Radon—a colorless, odorless gas—is estimated to be the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second leading cause of the disease overall. Here's how to find out if this toxic gas is polluting your home.

Investigators have found additional evidence of a connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive impairment. The findings show that as the severity of OSA increases, so do levels of amyloid plaque—a hallmark of...

Overall, studies report that about 50 percent of prescriptions are not taken “as directed." But when you have COPD, taking your prescribed medication properly can prevent you from getting sicker, keep you out of the hospital,...

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society adds to the growing body of evidence that long-term proton pump inhibitor use in older adults may not be entirely safe.

Did you know that many people with hoarding disorder also have another mental disorder, most commonly major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder?...

The placebo effect occurs when belief in a remedy or in the power of a trusted and caring practitioner actually helps the remedy work and triggers an improvement in symptoms and health. But is that how antidepressants work?

Currently, no tests are available to help identify which medication will work in each individual patient, so treatment often involves trial and error. The good news is ...

After depression has been treated and has gone into remission, what's the best way to keep it from recurring? Many people remain on medication, but a recent study suggests that preventive cognitive therapy (PCT) works just as...

Grading a cancer is a method doctors use to evaluate a patient's prognosis and determine the best management strategy.

Thanks to reliable diagnostic tests and numerous treatment options now available, death rates from prostate cancer are on the decline. Nearly 100 percent of men are still alive five years after a prostate cancer diagnosis, 98...

Taking a widely prescribed prostate cancer drug with a low-fat meal instead of on an empty stomach—the usual recommendation—can allow men to use a lower dose with no loss in effectiveness, a 2018 study in...

Men whose prostate cancer has not spread to other sites in the body but who have rapidly rising PSA levels despite androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) now have two more treatment options.

Clinical practice guidelines recommend that several evidence-based treatments be tried to relieve low back pain before patients consult with a doctor about spinal surgery. Yet a results from a recent survey published in ...

A patient's belief that he or she will recover from back-related leg pain and sciatica is an important predictor of successful recovery, according to a recent study in The Spine Journal.

Acupuncture combined with standard medical care is more effective than standard medical care alone for treating chronic pain, including back and neck pain, according to a meta-analysis published last year by British...

A recent study adds to the growing body of evidence that long-term use of opioids to treat chronic non-cancer pain, including back pain, should be the exception rather than the rule.

As the amount of care required by a person with Alzheimer's disease increases, so too does the work that that person's caregiver needs to do. The situation can be physically and emotionally draining, leading to caregiver...

A large, randomized trial known as SPRINT MIND indicates that intensely lowering elevated blood pressure could reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a slight but noticeable decline in memory and thinking skills...

Children might be at greater risk for swallowing toxic household products, but adults with dementia are also in jeopardy. Here are common household products to look out for and tips that can help you poison-proof the home.

If someone is diagnosed with early-stage dementia, does that mean his or her driving days are immediately over? Not necessarily, say new U.K. guidelines that address driving with dementia.

In the past, a test for measuring cholesterol levels was typically done by drawing blood after you fasted overnight. According to the latest guideline from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of...

Health literacy is key to preventing and managing heart disease—yet few patients have all the knowledge they need. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your care is optimal.

Even when air quality is not ideal, outdoor physical activity can still benefit your heart, suggests a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018.

After a heart attack, women are less likely than men to receive the recommended high-dose statin treatment. Results of a large U.S. study found that despite efforts to close gender gaps in heart disease treatment, women are...

Don't assume that snacks and beverages that boast “matcha“ in the name are healthful just because they contain this trendy ingredient.

Contact with nature has a host of potential physical and psychological benefits, according to a growing body of evidence. Researchers have focused mostly on the health effects of spending time in parks or wilderness, but two...

Exercise offers multiple health benefits, but how much do you really need to do? Updated evidence-based physical activity guidelines say even a little bit can pay off.

Alcohol may adversely affect the oral microbiome—that is, the colonies of bacteria and other microorganisms in the mouth—according to a 2018 study in the journal Microbiome, which included 1,044 people. And this may...

Glaucoma treatments can prevent vision loss and blindness, but many patients still experience problems like double vision (diplopia) and strabismus (misaligned eyes), which can interfere with their quality of life.

Researchers uncover a surprising link between cataracts and osteoporosis and identify important benefits of cataract surgery.

