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THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Getting good sleep may have long-term benefits -- even extending your life span, a new study suggests.Researchers found that young people with better sleep habits were incrementally less likely to die early. About 8% of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns.Study co-author Dr. Frank Qian, a resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School, said his team found a "clear dose-response relationship." Simply put: The better the sleep, the greater the protection from early death from all causes, including heart disease.“These findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn’t sufficient," Qian said in an American College of Cardiology news release....

THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Confused about emergency contraception?The experts have you covered. Here’s a breakdown of what emergency contraception is, the different types that are available, the side effects you may experience, and how emergency contraception works. Plus, you’ll find out where you can get emergency contraception.What is emergency contraception?Emergency contraception is a way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). It must be used before a pregnancy occurs.Planned Parenthood states that emergency contraception is not the abortion pill, which is a way to end an early pregnancy.“When used correctly, emergency contraception works well to prevent pregnancy...

THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- All those images of beautiful-looking people on social media can deflate a young person's self-image, but there may be an easy fix: limiting time spent on TikTok, Instagram and the like.A new Canadian study finds that teens and young adults who already had symptoms of anxiety or depression and who cut their social media usage by about 50% experienced a significant improvement in how they felt about their overall appearance in just a few weeks. They also felt better about their weight.“I don't think it completely surprised me,” said study co-author Helen Thai, a PhD student in the psychology department at McGill University in Montreal.Past research on traditional media and the impact of unattainable beauty and body ideals has obtained...

THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- One day last July, Mike Button settled into his home office, ready to start catching up on the backlog of things that had accumulated over his latest prolonged stretch away from work.In April, his mom had died following a prolonged illness. Around the same time, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and began taking medication to strengthen his heart. He'd recently gotten back from his mother's memorial service in Detroit. Then came a bout of COVID-19 and, while recovering, one of his dogs died right in front of him.Back at the desk of his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, he felt a little tired. Everything else seemed normal.His wife, Stephanie, was recovering from her own case of COVID-19. She was healthy enough...