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The crisis has hospitals around the country past capacity; shortages of medical workers and oxygen have left many sick people to die without ever receiving treatment. The sudden, extreme surge took the world by surprise, and now experts everywhere are trying to understand why this catastrophe happened — and what can be done to stop it. “There’s hope that the second wave has peaked and the number of cases and deaths will begin to drop, but that’s far from certain,” says Anup Malani, JD, PhD, professor at the University of Chicago Law School and lead author on a study published in February 2021 in JAMA that suggests the first wave of COVID-19 in India was vastly underreported....

For the study, scientists reviewed research from hundreds of studies in animals and humans to get a clearer picture of what we might want to eat — and when — to get the best chance at a longer, healthier life. “We explored the link between nutrients, fasting, genes, and longevity in short-lived species, and connected these links to clinical and epidemiological studies in primates and humans, including centenarians,” said a coauthor of the study, Valter Longo, PhD, a gerontology professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, in a statement....

Results of a new clinical trial suggest that the solution may be a so-called “polypill” containing three of these commonly prescribed medications: aspirin to prevent clots that lead to heart attacks; an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) to control blood pressure; and a cholesterol-lowering statin. For the trial, researchers randomly assigned almost 2,500 heart attack survivors to take either a three-drug polypill or a standard drug regimen with similar medications, each prescribed separately....

One woman in 12 will be stalked at some time during her life, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice.About 75% of women know their stalker in some way, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). That’s why so often women don’t believe the situation is potentially dangerous.State laws also vary in their definition of how much fear and emotional distress a person must cause his or her victim to be legally deemed as a stalker, the BJS reports....

Meditation is the practice of training attention or focusing one’s mind for a period of time. There are many different forms of meditation, and they often bring about feelings of relaxation and inner peace. Meditation comes with numerous health benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic, including decreased stress, improved mood, and increased focus and concentration. Research has suggested that, over time, meditation could even be used as a tool in managing a number of chronic health problems, including mental health disorders like depression and anxiety....

Studies demonstrate that one of the most effective ways to shape our gut microbiome is through our diet. Differences in the composition of our gut microbiome can be observed in as little as 24 hours after making dietary changes, according to another study, published in December 2019 in the journal Nutrients. While the research is continuing to unfold, it is clear that certain foods and dietary practices promote a healthier, more resilient gut microbiome, while others trigger inflammation....

Your feet are amazing diagnostic tools that your doctor can use as clues potentially pointing to a whole host of health problems. But you don’t need to be a doctor to understand what your feet are saying about your health — you just need to know what warning signs to look for. If you notice any of the following telltale signs or symptoms in your feet, you may want consult your doctor:...

An angry outburst puts your heart at great risk. Most physically damaging is anger’s effect on your cardiac health. “In the two hours after an angry outburst, the chance of having a heart attack doubles,” says Chris Aiken, MD, an instructor in clinical psychiatry at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and director of the Mood Treatment Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “Repressed anger — where you express it indirectly or go to great lengths to control it, is associated with heart disease,” says Dr....

On day seven of the illness, I was speaking with a colleague from Everyday Health’s professional publication, MedPage Today. When he inquired as to how my husband was doing, I told him, “He’s not worse, but he’s not getting better.” I was concerned about what to do: I had been doing everything as best as I could at home and had all my CDC printouts taped to my workboard in the kitchen to show for it — but with no improvement....

What Is Fiber Exactly, and Which Foods Contain This Carb? Fiber is simply a type of carbohydrate found naturally in plant-based foods that is not completely digested by humans. Plant-based foods that are rich in fiber — such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guidelines — also contain vitamins, minerals, and other powerful nutrients that the body can use for optimal health....

About 42 percent of all cancer cases and roughly 45 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are attributable to modifiable risk factors, said Susan Gapstur, PhD, senior vice president of behavioral and epidemiology research for the ACS. Dr. Gapstur detailed the evidence regarding modifiable cancer risk factors in a seminar hosted by Wiley Science Talks. While some risk factors are well-known, such as the link between smoking and lung cancer, studies are revealing a range of lifestyle habits and behaviors that influence a range of cancer types....

“Exercise helps to keep your posture upright and the joints as mobile as possible,” says Karena Wu, a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy at ActiveCare Physical Therapy in New York City and fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. “It can help keep control of the symptoms, manage the inflammation, and give you a sense of control.” The Spondylitis Association of America recommends an exercise program that incorporates balance, cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises....

In addition to keto being much higher in fat than Atkins, a main difference between Atkins and keto is that you gradually increase your carb intake on Atkins, Rissetto says. Meanwhile, she adds, carbs “remain very low on the keto diet, allowing your body to stay in ketosis and burn ketones for energy.” Today, the diet, also called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, comes in three versions. (1) Atkins 20 is for people who:...

“When people come in and talk to me about their family history and the possibility that they carry a BRCA mutation, they usually ask about the health risks affecting their sisters and mothers, not their brothers and fathers,” says Tehilla Brander, a cancer genetic counselor and co-director of the cancer genetic counseling program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. However, there are definite cancer risks for men who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, including an increased risk of prostate cancer....

Asacol (mesalamine) is one of the safest drugs we have to treat ulcerative colitis. Very occasionally it makes diarrhea worse, and rarely does it cause some hair loss. Both of those adverse effects occur early, within a few weeks or months, and are reversible. Very rarely, Asacol can cause kidney and liver damage. Fortunately, these effects are also reversible when the drug is stopped. For this reason, you should have kidney and liver blood tests periodically – at least annually – while you are on Asacol....

What Is Radon and Where Can It Be Found in My Home? Radon is an odorless, colorless, and naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is inhaled into the lungs, where it can damage the DNA, potentially increasing cancer risk, says Douglas Arenberg, MD, a professor in the pulmonary diseases and critical care departments at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. Radon forms when uranium, thorium, or radium break down in water, rocks, and soil, releasing radon gas into the dirt beneath your home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

While most studies on COVID-19’s effect on fertility have focused on women, emerging research on men is starting to show that the infection may lead to a temporary dip in male fertility and sexual function. A study published in November 2021 in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation found that men who’d had COVID-19 were over 3 times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than men who’d not had COVID-19. Still, this accounted for less than 5 percent of people in the study who’d been infected....

Since then, close to 28 million Americans have been infected with the novel (new) coronavirus, officially known as SARS-CoV-2, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. Nearly half a million have died, more than in any other country in the world. The year has been one of unspeakable tragedy, but also hope with the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines. The development of these highly effective vaccines is “a great scientific tour de force,” according to Thomas Russo, MD, chief of infectious disease at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in New York....

“We were surprised by how strongly psychological distress before a COVID-19 infection was associated with an increased risk of long COVID,” said the lead author, Siwen Wang, MD, a researcher in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a statement. “Distress was more strongly associated with developing long COVID than physical health risk factors such as obesity, asthma, and hypertension.” Out of nearly 55,000 participants who enrolled in the study in April 2020, 6 percent (3,193) contracted the coronavirus over the following year....

The good news is that there are many effective treatments for depression — and the earlier treatment starts, the better. Here’s an overview of the treatment options, keeping in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Because the development of depression is multifactorial — often influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors — the best strategy usually involves a combination of approaches. RELATED: Detecting and Diagnosing Depression: It Can Look Different in Men and Women and in Teenagers, Too...