Mobility, safety, and fall prevention Archive

A 2024 study found that the risk of premature death was 24% lower among people who used hearing aids regularly, compared with people who never used hearing aids.

Medical gaslighting describes when health care professionals seem to invalidate or ignore a patient's concerns. It can have many causes, such as a health care provider who has poor communication skills, limited time to speak with a patient, a lack of medical knowledge, or unconscious bias. Someone who suspects gaslighting is occurring during an appointment might try to reframe or rephrase health concerns or questions, or ask a buddy to speak on his or her behalf. If there's no resolution, it might be a good idea to get a different clinician.

A 2023 study found that between the 1930s and the mid-1980s, life expectancy in the United States was generally longer than in other wealthy nations. However, since the mid-1980s, the United States has been doing progressively and dramatically worse. Among many reasons for this change is the fact that the country doesn't make health care as widely available to all citizens as do other wealthy countries. For example, tens of millions of people in the United States do not have health insurance. Ultimately, it will be up to society to make health improvements nationwide.

The ketogenic diet deprives the body of carbohydrates for fuel. Instead, the body uses ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. Keto diet followers must eat fat at each meal. In a daily 2,000-calorie diet, that might look like 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. Ditching carbs means limiting fruits and vegetables, which raises the risk for nutrient deficiencies. The keto diet also increases the risk for kidney, liver, mood, and thinking problems.

When a study asked doctors and artificial intelligence to respond to selected patient questions, a chatbot received higher ratings for empathy and quality. But a closer look at the research spotlights important limitations and findings.

Though the visceral fat that lies behind the abdominal wall makes up only a small percentage of the body's fat, a growing body of research indicates that it is linked to a number of diseases and conditions.

Earwax helps keep the ear canal clean, but if it dries out it can clump together and cause a blockage. A few drops of water held in the ear canal for a minute or so will usually dislodge the wax.

With climate change, rising temperatures are making many regions dry within the US and beyond. The effects of droughts on the planet and our health are complex, and include water shortages, higher risk of disease, changes in habitability, and worse air quality.