Many “joint support” dietary supplements and herbal remedies are available, but there is no strong proof that they reduce pain and cartilage loss from osteoarthritis.
People with impaired hearing may be able to follow conversations fairly well, but with a lot of effort. High-tech miniaturized hearing aids are marketed aggressively, but may not supply the volume needed to hear clearly.
Weaker or lower-volume ejaculation often occurs with normal aging. Some surgeries or medications can contribute, but weak ejaculation does not usually indicate a serious medical problem.
Tea contains substances that have been linked to good health. Regular tea drinkers are less likely to develop diabetes and may have a lower risk of heart disease.
Research suggests a possible connection between eating extra protein and a lower risk for stroke.
Comedian and actor Robin Williams, who had fought substance abuse and depression, was found dead in his California home August 11. The Marin County sheriff’s office said the cause of death was suspected to be “suicide due to asphyxia.” Mr. Williams, 63, had been “battling severe depression,” his publicist said in a statement. After starring in the TV show “Mork and Mindy” in the 1970s, Mr. Williams had an honored film career. He created memorable characters in “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Aladdin,” “Dead Poets’ Society” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” among others. He won an Oscar in 1998 for playing a therapist in “Good Will Hunting.” Mr. Williams struggled at times with addictions to cocaine and alcohol. In 2006, he checked himself into a rehab center to be treated for alcohol addiction. He said at the time that he had fallen off the wagon after 20 years of sobriety.
Home testing can help to diagnose sleep apnea just as well as an overnight stay in a sleep lab, new guidelines from a major group of doctors say. People with sleep apnea stop breathing, briefly, many times each night. This can cause daytime sleepiness. The condition also has been linked with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Sleep apnea is usually diagnosed after overnight monitoring in a sleep lab. But home monitors have been used increasingly because they cost less and can be used by people who are not near a sleep lab. And research suggests the home monitors do the job, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says. ACP doctors provide primary care for adults. The new AAP guidelines say these home studies are fine for diagnosis of sleep apnea in most people.