What if you've had cataract surgery and still need glasses or contact lenses? A laser treatment may someday make it possible for ophthalmologists to refocus intraocular lenses (IOL) that were implanted years before.

Many people who have cataracts aren't getting the treatment they need. Likely reasons range from the cost of surgery to access to treatment centers. But the lack of a family and social support system may also play a key role,...

A beverage made from fermented whey improves moderately bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), according to a small European study. The drink also appears to reduce the cell...

Did you know that as your weight creeps up, so does the size of your prostate? Research has shown that overweight men are more likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) than their normal-weight counterparts. The good...

Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) for BPH has been available for more than a decade. Today, however, most urologists have abandoned it. Here's why the procedure is no longer recommended.

You have more frequent urges to urinate, but then you get a hesitant, weak stream or dribbling. You may have trouble getting a solid night's sleep and may dread waiting in line for the men's room or seeing the "fasten seat...

We all know that sugar is a big factor in weight gain and obesity, but that's only the beginning, experts say; excess sugar consumption may contribute to a host of ills, from heart attacks to liver disease. But, how much added...

For meat eaters, fat may not be the only concern. A large observational study of Seventh-Day Adventists showed that a high intake of protein from meat is associated with an increased risk of dying prematurely from...

Over time, a gradual slowing of weight loss—a plateau—occurs. But don't get discouraged, you can get past it.

Most of us know that we shouldn't be drinking sugar-sweetened sodas and juices, as they can pack on the pounds. But what about low-calorie sweetened beverages, which have been touted as good replacements?

If you have arthritis of the hand, even the simplest tasks—such as twisting open a jar or lifting a bag of groceries—can seem nearly impossible as a result of pain, stiffness, and weakness. A bounty of new evidence has led to...

Many people with hip osteoarthritis (OA) can relieve pain and improve mobility with nonsurgical therapies, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Obesity increases the risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but does where you carry body fat matter?

How much exercise is safe and beneficial for people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other common forms of the disease? An expert panel weighs in.

Doctors have long known that people with diabetes are at greater risk of getting infections than people without diabetes. But exactly how much higher is the risk, and who is in the greatest danger?

In case you missed it, last fall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted patients and their caregivers and healthcare providers about proper usage of standard pen needles in their pen injectors after ...

Losing weight is one of the best things you can do to help lower your blood glucose level if you're overweight or obese and have diabetes. But that's often easier said than done. Intermittent fasting might be easier than daily...

As we age, our cognitive abilities tend to decline. It's unfortunate, but normal. Now, a study in about 5,200 cognitively normal, older people living in England shows that this decline is more rapid in individuals with elevated...

There's plenty most people can do to lower elevated blood pressure, including healthy lifestyle changes and a variety of different classes of hypertension medications. But even those strategies aren't enough for some people,...

Results of a large international study challenge some long-held notions about alcohol and the risks of stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular ills. They suggest ...

Mirror therapy may provide some improvement in the ability to move limbs affected by stroke, according to a recent review of the scientific literature on this rehabilitative treatment.

Results of a large international study challenge some long-held notions about alcohol and health. It found that overall, the standard definition of moderate drinking— one to two drinks per day—was linked to increased risk of...

Sustained alcohol consumption can increase your chances of developing alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and of cirrhosis-related death. Here's how to know if you could be at risk.

A large observational Chinese study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2018 linked drinking hot tea to esophageal cancer. But how great is the risk, and how hot is too hot?

Clinical evidence challenging many long-held standard approaches to the management of acute pancreatitis has recently come to light. Updated guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association reflect the latest...

People who have lifestyles consistent with guidelines established by the American Cancer Society (ACS) tend to have a lower risk of death from cancer and a better quality of life, according to a 2018 study in JAMA....

In people suffering from vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis, vertebroplasty (injection of acrylic bone cement to stabilize the fracture) is no better at relieving pain than injection of pain relievers,...

Updated advice on osteoporosis screening for women and men from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

If you're on a weight-loss diet, do more weight-bearing exercise to counter the potential adverse effects that this might have on your bones. That's a take-home message of a recent study in ...

Good balance can help prevent falls—a major cause of hip fractures. If you have low bone mass, maintaining good balance is important. And attention to balance is even more critical if you have fallen recently or have had two or...