Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Parents in the United States may assume baby food is free of impurities, but a recent research review highlights the much different reality: Most foods made for babies and toddlers have some amount of toxic heavy metals.The contaminants include metals, such as lead and arsenic, that can harm brain development, and contribute to learning and behavior problems in children. And they are found in everything from rice cereals to formula to pureed vegetables.It's an issue that's been known for decades, yet most parents are probably unaware of it, experts said."Most people would probably think that, out of all foods, baby food has to be the safest," said Dr. Sarah Ventre, the lead author on the review and a pediatrician at the University at Buffalo,...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- There’s been plenty of scientific debate about whether vaping is safer than tobacco, and whether it may help some people stop smoking.According to a recent Cochrane Review analysis of 78 studies, electronic cigarettes show more success in helping people quit smoking than traditional nicotine-replacement therapies, such as nicotine patches and gums. “The most important finding from our recent review update is that for the first time there is high certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapies, such as patches, gum or lozenges, in helping people to quit smoking,” said study co-author Ailsa Butler. She is a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Oxford’s Centre for...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new study delivers some great news to older Americans, something many likely already realize in their daily lives. The prevalence of disabilities among seniors is down sharply from what it was just a decade before, researchers say. Fewer older adults have limitations in the activities that are an important part of daily life, from climbing stairs or walking without difficulty to dressing and bathing. “Our findings suggest millions more Americans are remaining disability-free and therefore could feasibly stay in their homes well into their 80s and 90s,” said study author Esme Fuller-Thomson, director of the University of Toronto’s Institute for Life Course and Aging. This study updates earlier information that seniors have been...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- After their Hawaii honeymoon, newlyweds Jackie Ng-Osorio and her husband, Kane, set a goal of training together for the Honolulu Marathon.The race went well. Afterward, Ng-Osorio, who was 26 at the time, eased back into shorter daily runs. But she noticed her heart rate stayed high well after running.She went to her doctor. A treadmill stress test found no problems. "You could stop running," her doctor suggested. But Ng-Osorio, a runner in high school, college and graduate school, found joy in the sport. She didn't want to stop.Months later, in addition to her heart rate remaining elevated after exercising, she also felt sluggish.Before work one morning, she joined friends for a run around Honolulu. When she returned to the...