The age when a woman first starts having her period may be much more significant than she or her doctor realize: It can impact her risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.But most women aren’t aware of this risk factor, said Dr. Carl Pepine, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville.“Not only are the women not aware of it, but their physicians aren’t aware of it. This is not recorded in most medical records — 90%,” Pepine told TODAY. “I just don’t think they were informed about it.”He now routinely asks his female patients about the age of their first period and encourages the doctors he trains to do the same and pay attention to this item in a woman’s health history.Pepine is the co-author of a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that found women who started menstruating even a year earlier or later than 12 — which is the average age of menarche, or the first period, for U.S. women — had a higher risk of “major adverse cardiac events.”

Why It’s Hot: Virgil Abloh takes some big swings with this track-inspired women’s sneaker.Price: $189 Style: Is “Track Casual” a thing? Available: November 14MORE INFOMORE IMAGESDesigner Virgil Abloh has already remixed the top shoes in Nike’s stable—including the speed-oriented Zoom Fly and classic Air Jordan—so it should come as no surprise that his Off-White streetwear label is taking on another Vapor Street design. But let’s be real: This is the strangest “running sneaker” released by the collaboration to date. Inspired by track and field, this women’s shoe has a phone-book-thick React foam midsole—borrowed from the Zoom Fly 3 running shoe—and all of the design quirks we’ve come to expect from an Off-White Nike, like a translucent ripstop upper, quotation-offset text printed on the midsole, and a plastic tag zip-tied to the laces.

A new study of mice has shown how stress hormones control fat and sugar levels in a time dependent way and how a high calorie diet can alter this rhythm.

It's hard not to laugh (while simultaneously whimpering) when you're waddling around the office or struggling to lift an arm to brush your teeth after a strenuous workout. Those are the moments I wish I had an on-call massage therapist to save me from all my body pressure and soreness.Of course, having a professional at your beck and call isn't realistic, so I went for the next-best solution: collaborating with licensed massaged therapist and RRCA certified running coach & personal trainer Beret Kirkeby to create a head-to-foot guide for relieving pressure and soreness on your own.Thanks to her recommendations, you, too, can target your pain and treat directly - just as long as you've consulted your doctor first.Kirkeby says headaches can often be "referred pain from the neck" - especially if the discomfort feels like "tight bands" around your head.

A father of two has banned lollipops for his family after his 5-year-old son nearly choked to death after being given one while trick-or-treating. Brett Cole of Devon, England, said his son Bobby was eating a lollipop while sitting with his mother when he began making choking noises, according to SWNS.© SWNS via Fox News“Deanna shouted for me and I hit him hard on the back to no effect,” Cole told SWNS. “He passed out and he went floppy. My wife gave him the Heimlich maneuver and after several thrusts it came out with sick and blood.”Cole said the family rushed Bobby to the hospital, and he has since recovered, but that they now want others to be aware of dangers something as seemingly harmless as a lollipop could pose for children.“Please, guys. Take this from me, ban these lollies,” he pleaded with his friends on Facebook. “I never post on Facebook but please take my advice. We have all cried our eyes out and Bobby is OK, he may not have been. Bobby is 5 and I stupidly thought this was old enough. I won’t make that mistake again, make sure you don’t!”

The Taurus full moon arrives during Scorpio season each year, anchoring us during an astrologically intense time. Are you feeling ungrounded? Anxious for no visible reason? Earthy Taurus can get your feet back on terra firma—making you strong and stable enough to alchemize all the mystical Scorpionic visions into tangible form.The Algonquin tribes and early colonial Americans called November's lunation the Beaver Moon because in North America, it was the last chance to set beaver traps before the waters froze. This week, put an infrastructure in place to "capture" the dream you've been hunting since during the Taurus new moon six months ago. You don't have to tiptoe anymore—this full moon gives you permission to open up the throttle. Just remember to take the curves with Taurean precision and pragmatism.

This Wednesday, Ireland will see sweeping alcohol advertisement restrictions take effect, the most comprehensive attempt to regulate the industry in Irish history. The new measures, introduced by Minister for Health Simon Harris, passed the Irish legislature last October.© Photo: william87 (iStock)The tighter restrictions are aimed at “changing the culture of drinking in Ireland.” According to a 2016 study from the World Health Organization, an estimated 39% of Irish people had binge-drank in the last 30 days, second only to Austria at 40.5%. (For context, the U.S. reported 26% of Americans had had an “episode of heavy drinking” in the past month.)So what, exactly, is being banned? Starting Wednesday, it will be illegal for alcohol advertisements to be within 200 meters (656 feet, for those who didn’t run track in high school) of schools, daycare centers, and public playgrounds. It’ll also ban alcohol advertisements on public transit and at transit stations, and at most movie theaters, and on children’s clothing. Indeed, it sounds like the objective of these bans is to hide the very existence of alcohol from anyone under 18.

We’re partial to a veggie-heavy diet here at mbg, but there will always be some people who simply can’t get over their disdain for greens. If this frustration sounds familiar to you, don’t sweat (or, you know, force feed yourself kale): You may have a gene that makes you hate vegetables.Scientists presenting at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions found a gene linked to an aversion to the taste of leafy greens. But don't get too excited. The researchers aren't talking about a mere preference of other foods over, say, broccoli: “We're talking a ruin-your-day level of bitter,” says study author, Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., R.N. What did the team find? In the vast world of tiny taste buds, every person inherits two copies of a taste gene, but people can inherit different variations of the gene. For example, they found that people who inherit a variant called AVI aren't sensitive at all to bitter tastes (ever met someone who thrives on the taste ofbitter greens?).

Heart disease is the world's leading killer and high cholesterol is a key risk factor.

These animals, rescued along the Orange County coastline, were brought to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California. Some sea lions are sick, some injured. Colby Hollabaugh, a former Marine, leads the Sea Lions for Service Members course.  He's been diagnosed with PTSD, and that's helped him empathize with wounded animals, like the sea lion named Zion. "Zion was very badly entangled, and pinned down against a buoy," Hollabaugh said. "I saw a lot of me in Zion. Zion thought he was doing just fine, he was gonna figure it all out on his own, right? And it's not until someone helps you that you realize how badly you needed the help."© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Zion was brought to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California. Veterans Lisa Stein and Erika Diotalevi discovered the program while searching for help for PTSD.

