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The study focused on what’s known as breast arterial calcification, calcium deposits within breast tissue that look like white flecks on a mammogram and can sometimes indicate precancerous cells but are most often benign. Breast calcification is common and becomes more prevalent with age; more than half of women have these deposits visible on mammograms by the time they’re in their mid-seventies. Several causes of breast calcification — including advanced age, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes — are also risk factors for cardiovascular disease....

Normally, our systolic blood pressure — the “top” number that indicates how much pressure blood exerts against artery walls when the heart beats — dips slightly when we stand. So, scientists wondered if an abnormal response — rising systolic blood pressure upon standing — might serve as an early warning sign for future cardiac events like heart attacks and strokes. Scientists were surprised to discover that even a slight uptick in blood pressure when standing up could make these events more apt to happen among young and middle-aged adults....

Classic setup for a joke. The punchline, however, is more nose laugh than guffaw, as well as being more nod your head in understanding than roll on the floor laughing. Life with MS mayn’t be a very good joke, but if I didn’t laugh sometimes, I’d cry … and I’ve cried enough about multiple sclerosis. Forgetting why we walked into a room isn’t unique to those with MS. It’s not unique to any member of the human race....

“I don’t remember a time in my family where there wasn’t the weight of heart disease,” says Salberg, 51. Her great-grandmother succumbed to dropsy (an old term for edema, which is linked to heart failure). Her grandfather, who had a heart murmur, died from sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 43. A massive stroke took her paternal aunt at age 52. At the age of 48, her uncle passed away from sudden cardiac arrest....

According to a study published in May 2019 in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) that compared roughly 12 million men and women, women with type 1 diabetes had a 47 percent higher risk of heart failure compared with men with type 1 diabetes. Women with type 2 diabetes had a 9 percent higher risk of developing the condition than men with type 2 diabetes....

“It’s the fallout from spending too much time looking down at phones or tablets, or holding your head too far forward to look at a computer screen,” explains Stacie J. Stephenson, a doctor of chiropractic and chair of functional medicine for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, who is based in Paradise Valley, Arizona. If you can relate, read on for why “tech neck” can be bad for long-term health, symptoms to look out for, and what to do about it....

University of Pennsylvania hosts two pet grief support groups and offers individual and family counseling. The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement offers a state-by-state list of pet bereavement support groups, live Internet chat rooms and hotlines. Rainbow Bridge is a free online grief support community providing a forum, pet-loss sympathy e-cards, a list of pet-loss hotlines and other resources. ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline, 877-474-3310Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline, 607-253-3932Tufts University Pet Loss Support Hotline, 508-839-7966University of California, Davis, Pet Loss Support Hotline, 800-565-1526...

“It’s extremely common for people to have light sensitivity and eye pain in migraine,” according to Deborah Friedman, MD, MPH, a neuro-ophthalmologist and professor and the chief of the division of headache medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Light sensitivity, known as photophobia, occurs more frequently than many other migraine symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to sound, or sensitivity to odor. In terms of how many people experience it as a symptom, it’s second only to headache,” Dr....

Research has shown that habits such as too much or too little sleep and extreme exercise can trigger migraines, and the thinking has been that your best bet for managing migraines is to know your triggers and avoid them. But a trigger may not cause a migraine every time, and your triggers may change over time, according to The Migraine Trust. In fact, it’s likely that you won’t experience a migraine unless you’re exposed to more than one trigger....

Here, experts reveal the truth about four common ADHD diet myths — and the facts that will empower you to make wise choices about your child’s nutrition. Myth 1: Sugar Is a Top Cause of ADHD Fact: The impact of added sugar on ADHD isn’t entirely clear, says Dilip Karnik, MD, a pediatric neurologist at Child Neurology Consultants of Austin in Texas. Much of the evidence related to sugar and ADHD is anecdotal....

Just type “heart health” into Apple’s App Store, and you’ll find a wide range of mobile apps out there. “I believe that they (apps) have helped many patients think about their heart status and cardiovascular health awareness,” says Jonn A. Osborne, MD, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at Dallas Medical Center in Texas. “I think they have promise." But, Dr. Osborne warns, these apps can’t help you unless you’re motivated enough to input data on a regular basis to keep track of your health on a long-term basis....

“This information will give you and your healthcare provider valuable insight into your unique patterns and habits, which will help you self-manage IBD,” writes Sunanda Kane, MD, in her book IBD Self-Management: The AGA Guide to Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Below are five apps that can help you manage different aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). All of them are available on Android and iOS, and most of them are free!...

If you’re thirsty, that’s the most obvious sign you’re dehydrated, meaning your body doesn’t have enough fluid to function properly. According to MedlinePlus, being dehydrated doesn’t just mean your body is losing water — it also means you’re losing electrolytes, such as salt and potassium, which help your body breathe, move, talk, and do all the other things it needs to do to stay up and running. RELATED: Are You Drinking Enough Water?...

Or maybe you simply know that healthy eating and exercise will make you feel better, or you’re just tired of lugging that spare tire around. Whatever the reasons, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee and have decided to shed those unwanted pounds, you may wonder how to best accomplish this. Is Diet or Exercise Best for Losing Weight With Knee Osteoarthritis? Both work well, especially together! Definitely approach weight loss with both a diet plan and a fitness plan....

“Your skin is a living organ that changes over time,” says Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face. “Adjusting your skin care to accommodate these changes will help your skin stay healthy and looking its best.” Here are some tips and products that can age-proof your skin: 1. Use a Gentler Face Wash When you cleanse your skin, use a gentle touch and formula....

“We have to take foodborne illness seriously,” says Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at the Penn State Department of Food Science in University Park, Pennsylvania. “When somebody does become ill from food poisoning, it can be two to three days of severe vomiting and diarrhea, and you may have ongoing symptoms and malaise for a number of days after that.” In rare cases —about 3,000 a year —foodborne illness can even be fatal....

“Even a mild stroke is devastating because all of a sudden, it changes the way you think of yourself and how you do seemingly mundane things,” says Preeti Raghavan, MBBS, a professor of stroke treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute in Baltimore. Strokes are also incredibly common. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that one American has a stroke every 40 seconds. It’s also the leading cause of disability in the United States....

Starting July 16, people in the United States can call or text this universal three-digit number to connect with the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Once launched, 988 will become an easier-to-remember way to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; but the old number — 800-273-TALK (8255) — will still be in service and will direct callers to the Lifeline’s call center, too....

There is a proven link between weight gain and oral steroids, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. The reason? “Steroids simply increase your appetite,” says Dr. Gerbstadt, adding that steroids raise blood glucose levels and cause other metabolic changes that not only put the patient at risk of gaining weight, but perhaps even developing diabetes. Asthma Medication Side Effects Weight gain is a less common medication side effect when steroids are taken through asthma inhalers as opposed to oral medications because the doses administered through asthma inhalers are far lower and go straight to the lungs, explains Gerbstadt....

So why aren’t you seeing results when you use your controller and rescue therapies? Your doctor may need to do additional tests to determine the answer and the right strategies to provide you relief. And it’s important that you do. Not only can uncontrolled asthma accelerate loss of lung function and lead to more frequent hospitalizations, it can be life-threatening. A couple signs to watch for: If you have daily symptoms that limit work or school attendance, interfere with daily activities, or disrupt sleep, or if you’re using your rescue inhaler more than usual....