What? Another medical form to fill out?

By Heidi Godman
Posted on November 11, 2024

You’re in a doctor’s office with a clipboard and a pile of medical forms on your lap. For the umpteenth time, you must now jot down your medical history — conditions, ongoing symptoms, past procedures, current medications, and even the health of family members.  But how much information should you include? Which details are most important? And why are you slogging through paper... READ MORE

Studying how sleeping brains clear waste

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on November 11, 2024

A unique peek inside the human brain may help explain how it clears away waste like the kind that can build up and lead to Alzheimer’s disease.  Brain cells use a lot of nutrients, which means they make a lot of waste.   Scientists have long thought the brain has special plumbing to flush out cellular trash, especially during sleep — they could see it happening in mice. But... READ MORE

Ultra-processed foods can sometimes be healthy

By Jonel Aleccia
Posted on October 28, 2024

Whether they know it or not, most Americans don’t go a day — or often a single meal — without eating ultra-processed foods.  From sugary cereals at breakfast to frozen pizzas at dinner, plus in-between snacks of potato chips, sodas and ice cream, ultra-processed foods make up about 60% of the U.S. diet. For kids and teens, it’s even higher (about two-thirds of what they... READ MORE

Shingles are not just a band of blisters

By Jeffery Wheeler, M.D.
Posted on October 28, 2024

Dear Mayo Clinic: A friend recently went through a bout of shingles. I really don’t know much about this condition, but I know it was painful.   How do you get it? Is there a treatment or vaccine for it?  A: Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a common condition caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.   Not everyone who has had chickenpox... READ MORE

Choosing next year’s Medicare drug plan

By Jim Miller
Posted on October 24, 2024

Dear Savvy Senior,  What’s the easiest way to compare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans? My Part D premium is increasing again in 2025, so I would like to use the fall open enrollment to find and sign up for a cheaper plan.   —Shopping Around  Dear Shopping,  I’m happy to hear you’re comparing your Medicare coverage options this fall!   Research shows... READ MORE

Why older adults need the RSV vaccine

By Family Features
Posted on October 24, 2024

Even though cold days may seem far off, now is the best time to plan ahead for a healthy winter. One common respiratory illness, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. But it can be severe and even deadly for older people.  “As we grow older, our immune systems do not work as well and we are more likely to have chronic conditions, which means we... READ MORE

Sheet pan panko honey mustard chicken

By The Associated Press
Posted on October 23, 2024

Plain ol’ boneless, skinless chicken breasts are given new life in this sheet-pan meal by Caroline Chambers.   The chicken gets coated in a honey mustard sauce, then topped with buttery breadcrumbs that get crunchy and browned in the oven.   Her kids love this dish — they call it giant chicken nuggets (feeding kids is all about the marketing, right?).   The broccoli... READ MORE

Facts to counter five myths about protein

By Matthew Kadey
Posted on October 23, 2024

Your body needs protein — that’s a fact.   “Protein does a lot of great things for us. It helps build and repair muscle and other tissues, moves oxygen and nutrients around our bodies, and is involved in many important bodily functions, including digestion,” said registered dietitian Caroline Susie, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  But when you... READ MORE

Surprising benefits from toothbrushing

By Maureen Salamon
Posted on October 22, 2024

Maybe we should add toothbrushes to the bouquet of flowers we bring to friends and family members in the hospital — and make sure to pack one if we wind up there ourselves.  New Harvard-led research published online in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that seriously ill hospitalized patients are far less likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia if their teeth are brushed twice... READ MORE

Is it an allergy, intolerance or sensitivity?

By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on October 22, 2024

Q: My gut seems to be more sensitive to a variety of foods. Does this mean I have developed food allergies?  A: Many people confuse food sensitivity with a food allergy or food intolerance. While these conditions can have similar symptoms, they are quite different.  Food allergy: A food allergy happens when the body mistakes a food ingredient as harmful and defends itself by turning ... READ MORE