Related Video: Teen Broadway Actress Laurel Griggs Dies (Provided by CNN)Laurel Griggs, who first won over Broadway at the age of 6 starring alongside Scarlett Johansson in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, died Nov. 5 at the age of 13 from an asthma attack.The theater community is grieving the young actress, who also starred in several movies and television shows, including Saturday Night Live, and many have voiced surprise at how the common lung condition could turn deadly.“It’s with heavy heart that I have to share some very sad news. My beautiful and talented granddaughter, Laurel Griggs, has passed away suddenly from a massive asthma attack,” Laurel’s grandfather, David B. Rivlin, shared to Facebook on Nov. 6. “Mount Sinai was valiant in trying to save her but now she’s with the angels.”

Younger people with cannabis use disorder are at an increased risk of heart rhythm problems, according to a new presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. A second presentation says that young people who use weed frequently are at a higher risk for stroke.The first presentation found that a young person diagnosed with a cannabis use disorder had a 47% to 52% greater risk of being hospitalized for an arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, if they regularly used weed.Heart rhythm problems occur when the electrical impulses that make your heart beat in time don't work quite right -- making your heart beat too fast or too slow, or irregularly. This isn't just a disconcerting feeling; it can be deadly. A problem with the heart's rhythm can also lead to a stroke or heart failure.

NASA recently detected a massive thermonuclear explosion coming from outer space.The culprit seems to be a distant pulsar, the space agency reports, which is the stellar remains of a star that blew up in a supernova but was too small to form a black hole. NASA spotted the burst because it sent out an intense beam of x-rays that got picked up by the agency’s orbital observatory NICER.All in all, it serves as a potent reminder: space is an extremely dangerous, extremely metal place.The August explosion released in 20 seconds the same amount of energy our Sun would need 10 days to unleash, according to research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters last month.“This burst was outstanding,” NASA astrophysicist Peter Bult, who led the research, said in NASA’s statement. “We see a two-step change in brightness, which we think is caused by the ejection of separate layers from the pulsar surface, and other features that will help us decode the physics of these powerful events.”

I haven’t run alone in years. My dog almost always runs with me, and we usually meet my friend Bethany on a busy corner about half a mile from our respective houses. The rest of the time, I run with Juliet Litman, a woman I’ve never actually met.Juliet hosts Bachelor Party, my favorite podcast. It’s about the The Bachelor, which I watch mainly so I can listen to Bachelor Party (OK, it’s also kind of fun to watch a fantasy world in which love is the product of abs, whitened teeth, and going on a “journey” together). Have you ever had a friend who’s such a joy to be around they always leave you feeling lighter? That’s Juliet, except better, because I can bask in her charisma without having to add anything insightful or waste perfectly good running breath saying it. Between new episodes of Bachelor Party, I run to one of the 10 or so other podcasts I subscribe to. My addiction started with This American Life, the gateway drug for many podcast listeners. Before Ira, I ran to music, which acted like auditory caffeine. The problem was I wanted to be lulled, not stimulated.

Signing on for a marathon is one of the biggest commitments a runner can make. It’s a promise to wake up early on weekends, go longer than you’re used to (and then longer again), and run yourself into the best shape of your life. So how do you even begin to pick one? First, remember this time-tested truth: They’re all good marathons. Our staff and contributors have run a combined 193, and we’ve yet to encounter a true, offensive-to-the-sport, jail-the-race-director stinker.That said, when we dig deep and look into our warm, sweaty hearts, we have our favorites we think you should consider. These races stand out for excelling in their own way, whether scenery, vibe, speed, support, or overall package. And we didn’t create this list alone. Runner’s World consulted six marathon icons for their input on the greatest races on earth. So when you’re ready to make the plunge for the first, or fiftieth, time, know that these marathons promise the race of a lifetime.

A 21-year-old is lucky to be alive after he fought back from a near-fatal case of meningitis that he thought was food poisoning. Matthew Griffin, who said his symptoms started with vomiting after finishing his shift at a pub, was found unconscious on the hallway floor by his terrified parents, according to SWNS.© SWNS via Fox News“I woke up too ill to go to university and stayed at home while my parents went to a friend’s birthday meal.” Griffin, 21, told British news agency SWNS. “I told my parents I’d be OK and I’d sleep it off. As the morning went on, I had an intense headache and my neck began to stiffen.” Griffin, of North Worcestershire, England, told SWNS that he was throwing up “so hard my ribs were hurting and it was a dark green bile and I was dehydrating.”Griffin said that by the time his parents got back, he was unresponsive on the floor and they immediately dialed for paramedics. He was rushed to the intensive care unit, where he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and placed on life support.

Primary care providers often don't realize that hair care can be a barrier to regular exercise for some black women, a new study suggests. Hair care routines aren't a barrier for every African American woman, said study leader Dr. Sophia Tolliver, "but they are for a significant enough number."Creating a hairstyle "could take several hours during the day," Tolliver said. Women may fear that working out and perspiring potentially could ruin that hairstyle, she added.In a survey of primary care providers, Tolliver and colleagues found an overwhelming majority talk to their female African American patients about the importance of exercise. But three-quarters said they don't talk with these patients about hair care, which can be a barrier to vigorous workouts, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

New research assesses the costs and benefits of implementing the 2017 hypertension guidelines released by the American Heart Association (AHA).

A new study finds that increases in temperature negatively affect mental health outcomes. The authors conclude that this is due to sleep disturbance.

