(bogdankosanovic/E+, Getty Images) A doctor’s presence during a blood pressure reading triggers a “fight or flight” response that can affect the results, say researchers who studied the effect by measuring nerve activity. “White coat hypertension” – the phenomenon when blood pressure rises in some people who are measured by a medical professional – has been…
(Westend61, Getty Images) This story is part of Eat It or Leave It?, a series that provides a closer look at the pros and cons associated with certain foods and drinks – and cooking options if you decide to eat them. The ancient world had a reverential affection for figs. They’re celebrated in both the…
(Foxys_forest_manufacture/iStock, Getty Images) For adults both young and old, eating a nutritious, plant-based diet may lower the risk for heart attacks and other types of cardiovascular disease, two new studies show. Both studies published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. One found eating a plant-centered diet in young adulthood lowered the risk…
(Mark Kolpakov/iStock, Getty Images) When actor Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the set of “Better Call Saul” last week in New Mexico, fans held their breath – and obsessively checked for updates on social media – until word came that he was expected to be OK. “I had a small heart attack,” he tweeted on Friday,…
(GoodLifeStudio/E+, Getty Images) Lea en español At-home schooling was no vacation for Francis Huang and her 11-year-old daughter, Cheyenne Kuo. The COVID-19 pandemic thrust remote learning upon their family in spring 2020. With it came the stresses now familiar to millions of families. “I think the whole year, we just tried to survive,” said Huang,…
(sam thomas/iStock, Getty Images) Older adults with obesity who combine aerobic exercise with eating slightly fewer calories each day see greater improvements in blood vessel health than those who just exercise or who exercise and eat a more restrictive diet, new research finds. The study found eating just 200 fewer calories per day while increasing…
(Rawpixel/iStock, Getty Images) A first heart attack is a serious, life-changing event, although most people now survive them. But a new study underscores the importance of doing everything possible to avoid another one. “It’s like taking another hit,” said Dr. Umesh Khot, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “One heart attack is a…