolutions, you might want to consider cutting back on your drinking, too. New research has found that heavy drinkers who are trying to stop smoking may find that reducing their alcohol use can also help them quit their daily smoking habit. Heavy drinkers’ nicotine metabolite ratio...
A new study suggests that people over age 65 who are newly diagnosed with heart failure can continue to drink moderate amounts of alcohol without worsening their condition. The study, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, showed a survival benefit for moderate drinkers compared with those who abstained from alcohol. On average,...
New research from the University of Sussex shows that taking part in Dry January – abstaining from booze for a month – sees people regaining control of their drinking, having more energy, better skin and losing weight. They also report drinking less months later. The research, led by Sussex psychologist Dr. Richard de Visser, was...
Adaptive aids are expensive. Additive manufacturing, using low-cost 3-D printers, can save upwards of 94 percent for simple household items. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that almost a quarter of the U.S. population lives with some form of arthritis. Daily tasks — like opening drawers, turning door handles — can be...