Ambrosia Health is back.Following a brief shuttering — and then a rebranding effort during which it was known as Ivy Plasma — the “young blood” clinic has gone back to its roots: selling plasma sourced from the blood of 16- to 25- year-olds to healthy patients who believe the transfusions can give them ill-defined health benefits.“People really like the Ambrosia name and brand, so Ambrosia is going to continue,” Ambrosia founder and young blood advocate Jesse Karmazin told OneZero. “The resounding response from people wanting to sign up was, ‘keep things the same.’ So that’s what we’re going to do.”With the return to its original branding, Ambrosia is also embracing a new business model.When it was Ivy Plasma, the clinic offered transfusions in San Francisco and Tampa. It since shuttered the clinic in Tampa, but Karmazin told Futurism that Ambrosia will ship plasma directly to any customer’s doctor so they can get their dose of young blood without having to fly to California.

The RW Takeaway: The RecTrek Jacket will keep you cozy from blustery fall days to the first showers of spring. Sizes: XS to XL Colors: Mineral Blooms (shown), Electric Navy, BlackBuy NowMore ImagesNow deep into the fall months and steadily approaching winter, it has reached the time of year where I end up puttering around my closet for an hour before venturing outside to run, completely perplexed by what to wear. While layering is smart, I hate the stiff, heavy feeling that accompanies multiple long sleeves and likewise, the sloppy feeling of a too-loose jacket flapping against the back of my head. Case in point—I am a tough customer. But the Outdoor Voices RecTrek Jacket was a pleasant surprise—shockingly warm, impressively light, with a fun yet not overwhelming print. You could offer me the warmest most comfortable jacket ever, but if it has a hood, there is a nine-out-of-ten chance that I wouldn’t buy it. Why? Hoods are a nuisance. They slap me in the face, never stay up when I need them to, and often come with annoying tassels that make me want to hulk out a mile into my run.

Seattle Children’s hospital has closed 11 of its operating rooms after air tests conducted this weekend detected mold in multiple areas. The move comes several months after one person died and five others were sickened due to a mold infestation at the hospital.“On Nov. 10, routine air test results revealed the presence of Aspergillus in three of our operating rooms and two procedural areas,” Kathryn Mueller, a Seattle Children’s spokesperson, told Fox News via email. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have currently closed 11 of our operating rooms. At this time, we will continue to perform emergent surgeries in the operating rooms that have advanced in-room filtration. Some surgical cases may be postponed or diverted to other local hospitals. We are also investigating two new potential Aspergillus surgical site infections.”

If you have ever been to a cross-country race with the Emerald Ridge High School team, of Puyallup, Washington, you may have witnessed their unique prerace ritual—line dancing to “Footloose.”© Connor Bates They tear up the course before well, tearing up the course. It all began two years ago after an invitational meet. After the kids finished their races and began cooling down, the “Cupid Shuffle” came on over the loudspeakers. That’s when the runners busted out the line dance.Then, when the women’s team qualified for the Washington State meet that year, they celebrated with—you guessed it—the Cupid Shuffle. Head Coach Jay Bates took notice of how the dance seemed to engage and relax the runners, and that’s exactly how he wanted them to feel prerace. So, this year during the first week of practice, he taught all of his kids a new tradition.

The longer ago a transgender person’s gender-affirming surgery, the less likely they are to suffer anxiety, depression or suicidal behavior, the study suggests.

If you have ever been to a cross-country race with the Emerald Ridge High School team, of Puyallup, Washington, you may have witnessed their unique prerace ritual—line dancing to “Footloose.”It all began two years ago after an invitational meet. After the kids finished their races and began cooling down, the “Cupid Shuffle” came on over the loudspeakers. That’s when the runners busted out the line dance.Then, when the women’s team qualified for the Washington State meet that year, they celebrated with—you guessed it—the Cupid Shuffle. Head Coach Jay Bates took notice of how the dance seemed to engage and relax the runners, and that’s exactly how he wanted them to feel prerace. So, this year during the first week of practice, he taught all of his kids a new tradition. “It really works like a dynamic exercise,” Bates told Runner’s World. “Not only are they getting warmed up, but it’s a way to take some of the stress and anxiety out of racing.”

“I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life,” the former president wrote in a letter to America.

New research finds a link between narrower and more curved retinal blood vessels on the one hand and higher blood pressure and stiff arteries, on the other.

Finally, the government says it’s pretty sure what’s behind the mysterious “vape lung” epidemic that’s been spreading across the country, affecting more than 2,000 people and killing at least 39.A compound called vitamin E acetate has been found in all 29 lung fluid samples taken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Washington Post reports. And while the CDC was looking for a wide range of other toxins and dangerous compounds, it didn’t find any in those particular samples.The FDA first identified vitamin E acetate as a possible cause for vape lung back in September. The compound, which WaPo reports is used as a cutting agent in black market THC vapes, is considered safe to eat and touch. But scientists have a poor understanding of what vaporized vitamin E acetate does when inhaled.

It's cold and flu season, and you're already on high alert. You have a tickle in your throat, Janet in Finance is coughing all over the coffee machine, and someone on the subway just sneezed on you (yuck). (See: How to Avoid Getting Sick During Cold and Flu Season)The common cold is particularly contagious, and can be more than a pesky nuisance that costs you a couple of sick days (or keep you form your workout). Let's take a look at how long a cold is contagious, exactly, and how to keep from getting one in the first place.Pre-cold: Fun fact: Your contagion period starts before you even have symptoms. Specifically, you can share cold germs one day before symptoms begin, according to Rajsree Nambudripad, M.D., an integrative medicine specialist with St. Jude Medical Center in Southern California.

Walk into any gym, and you’ll see a machine with a bunch of cables attached to it somewhere on the floor. And while it may seem intimidating, the cable machine is actually an easy way to get a good abs workout in. The cable machine is a one-stop shop for core exercises, since there’s virtually no limit on how many you can do. And while strong legs are, of course, important for running at max power, a strong core is equally as essential since it provides the stability your other muscles need to function optimally during training runs and races. That’s why Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., CEO and founder of TS Fitness in New York City, created a seven-move cable machine workout that targets your core. How to do it: Watch the videos below and perform 10 to 12 reps of each exercise per side. Stand upright next to the cable machine so your left side is facing it and grab the cable with your left hand. Bring the cable to the middle of your torso and hold onto the handle with both hands. Stand so that your feet are in a split-stance position—your right leg out in front and bent a bit, your left leg behind and straight. Extend both arms straight out in front of you and then bring them back to starting position. That’s one rep.

