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THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- If you're longing for a nap, try to keep it short. Researchers found that siestas of 30 minutes or more in Murcia, a region of Spain, where it’s common to nap, were linked to a higher risk of obesity, a group of conditions called metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. “Not all siestas are the same. The length of time, position of sleep and other specific factors can affect the health outcomes of a nap,” said study co-author Marta Garaulet, a visiting professor in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.“A previous study that we conducted in a large study population in the U.K. had found that siestas were associated with an increased risk of obesity,” Garaulet said in a hospital...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- An extended-release version of a Parkinson’s disease drug could provide more stable relief for patients with the movement disorder, new clinical trial data show.The new formulation of levodopa, called IPX203, extended the duration of patients’ “on time" — the amount of time the medication is working and symptoms are lessened, researchers reported this week at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, in Boston.Three oral doses of IPX203 a day worked slightly better than five doses of standard levodopa, with patients’ “on time” running about a half-hour longer, said lead researcher Dr. Alberto Espay, chair of the University of Cincinnati’s department of neurology and rehabilitation medicine.If approved, Espay...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Dealing with discrimination at work -- from bosses or coworkers -- may be enough to send your blood pressure through the roof, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among more than 1,200 U.S. workers, those who felt they often faced on-the-job discrimination were 54% more likely to develop high blood pressure, versus workers with little exposure to such bias.Over eight years, people who'd often experienced workplace discrimination developed high blood pressure at a rate of about 4% each year. That compared with 2.5% per year among people who rarely or never had those experiences.Experts said the study, published April 26 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, cannot prove cause and effect."But our findings suggest...

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last decade, an aging American population has increasingly turned away from nursing homes in favor of trained caregivers who can provide critical help in the home with basic daily tasks.But a new investigation warns the need for at-home care has vastly outpaced a much smaller growth in the pool of home care workers.The result: between 2013 and 2019, the number of available home care workers for every 100 patients in need has fallen by nearly 12%.The resulting caregiver gap is putting vulnerable patients in a very precarious position, the researchers said.“We know that the number of people who want to receive long-term care at home has been growing over time, which is in part because the U.S. population is getting older,”...