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WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Just small amounts of exercise can benefit people with implanted heart defibrillators, new research shows.An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a battery-powered device placed under the skin to detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat.The new study found that even slight increases in physical activity reduced the risk of hospitalization and early death after patients got an ICD. And that was true even if their fitness boost wasn't from a formal rehabilitation program, according to findings published July 21 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes."Cardiac rehabilitation programs offer patients a safe environment to increase physical activity after ICD...

WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- While there's been much talk about pandemic lockdowns being a burden on people's health, new research finds the effects of large COVID-19 outbreaks are typically worse."It is unlikely that government interventions have been worse than the pandemic itself in most situations," say the authors of an international study published July 19 in the BMJ Global Health.There's been ongoing debate about whether the benefits of lockdowns outweigh their damage to people's mental and physical health.But the new study found that lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand -- which avoided large outbreaks -- were not associated with large numbers of deaths.In contrast, places that had few COVID-19 restrictions -- such as Brazil, Sweden, Russia, and certain parts...

WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Here's another reason for new moms to give breastfeeding a try: Toddlers who were breastfed for even a few days have lower blood pressure than those who always got a bottle, research finds.And lower blood pressure at an early age may lead to a healthier heart and blood vessels in adulthood, researchers said. The new study is believed to be the first to investigate breastfeeding in the first days of life and blood pressure in early childhood."Infants who received even a relatively small amount of their mother's early breast milk, also known as colostrum, had lower blood pressure at 3 years of age, regardless of how long they were breastfed or when they received other complementary foods," said lead author Dr. Kozeta Miliku, a postdoctoral...

WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- It's important for parents to recognize when kids have breathing problems during sleep and to seek medical help, an expert says."During sleep, the muscles keeping the upper airway stiff relax, and as a consequence, the airway narrows, which can cause snoring, snorting or in severe cases, the complete obstruction of the airway," said Kurt Lushington, a sleep researcher at the University of South Australia.Known as sleep-disordered breathing, this can lead to daytime sleepiness, irritability, hyperactivity and poor attention, potentially affecting performance in school, he said.While the long-term effects are not well understood, Lushington said research suggests sleep-disordered breathing could also impair heart and metabolic...