The company that would later become Reebok began as teenage tinkering: In 1895, Joseph William Foster started making shoes in his bedroom in Bolton, England. He developed some of the first running spikes, and soon opened a factory called Olympic Works to meet growing demand from athletes for his renowned “running pumps.” The company’s status as a performance shoemaker was cemented at the 1924 Olympics, where British runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell brought home gold medals while wearing shoes made in the Olympic Works factory. Run Fast ProShop NowGrasse Road 2 STShop NowFloatride Run FastShop NowForever EnergyShop NowHarmony Road 3Shop NowIn 1958, Joseph William Foster’s two grandsons founded Reebok (named after an Afrikaans word for a type of antelope) and continued to release innovative shoes. The company’s Aztek shoe nabbed a five star rating from Runner’s World back in 1979, and its women’s aerobics shoes, which debuted in the mid-80s, became wildly popular during the step aerobics craze. In the early 2000s, Reebok received high marks for its Premier line of running shoes, including the Trinity KFS (for Kinetic Fit System). The Kinetic Fit System in this shoe’s upper was designed to flex with the foot as it changed shape during a runner’s stride, which resulted in a better fit and a more stable ride.

NOV. 11, 2019 -- Long-time "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak is recovering after emergency surgery on Thursday to repair a blocked intestine, CBS News reports.A statement issued by the show said the 73-year-old Sajak is resting comfortably after the successful surgery. Taping of the popular game show was paused on Thursday, and resumed Friday with co-host Vanna White at the helm, for shows that will start airing Dec. 9.It's not yet clear how long Sajak will be away from the show, CBS said, or how long White will fill in as host.

Everyone loves a great story. Storytelling really has its roots in the beginning of human existence, a communication system that developed with the first societies. Its purpose has always been critical: to be the oral history of significant events, to transfer knowledge and to ensure the longevity of traditions, values and social norms. We spend hours consuming the tales of other people through all aspects of journalism – magazines, blogs, news broadcasts and conversation. The world has seen an entirely new industry in the genetic and ancestral searches for people to track down their family history – the story of their lives through previous generations. Stories are also for entertainment and society building as a vehicle to understand the complexities of the world as it exists. As an Indian proverb suggests, "Tell me a fact and I'll learn. Tell me a truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."

A new study has looked at why people who experience déjà vu sometimes have warped memories regarding the accuracy of their false predictions.

Over the past 10 years, we've seen major medical advances in the treatment of illnesses like cancer and diabetes. 

While exercise is important for preventing certain diseases, it’s also crucial to continue doing it if you are diagnosed with them. According to new research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, people with cancer who exercise during their chemotherapy treatments have less heart damage than those who don’t. The paper, which reviewed numerous previous studies and data on thousands of cancer patients, concluded that those who regularly incorporated aerobic and resistance training into their routines reported being less fatigued, feeling less pain and nausea, and having better overall physical function than those who were mostly sedentary. What’s more, research points to a lower mortality rate among those who exercised during their treatment. One study even found that when those battling breast cancer got regular physical activity, they were less likely to relapse.

A new study looks at how mental health training affects managers' abilities to support their employees and take measures to prevent mental health issues.

More than 25,000 pounds of ready-to-eat meals are being recalled by Ezzo Sausage Co. over fears they could contain a potentially deadly food-poisoning bug.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a class I notice on Saturday after the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was told samples of affected products tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.Products affected by the recall include different brands of pizzas and pepperoni produced on Oct. 29, Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, 2019, before being shipped to distribution centers in Idaho and Ohio. Customers can identify products by the establishment number "EST. 1838A," printed inside the USDA mark of inspection.While there have been no reported cases of customers falling sick or experiencing any adverse health effects after consuming the products, people are being advised to speak to a medical professional if at all concerned.

Ah, coffee. The focal point of many a morning ritual, our cups of joe come paired with some notable health benefits—from burning fat to fighting cognitive decline. While not everyone can stomach coffee, those who can will be pleased to know that recent research suggests most people can enjoy five cups a day (and some up to 25 cups!) before the habit starts to compromise heart health.If you're an avid sipper, chances are your coffee maker takes a beating. According to Becky Rapinchuk, natural cleaning expert and author of Clean Mama's Guide to a Healthy Home, you might want to start scrubbing your machine out more often—since it can easily grow mold and mildew. Thankfully, it's a pretty hands-off cleaning project though it can be time-consuming. All you'll need to get started is some cold water, white vinegar (aka the acidic superstar of the nontoxic cleaning scene), and patience. Here is Rapinchuk's step-by-step guide to cleaning up your machine, whether you use a Keurig or drip maker.

Vaping could harm heart health, according to scientists who fear e-cigarettes could be as damaging as tobacco smoke. © Getty A stock image shows a woman holding a traditional cigarette and an e-cigarette in the palm of her hand. Scientists have studied the harms of both. Two separate studies on e-cigarettes come as health officials try to get to grips with a U.S.-wide outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses, which have affected over 2,000 people. Both pieces of research are due to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019, and haven't been published in peer-reviewed journals.One study involved 476 people aged between 21 and 45. Of the total, 94 didn't smoke, 45 used e-cigarettes, 52 used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, while 285 smoked tobacco. Those who only used e-cigarettes had lower total cholesterol and higher so-called "bad" LDL cholesterol. Those who both vaped and smoked had lower "good" cholesterol levels. 

Smoking cigarettes has long been established as a major cause of heart disease deaths; now, there's growing evidence that electronic cigarettes may hurt the heart, too.In two separate studies that will presented at the upcoming meeting of the American Heart Association, e-cigarettes use was shown to impact cholesterol, as well as the body's ability to pump blood.In one study, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine compared the cholesterol levels among four groups of adults: people who used e-cigarettes, people who smoked regular cigarettes, those who used both products, and nonsmokers. All 476 participants were basically healthy and had not been diagnosed with heart disease.But those who vaped, the study found, had higher levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol, on average, compared with nonsmokers. And levels of healthy HDL cholesterol were lower among people who used both traditional and e-cigarettes.

