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For the study, researchers examined survey data on more than 34,000 U.S. adults who were 49 years old on average, including about 10,000 people who reported a history of asthma or other allergic conditions like respiratory, digestive, or skin allergies. The data came from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Overall, a history of asthma or allergic disorders was associated with a 45 percent higher risk of high blood pressure and a 48 percent greater risk of coronary heart disease....

Movies are used as vessels to either escape reality or connect with the reality we live in now. For those who have experience with Parkinson’s disease, these films serve both purposes. If you or a loved one has Parkinson’s, you know how draining it can be, physically as well as emotionally. The condition is also associated with high rates of depression and anxiety. The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates that at least 50 percent of those diagnosed with the disease will experience some form of depression, while 40 percent will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder....

As hotter average temperatures become the new normal, Black, Latino, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities suffer disproportionately. This is a historical trend that will be amplified by climate change, says Vivek Shandas, a professor of climate adaptation at Portland State University. According to June Spector, MD, MPH, director of occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Washington, many factors are to blame. “As with a lot of health outcomes, the systems and structures are really where we need to focus....

Six months after receiving a type 2 diabetes diagnosis during a routine health check-up in early spring 2016, Adams says he completely reversed the disease. Today, Adams, 57, has a new lease on life. He’s 30 pounds lighter with normal blood glucose levels of 5.7 percent — at diagnosis, his hemoglobin A1C level was at a high 17 percent, which is about three times the healthy percentage — and says he feels more energized than ever....

The blood disorder is quite common, with about 3 million Americans affected, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). How Anemia Affects Your Health When someone is anemic, the body doesn’t get the oxygen that it needs. If anemia is unrecognized and untreated, serious damage can occur in the organs. According to the American Society of Hematology, symptoms of anemia include: Generalized weaknessFatigueDifficulty catching your breathChest pain or discomfortFast or abnormal heartbeatFeeling cold all the time, especially in the hands and feetNumbness in the hands and feetPale appearanceIrritable moodProblems concentrating or performing at your job or in classFrequent headaches or dizziness...

“Chocolate would be delicious no matter its health properties. So, the idea that something so good can also be good for us is both appealing and compelling,” David L. Katz, MD, MPH, the president of True Health Initiative and the founding director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University Griffin Hospital, who has spent much of his career studying the health benefits of chocolate. “Chocolate is the decisive rebuttal to the ‘If it’s good for me, it can’t taste good’ mentality....

The good news is there are many actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer. What You Need to Know About Preventable Risk Factors Some common preventable risk factors for cancer include: Smoking Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable cancer death. Smoking causes more than 16 types of cancer. (1) For example, about 80 percent of lung cancers are due to cigarette smoking. People who quit smoking reduce their risk of death no matter how old they are....

“Type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic component,” says Leann Olansky, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. But daily habits matter, too. “If you choose a healthy lifestyle you may really be able to avoid diabetes or put it way off,” Dr. Olansky says. You can still be diagnosed with diabetes without the genetic component, says John P. Martin, MD, the codirector of the Diabetes Complete Care Program at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles....

New research published March 2, 2020, in the journal JAMA Neurology confirmed prior study outcomes demonstrating the effectiveness of this oral medication for Dravet syndrome at a dose of 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) per day. (The drug, which comes in a sesame oil with strawberry flavoring, is given according to a child’s weight.) Results Show That a Lower Dose Is Safe, Effective “This is the first study, however, to show efficacy and safety for a 10 mg/kg a day dose in these patients,” says lead investigator Ian Miller, MD, director of the epilepsy and neurophysiology program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami....

In the early to mid-1990s, just before vaccination against chickenpox became widespread, the infection predominantly affected children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1) But vaccination has dramatically changed how chickenpox affects the entire population. By 2016, the CDC says, 90 percent of children had received at least the first dose of the two recommended doses of the chickenpox vaccine by age 2. (5) And among teenagers ages 13 to 17, at least 85 percent had received both recommended doses of the vaccine as of 2016....

