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Are Depressed Teens Prone to Violence?

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Teens with depression might be more likely to commit violent crimes, a new study suggests.

Researchers who analyzed data from Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom consistently found modest increases in risk for violence among depressed teenagers. Information on more than 62,000 young...

A Shot of Caffeine May Speed Wake-Up After Anesthesia

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Caffeine may help patients wake up more quickly after general anesthesia, an animal study suggests.

Adult rats were given a 3 percent concentration of a general anesthetic for one hour to simulate effects of a brief surgical procedure. During the last 10 minutes of anesthetic exposure, they rec...

Having Same-Sex Parents Won't Affect Kids' Gender Identity: Study

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Same-sex couples are unlikely to influence the gender identity of their adoptive children one way or another, a new study finds.

Starting with preschool, researchers tracked the gender identity development of kids from 106 lesbian, gay or heterosexual families.

"Parental sexual orient...

Kids' Cases of High Blood Pressure May Rise Under New Guidelines

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- More U.S. kids and teens are likely to be diagnosed and treated for high blood pressure because of new guidelines released Monday from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

About 3.5 percent of children and teens have abnormally high blood pressure ("hypertension"), which often goes unnoticed and...

Hernia Patients May Need Fewer Opioids After Surgery, Study Finds

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hernia surgery patients may require far fewer opioid painkillers than they're prescribed, new research suggests.

The study included 186 adult patients who had elective inguinal ("groin") hernia repair surgery under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation.

Each patient received a p...

Lower Blood Pressure Best for Seniors' Minds

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For seniors and particularly blacks with high blood pressure, lowering it may help keep their minds sharp, a new study suggests.

The association between high blood pressure and the risk for mental decline is well-documented. But the ideal systolic blood pressure for older adults has been less c...

Zika Hijacks Pregnant Woman's Immune System

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The Zika virus thrives in pregnant women by suppressing their already dampened immune systems and running roughshod over their body's natural defenses, which allows the virus to directly attack the fetus, a new study reports.

A woman's immune system naturally suppresses itself during pregnancy ...

Majority of U.S. Parents Would Support Teen Switching Gender: Survey

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of U.S. adults surveyed would be supportive if they had a teenage child who wanted to transition to the opposite gender, a new online survey finds.

Women, college graduates and Northeast residents were slightly more likely than others to support kids who made this choice, accordi...

Study Supports Annual Mammograms Starting at Age 40

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- How frequently should women get a mammogram? Guidelines differ, but a new study estimates thousands of U.S. lives could be saved if mammograms were done every year from age 40 to 84.

"Screening annually starting at age 40 is the best strategy to avert an early breast cancer death," said study c...

Too Many Babies Still Placed on Stomach to Sleep: Study

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Despite years of public health campaigns, many American parents are still putting their babies to sleep in an unsafe position, a new study finds.

The study found that just half of mothers surveyed said they always put their babies to sleep on their backs.

Experts called the findings "...

Wellness Visits for Better Well-being

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If you want to stay on top of your health, no matter what your age, it's important to see your doctor for a regular wellness visit -- typically a yearly check-up that takes a head-to-toe look at you as a whole person.

A wellness visit is designed to improve your health and prevent diseases or u...

Sitting Could Be Big Health Risk for Frail Folks

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- After years of being told that sitting too much is deadly, a new study now suggests that being sedentary for long periods of time may not be an equal-opportunity health risk.

For inactive middle-aged and older people with multiple health problems, being sedentary does appear to be linked to an ...

Get Ready, Safely, for the Great American Eclipse

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- One of the biggest celestial events of a lifetime -- a total solar eclipse -- is heading towards millions of Americans on Monday.

But what's the safest way for your eyes to view it?

The total eclipse -- the first in nearly a century to stretch across the continental U.S. -- will treat...

'Weekend Warriors' Tend to Wear White Collars

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Wealthier Americans are more likely than others to be sedentary for much of the week and then turn into active "weekend warriors" on Saturdays and Sundays, researchers report.

Only about one in 20 U.S. adults (5 percent) currently meet the recommended exercise guidelines. The recommendations ar...

Popular Heartburn Drugs Don't Raise Risk of Alzheimer's: Study

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Widely used heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors do not appear to increase Alzheimer's disease risk, according to a new study.

Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid are commonly used proton pump inhibitors.

Two previous studies reported a higher risk of dementia among people who took...

FDA May Limit 'Risk Info' in Direct-to-Consumer TV Drug Ads

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may shorten the list of caveats for drugs you see advertised on television.

Prescription drug makers must now mention all benefits and risks in direct-to-consumer advertising, presenting viewers with a litany of potential harms, both major and minor. But a ...

Less is More for the Adult Cholera Vaccine

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say one dose of cholera vaccine appears to provide about the same protection as the standard two doses, at least for the first six months.

They also found that cholera vaccines are highly effective in adults but less so in young children, who are at particular risk of death from th...

'Confusion' Complicates Hospitalization of Elderly

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults with confusion are more likely to remain in the hospital longer once they are admitted, and are more likely to die, a new study finds.

"People with confusion -- or cognitive spectrum disorders -- make up over one-third of the population over 65 [in the U.K.] who are admitted as an...

Anti-Vaccine Family Members, Friends Spur Many Moms to Delay Baby's Shots

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If a pregnant woman hears anti-vaccine messages from family or friends about childhood immunizations, she's much more likely to delay her baby's shots, new research shows.

And that's true even if she hears positive messages after the discouraging ones, the New Zealand investigators found.

Gun Access May Drive Higher Suicide Rates in Rural Areas

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of suicide in rural America appears to be significantly higher than in urban areas, a new study reports.

And much of the reason may have to do with the greater prevalence of gun ownership in rural areas, the study authors said.

The findings stem from an analysis that focused ...