Latest Health News

MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise has been dubbed "nature's antidepressant" by doctors for years, and now a new study confirms the notion.The finding follows a four-month look at the impact that running had on anxiety and depression when compared to a common antidepressant.SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) work by boosting levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s a key player when it comes to regulating mood, depression and anxiety.But among 140 depression patients, those who engaged in regular group running -- meaning two or three 45-minute runs each week -- actually saw their depression levels drop a bit more than those who took the popular SSRI medication escitalopram (Lexapro).And those who treated their depression with exercise reaped an added...

FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Former pro football players with symptoms of depression or anxiety are far more likely to receive an unverifiable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than players without those mental health conditions, a new study reports.Players with depression are 9.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with CTE, while players with both depression and anxiety are 12 times more likely, the study results showed.The problem: At this point CTE can only be diagnosed as part of a brain autopsy.“CTE can only be diagnosed after death,” said lead author Shawn Eagle, a research assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “It shouldn't be diagnosed in anyone while they're living. Being told you have...

FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Healthy steps: Living in a neighborhood that’s easy to walk in could be good for women’s health.New research finds that women who live in walkable neighborhoods have lower rates of obesity-related cancers.This was particularly true of postmenopausal breast cancer, but also of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and multiple myeloma, according to researchers at several universities in New York City.“These results contribute to the growing evidence of how urban design affects the health and well-being in aging populations,” said researcher Andrew Rundle, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Researchers noted that interventions to increase physical activity and reduce obesity one by one are...

MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for couch potatoes — bursts of activity as short as one to three minutes in duration can prompt a steep decrease in the risk of heart attack, stroke and early death, a new study reports.Researchers tracked the activity of more than 25,000 people in the United Kingdom, all of whom had wearable devices that monitored their movement down to 10-second intervals.The investigators found that short bouts of activity lasting fewer than 10 minutes caused a significant decrease in heart attacks and strokes, as well as death from any cause.These weren’t activities where someone needed to don sportswear and athletic shoes, either, said lead researcher Matthew Ahmadi, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydney in...