A study found no convincing scientific evidence that taking a statin can cause memory loss or other changes in mental functioning. The new research review covered randomized clinical trials that included nearly 47,000 people.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, postmenopausal weight gain, as well as weight loss, increases the risk of bone fractures.
Opioid painkillers like hydrocodone and oxycodone offer relief from pain, but the body gets used to them, requiring ever-higher doses.
Opioids can be safe for severe, acute pain following surgery or injury. They should be used carefully in the treatment of chronic pain.
My doctor has recommended a bone density screening, but the medical center with the full-body scanner is a 45-minute drive from my house. A health fair at a neighborhood church offers a bone density test using a foot scanner. Would that be as accurate?
Older people hospitalized for pneumonia face four times their usual risk of a heart attack or stroke or dying of heart disease in the month following the illness. The elevated risk declines over time.
A study found that one in 10 people who take protective aspirin may not really qualify, because the risk of heart attacks and strokes wasn’t great enough to justify the risk of unwanted bleeding associated with aspirin.
Anticholinergic use among older adults for three or more years is linked to an increased risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
There seems to be agreement that supplements are worthless in supporting good health. I?ve been taking a multivitamin for older women for many years. I also take a calcium supplement since I am lactose intolerant. Should I discontinue the multivitamin, the calcium, or both?
Smartphone applications (apps) that track and create charts of blood pressure readings over time may help people to better control their condition. But apps that use the phone itself as a blood pressure-measuring device may not be accurate.