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Health News Results - 24

'Spare Tire' in Middle Age Could Mean a Frail Old Age

Any 'middle-age spread' of excess weight around your tummy could raise your risk of becoming frail decades later, a new study suggests.

Obese folks who've packed on pounds around their waist are more likely to develop symptoms of frailty, including exhaustion, weak grip strength, slow walking speed and reduced physical activity levels, researchers say.

Those symptoms can make a per...

Weight-Loss Surgery Has Long-Term Benefits for Pain, Mobility

Bariatric surgery aims to help severely obese patients shed significant weight, and now new research shows that many can also look forward to lasting pain relief and mobility.

Though many patients regain some weight in the first couple of years after bariatric surgery, pain and m...

Can You Stand on One Leg for 10 Seconds? You Might Live Longer

It sounds easy, but standing on one leg for 10 seconds can be harder than you think.

And your ability to do so - or not - may predict whether you are more likely to die within the next decade, a new study suggests. That's why an international team of researchers says the 10-second test should be part of routine health checks for a...

Frail, But Living at Home: Program Helps Elderly Stay Strong

It's never too late to start exercising -- and the right activities might help you stay independent in your home.

While building healthy habits at an earlier age can have some long-term benefits, adding physical activity can help at all ages, new research suggests.

A new study found that physically frail elderly people with low muscle mass (sarcopenia) were able to reduce their leve...

Even a Little Exercise May Help Slow Parkinson's

A few hours of exercise a week may help slow Parkinson's disease, even if it's just moderate activity such as walking or gardening, a new study suggests.

The key is to be consistent, the researchers found.

"Although medications can provide people with Parkinson's some symptom relief, they haven't been shown to slow the progression of the disease," said study author Dr. Kazuto Tsukit...

Housework Might Boost Your Body & Mind

Seniors, looking for a way to stay mentally quick and physically strong? Start scrubbing.

Researchers from Singapore say housework may be a key to keeping your brain sharp as you age.

Their new study found that in older adults, cleaning house was tied to a better memory and attention span, a...

Blood Pressure During Surgery May Be Crucial After Spinal Cord Injury

Tight blood pressure control -- not too high and not too low -- during surgery for spinal cord injuries may improve patients' outcomes, a new study suggests.

"Damage to neurons in spinal cord injuries leads to dysregulation of blood pressure, which in turn limits the supply of blood and oxygen to stressed spinal cord tissue, exacerbating spinal neuron death," said co-lead author Abel Torr...

Vibration Therapy May Help Body, Mind in People With MS

Multiple sclerosis patients might be able to think more clearly and move more easily if they regularly undergo whole-body vibration training, a new pilot study reports.

A small group of MS patients who experienced vibration training showed improvements in decision making, information processing, attention and memory, according to find...

Big Rise in Injuries From E-Scooters, Hoverboards

Hoverboards, electric scooters and electric bikes are the transportation of choice for a growing number of Americans, but they're taking many straight to the emergency room.

Injuries associated with these so-called "micromobility products" skyrocketed 70% between 2017 and 2020, according to a soon-to-be-released report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

That in...

Special 'Strategies' Can Help People With Parkinson's Walk, But Many Patients Unaware

Movement can be very difficult for people with Parkinson's disease, as shaking and stiffness play havoc with balance, coordination and gait.

There are many different tricks Parkinson's patients can use to improve their walking and avoid injury from a bad tumble -- but a new study reveals that people often have to figure them out on their own, with no help from either a doctor or physical ...

Knee Replacement Won't Keep Golfers Off the Course

Golf after total knee replacement is apparently par for the course.

Researchers say most golfers can return to the links within five months of surgery and play as well -- or as poorly -- as they did before.

"A lot of patients come to the office wondering when they're going to be able to play or if they are going to ever be able to play, and if they can expect to be better or worse a...

Another Pandemic Harm: Seniors May Have Higher Risk of Falling

Older Americans already face a higher risk of falls, but the decline in physical activity during the pandemic may have made matters worse, a new survey suggests.

More than a third of the 2,074 U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 who took part in the online survey in January reported a decline in physical activity in the first 10 months of the pandemic, and 27% said their physical conditioning -- fl...

Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy May Help Parkinson's Patients Long Term

Parkinson's disease patients can get symptom relief with deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy that lasts over the long term, a new study shows.

Over 15 years, patients who received DBS, which requires surgical implantation, had significant improvement in motor symptoms and less need for medication, researchers found.

"Our study, for the first time, supports the efficacy of deep brai...

Shoulder Pain Can Plague Wheelchair Users, But Their Own Fat Cells Could Be Cure

People with spinal cord injuries can overwork their shoulders as they move about in a wheelchair, and that often leads to chronic shoulder pain.

However, a small study suggests that an injection of the patient's own fat cells can help ease the pain.

The injected cells cushion the joint and may repair it, the researchers explained. Most important, they said that the procedure - calle...

Man's Robotic Arm Works Faster With High-Tech Sense of Touch

The robot hand extends toward a small cube, guided by signals from electrodes implanted in the brain of partially paralyzed patient Nathan Copeland.

In surprisingly smooth fashion, Copeland's mind directs the robot hand to pick up the cube and move it to another part of the table.

The process works so well -- at speeds approaching those of average folks -- because for the first time...

B 11/18 Exoskeleton Helps Paralyzed People Walk Again

People paralyzed with spinal cord injuries can safely and effectively use an exoskeleton to assist them in walking, a new study finds.

"Participants showed improvement regardless of level of injury, completeness or duration of injury," said Gail Forrest, director of the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler Foundation in East Hanover, N.J.

The findings ...

Shall You Dance? Study Finds Dancing Helps Seniors Avoid Falls

Preventing falls in older age could be as fun as dancing them away, new research shows.

Researchers found a 31% reduction in falls and a 37% reduction in fall risk for those aged 65 and older when reviewing clinical trials on "dance-based mind-motor activities" from around the world.

"We were positively surprised by the consistency of our results," said study author ...

Concussion Can Lead to Vision, Balance Problems in Young Kids

Young children who suffer a concussion are likely to have vision and balance problems, according to a new study.

"Since one-third of pediatric and adolescent concussion injuries occur in elementary school-age children, we set out to provide a comprehensive description of children ages 5 to 11 years who were diagnosed with a concussion to pinpoint opportunities to improve the quality ...

Blood Test Might Predict Worsening MS

A new blood test might help doctors predict whether someone's multiple sclerosis may soon get worse.

The test looks for a substance called neurofilament light chain. It's a nerve protein that can be detected when nerve cells die. People with higher levels of it were more likely to have worsening MS effects within the next year.

"In a disease like MS that is so unpredictabl...

Vitamin D Might Aid Seniors' Recovery From Hip Fracture: Study

After a broken hip, seniors who have sufficient vitamin D have better odds of walking, a new study finds.

The study suggests that low levels of vitamin D could limit walking, according to researcher Sue Shapses, a professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

Nearly 300 patients undergoing hip fracture repair were assessed after surgery in ...

Young-Onset Parkinson's May Start in the Womb, New Research Suggests

People who develop Parkinson's disease at a younger age (before age 50) may have malfunctioning brain cells at birth, according to a study that also identified a drug that may help these patients.

At least 500,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson's each year. Most are 60 or older at diagnosis, but about 10% are between 21 and 50.

Parkinson's is ...

High-Tech 'Exoskeleton' Can Give Mobility Back to People With MS

Most people take the ability to move for granted, but not Kathy Miska.

Miska has had multiple sclerosis for two decades now, and her ability to get around has deteriorated steadily.

Now, a new robotic exoskeleton is giving her an opportunity to regain some of the mobility she's lost to the degenerative nerve disease.

"You can definitely tell when you get out of the suit....

3 Moves for Better Balance

Guarding against falls isn't just for the elderly. The inner ear's ability to maintain balance can begin to decline as early as age 40, according to a study in Frontiers of Neurology. So the time to improve your balance is now.

Strong legs and flexible ankles help prevent falls and allow you to catch yourself if you do trip, so target these areas through exercise. Here are thre...

Fun Moves for Better Agility

Agility, or the ability to react quickly to change without losing your balance, is an important skill not only for playing sports, but also for everyday living.

Strength training helps improve agility, but so do balance and coordination exercises. Simple moves include standing on one foot, standing on tiptoe and walking heel to toe.

Specific activities that boost agility: