For the study, researchers examined data on 1,237 diabetes-free women who were 45 to 56 years old. At the start of the study, all the women had blood tests for chemicals known as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances), which are used to make consumer products water-repellent, stain-resistant, and nonstick. Over about 16 years of follow-up, a total of 102 women developed diabetes. Women with the highest exposure to a mixture of seven different types of PFAS were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes as women with the lowest exposure to these chemicals, the researchers reported April 11 in Diabetologia....

Chlorophyll water is made out of water and chlorophyll drops, and influencers claim it can make your skin glow, trim your waistline, and boost your energy. We consulted health experts to get the lowdown on this buzzy drink and whether you should try it. RELATED: Can Lettuce Water Actually Help You Sleep? What Are Chlorophyll Drops? Chlorophyll is a constituent that exists in plants and is a pigment that gives them their green color, says Gary Soffer, MD, integrative medicine physician at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut....

Every medicine on the market, every pill we swallow, every vaccine in use, was once the subject of a clinical trial; countless lives have been saved by penicillin and the smallpox vaccine, to reach back in history and name just two. Current advances include a long list of immunotherapies now approved for use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to treat lung cancer, as well as other cancers....

Yet you may be surprised to find that when the day comes, the anxiety you’ve felt during this pandemic year isn’t so quick to melt away. That’s what Stina Wedlock discovered. The 52-year-old physician in Indianapolis has been vaccinated for months now, yet she still feels reluctant to return to some of her favorite activities. “I loved going to the theater. I’ve even traveled across the country and to the United Kingdom to see my favorite actors in plays,” she says....

This goes for both black coffee and coffee sweetened with sugar, according to the study, published May 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. For the study, researchers followed 172,000 adults without any history of heart disease or cancer for an average of seven years. All of the participants were part of the U.K. Biobank, and provided extensive medical information including details about their diet and lifestyle. People who regularly drank black coffee were 16 percent to 21 percent less likely to die during the study period, while coffee drinkers who added about a teaspoon of sugar had 29 to 31 percent lower odds of a premature death....

So what kind of mask should you stock up on to thwart omicron, or whatever other variant might be headed our way? In response to the omicron-driven surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently offered an assessment of the various mask options — and gave its strongest endorsement to so-called respirators such as N95s. “While all masks and respirators provide some level of protection, properly fitted respirators provide the highest level of protection,” said the CDC....

Sound too good to be true? Research backs up the finding: A study published in February 2013 in the journal Cephalagia found that 60 percent of people who had sex during a migraine attack experienced some improvement in their headache symptoms. One theory is that sex may distract people from their pain. Another is that sex — in particular, an orgasm — releases endorphins, which can also help relieve pain, says Alexander Mauskop, MD, director and founder of the New York Headache Center....

The first two recorded outbreaks of Ebola happened in Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of Congo) and what is now South Sudan. At first, scientists thought these outbreaks were merely a single event linked to one infected person. They later learned that the Ebola virus was responsible for the clusters of illnesses. The virus would cause many more epidemics in the future. Experts are still researching what exactly causes an outbreak of Ebola....

Based on an analysis of health data from 4,000 adults whose fatty liver measurements were included in the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (from 2017–18), scientists discovered that people with obesity or diabetes who take in one-fifth or more of their daily calories from fast food have severely elevated levels of fat in their liver compared with those who eat less or no fast food. A diet consisting of at least 20 percent fast food was also linked to moderate increases in liver fat among the general population....

“We’re very excited for our patients about this addition to the toolbox for management of obstructive HCM. It won’t be for everyone — nothing ever is — but it is a very welcome tool,” says Sara Saberi, MD, a cardiologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor. Dr. Saberi was a coauthor on the EXPLORER-HCM study published in The Lancet, which was used as the basis for the drug’s approval....