Defining Chocolate and Understanding Its History Overall, if you’re looking to satisfy a sweet craving, you’ll get the most benefits from dark chocolate, not milk or white chocolate varieties. As a rule of thumb, the more bitter the taste, the higher the cocoa content. Moreover, to reap the health benefits of chocolate without adding too many calories to your plate, dietitians usually recommend limiting your dark chocolate intake to 1 oz per day....

According to a report published in June 2019 in the journal Circulation, people with type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart failure than those without diabetes. The report also states that having diabetes or heart failure independently increases the risk of getting the other condition, and both conditions often occur together. “There’s a misperception that if you prevent a heart attack, you prevent heart failure, so all you need to do is prevent coronary artery disease,” says Javed Bulter, MBBS, MPH, a cardiologist and a professor and chairman in the department of medicine at the University of Mississippi in Jackson....

Dizziness isn’t rare with multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, it happens to enough people to be considered one of the “more common” symptoms of the disease by the National MS Society. Many of us will feel the occasional light-headedness, slight bit of disorientation, and a sense of being off-balance when placing one foot in front of the other. Vertigo, however, is a much more severe and significantly rarer (but far from unknown) symptom of MS....

When Cold Symptoms Include an Earache “With a cold, you can get ear pain because the eardrum gets inflamed by the viral infection,” says Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, a professor and the chairman of otolaryngology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. The dull, sharp, or burning earache will go away with the cold. Since colds are caused by viruses, the best you can do is treat the cold symptoms and wait out the infection....

A recent report led by Alberto Ascherio, MD, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, provides new, compelling evidence that EBV may be what triggers the immune process that leads to MS. RELATED: What Does the Epstein-Barr Virus Have to Do With Multiple Sclerosis? EBV Appeared to Raise the Risk of MS While Other Viruses Didn’t The study, published on January 13 in the journal Science, compiled data on more than 10 million U....

Serves 12 Prep Time: 15 minsCook time: 35 mins Ingredients: Cake:1 medium ripe avocado1.5 medium very ripe bananas (important)1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon maple syrup1/4 cup coconut oil, melted1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk1 tablespoon white vinegar1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour 1/2 cup gluten-free bread flour (Anson Mills) 2 tablespoon coconut flour (Anson Mills)1/4 teaspoon sea salt2 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons baking soda Icing: 1 medium ripe avocado1/3 cup water (can add little more if needed)3 tablespoons light agave nectar2 tablespoons cocoa Garnish:¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut1 cup fresh raspberries Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit....

While HS often begins during adolescence, it can go undiagnosed for years due to factors ranging from embarrassment to a lack of awareness that its recurring symptoms can and should be treated. Many people don’t see a doctor for HS until it significantly interferes with their daily activities and reduces their quality of life. There’s a wide range of HS severity, but most people with it — even a fairly mild case — could benefit from seeing a dermatologist....

In a release, the FDA said it has “authorized Quest Diagnostics RC COVID-19 +Flu RT-PCR Test for prescription use with the Quest Diagnostics Self-Collection Kit for COVID-19 +Flu by individuals who are suspected of respiratory viral infection consistent with COVID-19 when home collection is determined to be appropriate by an individual’s healthcare provider.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), co-testing is recommended for people who are experiencing symptoms of either condition....

Here Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post and a coauthor of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th Edition: Manners for a New World, discusses how to deal with sick people in public, making sure your kids stay as germ-free as possible, and common flu misconceptions. Everyday Health: How do you deal with people around you who are obviously sick and not being polite about it in public or at work?...

No matter what type of flu vaccine you pick, public health experts emphasize that the most important thing is to get immunized. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that seasonal influenza vaccination prevented up to 6.7 million cases between 2010 and 2016,” says Jennifer Horney, PhD, professor of epidemiology and core faculty with the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware in Newark. “As we look towards the potential for healthcare systems to be stressed again by the concurrence of seasonal influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic, high rates of seasonal influenza vaccinations are critical to preventing clusters and outbreaks....