Only about 11% of surgeries are considered “emergencies” that have to be performed immediately. With the other 89%, there is some flexibility on when they can be scheduled.[1]
But if you are considering having a procedure in July, perhaps you should reconsider.
It’s because of something researchers have dubbed the “July Effect.”[2]
July is the month medical residents fresh out of med school typically start their new jobs.… Read More
Blood-thinning drugs are supposed to prevent strokes. That’s the main reason millions of Americans who suffer from atrial fibrillation take them.
These anticoagulant medications include warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban.[i]
An alarming study shows that in some people these drugs actually increase the chances of having a stroke.
Researchers from the University College London and the University of Surrey studied 4,848 people over 65 with atrial fibrillation.… Read More
You may figure that weight gain is an inevitable part of aging. But a major study has discovered that there may be a hidden culprit behind mid-life body fat.
And it has nothing to do with getting older.
Researchers at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle followed the eating and drinking of habits of more than 49,000 post-menopausal women for five years.… Read More
When you go to the gym, you face a choice…
Should you do an aerobic workout?
Or strength exercises?
Or maybe a little of both?
Studies show they each have important and specific health benefits.
Aerobic exercise is good for your heart and lungs. It lowers blood pressure, improves immunity and blood lipids, and it promotes vascular health.[1]
Strength training builds stronger bones and muscles.… Read More
It not just how much you eat that makes you gain weight. It’s how you eat.
That’s the take-home message of a major study that found three simple eating habits can determine whether you’re fat or thin.
Researchers at Japan’s Kyushu University meticulously tracked the health and eating routines of nearly 60,000 people for six years. The scientists took detailed weight and body measurements.… Read More
Many of us don’t go a day without popping ibuprofen or acetaminophen. One study found that the average adult takes 373 over-the-counter pain pills a year.[1]
But if so many people take them, and you can buy them without a prescription, they must be safe… Right?
Not exactly.
A major study warns that these drugs have strange and frightening psychological side effects—ones that most people don’t know about.… Read More