You might not be able to tell when you watch Jeremy Irons asWatchmen’s Adrian Veidt—dressed in a vest and button-down, awash with lamp and moonlight, fussily reaching over his boat, reeling up, inspecting, and tossing about half-dead babies—but he’s having a helluva time. For the last four weeks, Irons has regaled us with the kind of frozen-corpse-stomping behavior native only to the best of sardonic television, which HBO’s Watchmen most certainly is—fishing scene included. And Irons wasn’t too mortified when he read the part and learned of his character's wicked foibles. “Not at all,” he says in the Gramercy Park Hotel, chatting just a day before he took the stage at New York Comic Con. In fact, pausing, thinking: “Maybe a hint of excitement.” Baby-fishing wouldn’t be the most villainous—or villain-seeming—act a Jeremy Irons character has ever committed; he's played numerous literary, cinematic, and historical villain from Judas, to Scar, to Lolita’s Humbert Humbert to Renaissance mafioso pope Rodrigo Borgia. In fact, the English actor may be at his absolute best when he’s playing the unredeemable, bad, monstrous.

Identifying your period symptoms and how they're related and figuring out the order of operations can be complicated because, well, our bodies and ecosystems are complicated. I mean that in the best way; if we weren't complicated, we would be dudes. OK, sorry, that was a little joke. Seriously, our systems are complex because the act of making humans is sophisticated stuff. These four archetypes come straight out of Chinese medicine and can help you see some of your basic patterns and how to go about making a few changes.Note: You are very unlikely to be just one archetype. As I said, you and your body are complex, so don't be deterred if you see some of yourself in several of the patterns. I want you to be able to understand that you're not just one symptom or another but rather groups of symptoms that are, in turn, parts of larger groups of symptoms.

Efforts to reduce deaths from breast cancer in women have long focused on early detection and post-surgical treatment with drugs, radiation or both to help keep the disease at bay. And both of these approaches, used alone or together, have resulted in a dramatic reduction in breast cancer mortality in recent decades.The average five-year survival rate is now 90 percent, and even higher — 99 percent — if the cancer is confined to the breast, or 85 percent if it has spread to regional lymph nodes.Yet, even though a steadily growing percentage of women now survive breast cancer, the disease still frightens many women and their loved ones. It affects one woman in eight and remains their second leading cancer killer, facts that suggest at least equal time should be given to what could be an even more effective strategy: prevention.

Washing your face, it turns out, is very complicated. Who knew that your morning and evening ritual could come with so many roadblocks and potential hang-ups? And here's the thing: It's a step that so often gets overlooked for other fancier, more sensorial steps. But it really shouldn't. Without a proper wash, all the actives that follow might not be as effective. Or, even worse, improper face washing might lead to breakouts, skin inflammation, dryness, or more.It's a vital step! So we talked to holistic esthetician Kimberly Yap Tan about the most common mistakes people make. Watch and read on below! Even as a beauty editor, I realized I was, um, screwing up a bit (hot water! brushing my teeth post-wash!). So no shame if any of these sound like your routine—they all have very easy fixes. Mistake 1: Wrong water temperature

When Timothy Hellrung was told he had aggressive cancer this past June and had only days or weeks to live, he knew where he wanted to die.Mr. Hellrung, a 73-year-old veteran of the Vietnam War disabled by Agent Orange, spent his last 10 days in hospice care at the community living center of the V.A. Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan. The staff provided him with a roomy suite. A social worker wheeled in a bed for his wife of 44 years, Brenda, and gave her pajamas so she could be comfortable spending every night with him.“The V.A. became family to us,” Ms. Hellrung said. On his first day in hospice, a roomful of veterans honored Mr. Hellrung by placing a pin on his clothing with the American flag and the words “thank you for your service.”

The sensations surged up from somewhere inside, like poison through a syringe: a mix of sadness, anxiety, and shame that would overwhelm anyone, especially a teenager.“I had this Popsicle stick and carved it into sharp point and scratched myself,” Joan, a high school student in New York City said recently; she asked that her last names be omitted for privacy. “I’m not even sure where the idea came from. I just knew it was something people did. I remember crying a lot and thinking, Why did I just do that? I was kind of scared of myself.”She felt relief as the swarm of distress dissolved, and she began to cut herself regularly, at first with a knife, then razor blades, cutting her wrists, forearms and eventually much of her body. “I would do it for five to 15 minutes, and afterward I didn’t have that terrible feeling. I could go on with my day.”

Would you give your life savings to an investment broker you never met? Purchase a home you never saw? Buy a car you never drove? So why put your children's future in the hands of teachers you don't know? Since the investment in your child's future is of the utmost importance, closely managing that investment should be paramount in your thinking. You begin by being involved in your children's education, holding both them and their teachers accountable, which guarantees you get the best return on your educational investment in your children.As previously stated, developing strong partnerships with your child's teachers becomes an essential part of that investment because it deals with the business of your child's future. When parents view their child's education as similar to an investment, they can become more effective at managing their child's progress toward their highest level of achievement to get the best return. This 18-year commitment can become a highly significant asset to a child's learning career, which will pay huge dividends now, in your child's future, and for the rest of his or her life.

If certain vegetables have always made you gag, you may be more than a picky eater. Instead, you might be what scientists call a "super-taster:" a person with a genetic predisposition to taste food differently.Unfortunately, being a super-taster doesn't make everything taste better. In fact, it can do the opposite. Super-tasters are extremely sensitive to bitterness, a common characteristic of many dark green, leafy veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, to name a few."The person who has that genetic propensity gets more of the sulfur flavor of, say, Brussels sprouts, especially if they've been overcooked," said University of Connecticut professor Valerie Duffy, an expert in the study of food taste, preference and consumption."So that [bitter] vegetable is disliked, and because people generalize, soon all vegetables are disliked," Duffy said. "If you ask people, 'Do you like vegetables?' They don't usually say, 'Oh yeah, I don't like this, but I like these others.' People tend to either like vegetables or not."