PDE4 inhibitors suppress the immune system by reducing the action of an overactive enzyme (phosphodiesterase 4), thereby reducing inflammation. “It is always great to have another topical option to treat psoriasis, so this approval is exciting,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City. Zoryve will be a good choice for those patients who prefer to avoid a topical steroid, she adds. This approval offers yet another steroid-free option for people with plaque psoriasis; in May, the FDA approved Vtama (tapinarof) cream 1 percent for topical treatment of mild, moderate, or severe plaque psoriasis in adults....

The FDA emphasized that the action allows these tobacco products to be sold in the United States, but does not mean these items are safe or “FDA approved.” “All tobacco products are harmful and addictive and those who do not use tobacco products should not start,” wrote the federal agency. But R.J. Reynolds (RJR) Tobacco Company has now been granted the right to sell three of its Vuse vape products (including tobacco-flavored e-liquid pods) because intensive research and evaluation have suggested they can help smokers cut back on their habit or possibly stop smoking altogether....

From personal training apps and online streaming services to fitness trackers and artificial intelligence–integrated machines, fitness technology is certainly disrupting the industry. Two of the biggest fitness technology trends that will only get bigger in the coming year are virtual trainers — like those below — and recovery technology, according to Mike Rucker, PhD, chief digital officer for Active Wellness, a company that designs fitness centers and wellness programs. RELATED: How to Outfit a Home Gym RELATED: Quick Fixes for Sore Muscles Meanwhile, virtual trainers are being incorporated into a variety of equipment, from traditional cardio machines, like bikes and rowers, to interactive wall displays and yoga mats....

Here, learn about how the flexitarian diet works and find out whether the eating approach is right for your individual health and wellness goals. As its name promises, the diet is flexible, but it has guidelines about how much meat you should eat. In her book, Blatner suggests that eaters who are new to the flexitarian diet should first try “Beginner Flexitarian” and forgo meat two days a week, eating no more than 26 ounces (oz) of meat in total during the remaining five days....

Making the most of that Deepfreeze can be a great way to keep your shopping trips limited, help with saving money, and give you nutritious, versatile options. As long as you’re freezing the right way, that is. RELATED: Fresh vs. Frozen Food: Which Is Better for You? Here’s a quick cheat sheet on what to keep in mind. 1. Do: Consider Post-Thawing Texture After freezing and thawing, some foods are exactly the same as they’d been fresh....

In her nine years as a nurse, Headrick, now 34, had often fielded questions from patients who had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). She’d get calls from people who were experiencing flare-ups at the worst times, like one woman who was on her honeymoon and wondering if she should go to the emergency room. “I remember hanging up the phone and thinking, ‘I can’t imagine what this is like. I couldn’t go through this,’” Headrick says....

Skin rash, gastrointestinal (GI) problems, liver dysfunction, and other symptoms can develop as acute GVHD within 100 days after a transplant or crop up as chronic GVHD months — or even years — later, according to Cleveland Clinic. These symptoms can be mild, moderate, severe, or in some cases, life threatening. Before GVHD develops, you’ve likely already gone through a range of emotions. “The emotional toll of going through a stem cell transplant is significant,” says Elizabeth Muenks, PhD, who specializes in working with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and is the clinical director of psychology services for hematologic malignancies and cellular therapy at the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City....

These symptoms are often greatly reduced, or even eliminated, when you take pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) along with meals and make changes to your diet. But even when you take enzymes and follow a prescribed diet, you may still experience some distressing symptoms. The good news is that certain lifestyle habits can help reduce these symptoms. While their effectiveness may depend on the precise cause of your symptoms, these habits are always beneficial for your overall health....

Four out of every five people aren’t active enough, and more than a quarter of adults aren’t exercising at all, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Not only does being a “couch potato” take a personal toll, but researchers in a study published January 2015 in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases estimated that the lack of exercise adds up to an additional $117 billion in healthcare costs every year....

Herbs for Gas Relief A number of herbs with so-called carminative properties may help ease gas and prevent bloating, according to Angela Lemond, RDN, a dietitian and nutritionist based in Texas and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “[A] carminative,” she says, “is a substance that aids in the expulsion of gas.” One of the herbs shown to have carminative effects is ginger, the subject of a review published in April 2015 in the journal European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Studies....