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TUESDAY, Dec. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Insulin pumps can help folks with type 1 diabetes get better control of their disease and minimize how often they inject insulin, and use of the devices has taken off in the past 20 years.That's the good news from a new study. The not-so-great news is that a large gap in who is using these insulin pumps remains. Specifically, white patients are twice as likely to receive an insulin pump as Black patients, and better-educated, wealthier people are also more likely to be using one."The big message is that over a 20-year period, we saw a pretty large increase in insulin pump use across all patients, but no change in distribution by race or socioeconomic status," said study author Dr. Estelle Everett, an assistant professor at the David Geffen...

TUESDAY, Dec. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise and mindfulness are known for their health benefits, but a new study found that didn’t extend to boosting memory or thinking skills in healthy seniors. That doesn’t mean these activities wouldn’t be beneficial for memory if practiced for a longer period of time or in adults with impairments, the researchers noted, just that there were not apparent benefits during the study.“We know beyond any doubt that exercise is good for older adults, that it can lower risk for cardiac [heart] problems, strengthen bones, improve mood and have other beneficial effects — and there has been some thought that it also might improve cognitive [thinking] function,” said study first author Dr. Eric Lenze. He is head of the department of...

TUESDAY, Dec. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Weight-loss surgery can have many health benefits, and now a new study suggests that long-term relief from urinary incontinence is one of them.Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem, and obesity is among the risk factors for it: Extra pounds put more pressure on the bladder and the muscles supporting it, which can cause urine to leak.Because of that, weight loss is often encouraged when people have both obesity and UI. And research suggests that when people with severe obesity undergo weight-loss surgery, that can ease their bladder problems — at least for the first couple of years.The new study shows that for many people, the relief lasts.The researchers found that of over 1,200 patients they tracked, more than half of those who'd...

TUESDAY, Dec. 13, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- When Tionna Herron was 8, she learned some valuable things: She was good at playing basketball. And she had a rare heart condition that sometimes made her chest hurt after she played.Her condition had a long name – anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA). It meant one of the arteries coming out of her heart was misaligned, making it harder for blood to flow. When it gave her occasional chest pains, they didn't last long.A pediatric cardiologist assured her family it was safe for her to play basketball. In fact, even though AAOCA is the second-leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, most people with the condition aren't restricted from sports unless they are considered high-risk, which she...