Prior to its abrupt close in November 2017, Iron March was one of the most influential neo-Nazi websites in the world. Investigators have linked the site to murders, acts of terrorism, and fascist groups in at least nine different countries.And now, thanks to a leak from an anonymous source, researchers have access to the entire contents of Iron March — including the user names, registered email addresses, and IP addresses of nearly 1,000 site members.On Wednesday, someone using the handle “antifa-data” posted a 1GB SQL database appearing to contain all of the data from Iron March to the Internet Archive.In addition to info that could lead to the identification of Iron March members, the database also includes the contents of members’ public messages and private chats, much of which — as you’d expect from a neo-Nazi site— is rife with hateful speech and white supremacist rhetoric.

Spending long hours working in front of your computer has been giving a neck pain. People would say you just need to fix your posture and find a comfortable position to relieve pain. © PixabayBut bad postures may not always be the real cause of neck or spinal pain, especially in people who experience repeated episodes. It also occurs due to poor sleep, reduced physical activity and increased stress, according to Christian Worsfold, a visiting lecturer in physiotherapy at the University of Hertfordshire in England.In fact, sleep, exercise and stress cause more neck pain than bad postures. Worsfold said there is little to no evidence suggesting specific postures contribute to the condition. “Although beliefs about posture run deep, science is telling a very different story – and there is a strong challenge to the long-assumed role of posture as a cause of neck pain,” he said in an article posted on The Conversation. “People do sit in positions that vary from person to person, but it appears to have nothing to do with pain.”

Scientists in Canada have developed a sensor that detects and raises the alarm when children or pets are left alone in a car.The device uses radar technology and artificial intelligence to trigger an alarm when an animal or child is detected alone in a vehicle, with the team behind the product saying it works with 100% accuracy.The sensor, which measures just over an inch, would be attached to a vehicle's ceiling or rear-view mirror. Its radar signals would be reflected back by people or pets inside the car, and AI would then analyze the findings to determine whether to raise the alarm, according to the scientists at the University of Waterloo in Canada.The device would prevent doors from locking and sound an alarm to alert the driver and people in the area."It addresses a serious, world-wide problem," George Shaker, an engineering professor at the university, said in a statement. "This system is so affordable it could become standard equipment in all vehicles."

In the grain-free pizza crust hierarchy, cauliflower tends to hold the top slot. However, there have been some other alternative-crust creations as of late (sweet potato or quinoa crust, anyone?), and this recipe from Peter and Kelli Bronski's No Gluten, No Problem: Pizzaadds one more nutritious ingredient to the mix: zucchini.Use this veggie-based crust as the base for all of your favorite pizzas—be it a traditional Margherita, a smoky barbecue chicken, or a fancy fig and prosciutto pie. The possibilities are endless, and you'll be sure to get your fill of fibrous veggies. Grain-Free Zucchini Crust Makes one 12-inch (30-cm) pizzaExcerpted from No Gluten, No Problem Pizza: 75+ Recipes for Every Craving—From Thin Crust to Deep Dish, New York to Naples© Kelli Bronski and Peter Bronski, 2019. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com.

By EJ Mundell HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Nov. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Speaking outside the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump said his administration plans to raise the U.S. federal legal age to buy e-cigarettes from 18 to 21.That's just one plank in the administration's new plan to curb youth vaping, Trump told reporters."We have to take care of our kids, most importantly, so we're going to have an age limit of 21 or so," the Associated Press reported.The White House's proposed move is not the first in the United States: About a third of states have already raised their sales age to 21. But federal law still puts the age at 18.Back in September, President Trump announced that the White House would propose a ban on all flavored e-cigarette products as well. Flavored vapes are thought to be especially attractive to kids and teens.

Hasan Minhaj is fired up. Since his show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj debuted on Netflix in October of 2018, The Daily Show alum has brought an almost inextinguishable sense of energy to tearing through such meaty topics as drug pricing, student loans, and fentanyl. His delivery—a mix of rapid-fire comedy and poignant political commentary—always comes with a sense of urgency. Yet on an episode that Netflix released at midnight on November 10th, his message felt more like a reckoning. "The U.S. has a mental health crisis, and it's about time we talk about it," the show notes read.Before that episode, Men's Health talked to Minhaj about the show, why mental health matters to men, why it matters to him, and what men can do to start improving how they feel about themselves right now.Men's Health (MH): How do you have so much energy?

This week, the AstroTwins dive into why this week's transits could lighten up the signature intensity of Scorpio season. Some undercover parts of your personality may emerge this Monday, November 11, as the Sun shadow dances with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio. Maybe you forgot you could feel THOSE feelings…which could range from attraction to anger, or both. Since the Sun illuminates but Mercury retrograde conceals, it might be hard to know how much to share with people socially. While you don't want to be a total enigma, this is also NOT the best day to be an open book. A few trust issues could arise, even in the most intimate relationships. Try not to be reactive, though, because egos will be fragile under these sensitive skies. On Tuesday, the full moon in slow-jamming, sensual Taurus reminds of us of the power of presence.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Nov. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Vaping isn't necessarily better for your heart health than smoking tobacco, a pair of new studies argue.They report that use of e-cigarettes negatively affects risk factors for heart disease in ways similar to traditional tobacco cigarettes:"People are making the assumption if they switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, their risk will be substantially reduced of cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, deputy chief science and medical officer for the American Heart Association, and co-author of the first study. "That's not necessarily the case."Both studies are to be presented Monday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting, in Philadelphia. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary.

Most can agree that exercise is healthy and good for you; however, many women find themselves somewhere between feeling guilty that they can't make time for regular exercise and overdoing it entirely—and creating a lot of hormone haywire in the process. Whether that's because it's new and not yet a regular habit or because their current exercise plan is creating an imbalance in their hormones, many women struggle with the uptick in appetite and cravings that can be triggered by their workouts. Why is it so hard for women to get it right when it comes to exercise? Exercise is powerful medicine, and women struggle to use it to heal and support their hormones instead of wrecking them partly because the type and dose that's right for one woman may be the exact thing that doesn't work at all for her girlfriend or her sister.

On November 7, in an opinion video and related article published by The New York Times, elite runner Mary Cain described how she was “emotionally and physically abused” during her time training with the Nike Oregon Project under Alberto Salazar. Among Cain’s allegations: Nike had no certified sports psychologist or nutritionist, Salazar was “constantly trying to get me to lose weight,” to hit 114 pounds, and he would weigh her in front of her teammates to shame her. At a 2015 track meet, where she ran poorly, he yelled at her in front of many observers and accused her of gaining five pounds before the race. Cain, now 23, said Salazar wanted to give her birth control pills and diuretics to lose weight. (Diuretics are banned under anti-doping code because they can be used to mask the presence of other prohibited substances.) She said she stopped menstruating for three years, a sign that her body didn’t have enough estrogen to maintain her bone health. She said she broke five bones.

Betsy Nicoletti, MS, a nationally recognized coding expert, will take your coding questions via email and provide guidance on how to code properly to maximize reimbursement. Have a question about coding? Send it here.In this column, Nicoletti explains restrictions on transitional management codes as well as properly billing for remote monitoring services.Question: A patient at our endocrinology practice is already receiving transitional care management (TCM) code 99496 services due to high-complexity medical decision-making from the physician. However, if more time/services are added on, is there a route for billing that?As an example, can we add and bill for a PharmD medication review/reconciliation prior to the face-to-face office visit with the practitioner to improve the thoroughness of the patient's medical history and better address medication-specific issues?

Brenda Goodman is a senior news writer for WebMD. Andy Miller is editor and CEO of Georgia Health News.Nov. 8, 2019 -- The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed its first of two new rules to curb emissions of cancer-causing ethylene oxide.But environmental advocates and legislators say the agency’s plans won’t do enough to protect people who are exposed to the gas because they live near factories that make it.The proposed rule updates the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing, commonly known as the MON.It would require companies to do a better job of controlling their chemical emissions, dropping the cancer risks faced by people who live around manufacturing plants from an estimated 2,000 cases to 200 to 300 cases of cancer for every million people exposed over a lifetime.

His Dark Materials, the highly-anticipated adaptation of Philip Pullman's beloved fantasy series, has finally started airing on HBO, and after the season premiere fans already have questions, like what the heck are Gobblers?In episode one, "Lyra's Jordan," viewers are introduced to the alternate version of Oxford, where orphaned protagonist Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) gets into all kinds of scrapes with her best friend, kitchen boy Roger (Lewin Lloyd). While Lyra is bold and somewhat reckless in their adventures across the rooftops and down through the tombs of Jordan College, Roger is more cautious; partly because he is a servant and beholden to more rules, but also because he is fearful of the boogeyman-like figures known as Gobblers.Gobblers are mentioned a number of times in connection to the disappearances of local children. And while most people dismiss them as an urban myth or story designed to scare children, the Gobblers are very real — and as the first episode reveals, they have been kidnapping children from the Gyptian community.

Taking a deep breath in through the nose and slowly exhaling through the mouth, I am still. I wonder what you envision when you hear the word veteran. Do you see images of courageous men storming the beaches of Normandy? Do you see flags dressing white tombstones at Arlington? Maybe you envision a black-and-white photo of your great-grandfather in his youth. At first thought, when I think of Veterans Day, I picture groups of elderly men in navy blue baseball caps adorned with patches and pins that serve as reminders of a past life. I think of men who carry stories like canes, telling romantic tales about foreign lands and glorious battles.Most of the men I think about served in conflicts that my parents' generation barely remembers. World War II ended in 1945, the Korean War in 1953, and Vietnam in 1973. These dates feel especially distant when juxtaposed with modern-day conflicts. After all, there was no iPhone XR to capture the ungodly moments our great-grandparents faced in war. For most people and even for me, most casual conversations with veterans have me traveling to perilous sand-scaped villages where my First World problems like cane sugar versus coconut sugar seem selfish and inane.

New research examines the cognitive ability of children in the hope that markers of cognitive decline will predict dementia later in life.

As fall quickly fades into winter, it’s easy to skip a run to stay bundled up on the couch. But taking the winter off can make for a rough spring. In an effort to find motivation to bundle up, we took to Instagram to ask our readers what keeps them motivated to layer up and hit the pavement (or hop on the treadmill) during the chilly winter months as the temperature drops and the daylight hours shorten. Whether it’s signing up for a future race to keep your goals on track, holding yourself accountable by running with a friend, or looking toward the promise of a hot drink after, here are 33 ways these runners get their miles in even when it’s more tempting to stay by the fire.

Thanksgiving is approaching, which means it's nearly time for a gaggle of great aunts to ask why you're still single. While romantic relationships have their benefits, research finds that your connection to those nosy aunts might be more important than the "special someone" they want you to find. A study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that negative emotional relationships with family members had a significant impact on declining physical health while romantic relationships had no influence on long-term health. What did the researchers find? The research followed 2,802 participants over the course of 20 years. Three waves of studies were completed, starting in 1995 and ending in 2014. The average participant was 45 years old during the first study. During each round of surveys, participants were asked to identify their "family emotional climate" by measuring family strain and family support. They repeated the same measures for "intimate partner emotional climate."

Nov. 11, 2019 -- CDC researchers have identified their first possible culprit behind the outbreak of illness related to vaping: vitamin E acetate.Calling it a “breakthrough,” the agency says it found vitamin E acetate in all 29 samples of lung fluid from patients with vaping-related lung injury. But it also cautions that it needs more answers to fully explain the mysterious illness that has sickened 2,051 people and killed 40.Vitamin E acetate has long been thought to play a role in the outbreak. WebMD and other news outlets reported in September that doctors and others were finding vitamin E traces in the cartridges that patients had vaped. New York health officials launched an investigation in early September. Now, federal officials have tested actual samples taken from the lungs of patients.

If you catch yourself slouching at your desk, you may think that it's just an instance of bad posture. Hate to break it to you, but there's a chance it could be more than that. You could have upper crossed syndrome—which, lucky for you, can be corrected. But first you have to diagnose it.Your formal education (and road to recovery) begins here. What is upper crossed syndrome?  It sounds bad, right? Like this is a syndrome we're talking about. Not exactly. Upper crossed syndrome is surprisingly common and easy to develop.So, what is it?"Upper crossed syndrome is a term coined by a Czech neurologist and physiotherapist who noticed consistent patterns in muscles of the upper body—namely that some are commonly tight and some are commonly weak," says Sarah Kostyukovsky, DPT. "It's basically a muscle imbalance of the upper body where our upper back muscles—like the muscles between our shoulder blades—become weak and our neck and pectoral muscles are tight."

It's been two years since Star Wars: The Last Jedi came out, creating a divide in the fandom. While the movie was praised for building on the female representation that started with The Force Awakens (in addition to new female protagonist Rey, Rose Tico and Admiral Holdo both played important roles), this development displeased a small corner of longtime fans. Director Rian Johnson has just responded to those who criticized the diversity of the movie, saying simply: "If someone's responding to diversity negatively, fuck 'em."He made the remarks during an appearance at the WIRED25 Summit, where he took to the stage with Captain America star Chris Evans following a screening of their new movie Knives Out. Johnson said that he enjoys the discussions around the movies, as they are "part and parcel of being a Star Wars fan," adding: "A very small slice of [the fandom] is not representative of the lion's share," and "95 per cent of my interactions on Twitter are lovely and constructive and wonderful... Star Wars fans are the best fans in the world."

A few winters ago I was in a bathroom with particularly strong lighting—like, could count every single one of my pores lighting—when I saw a few flakes. Not on my scalp. Not on dry patch of skin. On my brows. I was horrified, and that night I scrubbed away at my poor little brows to get off those white flecks.Wrong choice! Overtime, this irritation only made the situation worse. See, as I would later learn, I made the all-too-often mistake of trying solve the symptom, not the cause. So what was the cause of these little flakes? It pains me to say this, but dandruff. Yes, the same dandruff that plagues the scalp."This falls under the umbrella that is seborrhoeic dermatitis (this is a form of eczema), an inflammatory condition caused by yeast that's everywhere on the body, and flakes occur anywhere you have hair bearing follicles," says board-certified dermatologist Kiera Barr, M.D.. "It's really not that uncommon to get it in your eyebrows."

President Trump says his administration will ban some vaping flavors this week, as vaping proponents flexed their political muscles with a protest outside the White House. Pro-vaping groups say the ban could burn Trump politically, as many users live in swing states.

The kettlebell swing is one of the most hallowed kettlebell moves out there, a move that builds athleticism, strength, and power all at once. It fires up your glutes and hamstrings, and attacks your back muscles too, and it’ll challenge your core and your grip more than you think as well. And it does so while also pushing your heart rate into the stratosphere as you alternately explode the kettlebell forwards then manage all its momentum on the way down. It’s one of the first movements that anyone learns when they first pick up a kettlebell. But it’s also one of the most butchered exercises out there. The basic kettlebell swing is hard to master, partly because it’s one of the first exercises you’ll learn that challenges you to create and then control momentum. Especially if you come from a classic bodybuilding background, or if you’re used to focusing your training on specific muscle groups, you may find the swing tough to pick up.

If you live in a big city, then chances are you've seen an Air Quality Alert notification on your phone or weather app at some point -- especially if you've been close to the wildfires that have ravaged Northern and Southern California in the last few years. But, do you know what they actually mean and what to do when you get an alert?You know that pollution is harmful for your health and clean air is important. But sometimes you can feel powerless when it comes to living in an area with pollution, since you can't simply hideaway inside near your air purifier forever. Thankfully, a resource called the Air Quality Index (AQI) was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help monitor air quality so people can understand the impact it may have on their health. The AQI reports on how clean or polluted the air in your area is, and what effects breathing the outdoor air may have on your health. The AQI forecast is available in 400 US cities, and you can view regional maps that rate the air quality across the US and Canada. The index is on a scale of 0 to 500 (0 being clean air and 500 being heavy pollution). Outside the US, you can check the World Air Quality Index for air pollution ratings across the globe.

You may have received tons of messages early on about the importance of finding love. You check the box and take a long exhale. Perhaps you beat society's time clock, or you're simply looking forward to a breather. But no sooner than you and your partner settle into a stable commitment or tie the knot will there be another signal indicating that it's time for the pitter-patter of little baby feet. Couple that with any internal alarms that may be sounding off as you picture adorable baby clothes, first words, and family photos, and the pressure may be on once again.But how will this pressure affect your relationship?Despite some couples' tendency to follow the trends, some relationships just aren't ready for a baby. Here are some real signs you should pay attention to that indicate your relationship isn't ready for a baby:

As a healthy food writer, I've heard before that certain foods could be sneaky acne-causing culprits. In high school, the teen mags I read loved to make the connection between greasy food and zits. And (many) years later, at Well+Good, a colleague marveled at giving up dairy to get rid of her reoccurring outbreaks.On the other end of the spectrum registered dietitian Meg Hagar's 'Grecian goddess' anti-acne snack, which includes figs, olives, and a plum, definitely won't cause breakouts, she says.Here, Hagar—along with two other experts—break down why figs, olives, and plums in particular are such anti-acne fighting superstars."Figs are also packed with inflammation-fighting and detox-promoting antioxidants," Hagar says. Registered dietitian Kayla Newcombe, RD, adds that whether fresh or dried, figs provide a range of minerals for skin health including potassium, a vital electrolyte to keep your skin hydrated. She also reiterates what Hagar says about the importance of fiber. "Getting enough fiber in your diet can help to take any excess hormones or toxins out of your body, which may otherwise lead to skin break outs," she says.

If you have osteoarthritis, then you know how much joint pain can affect your daily life.Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, afflicting more than 30 million adults across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osteoarthritis is more common as we age because there's a breakdown of the cartilage – the material that cushions our joints – over time. That leads to pain, swelling and stiffness.The knees, hips, lower back and neck are the most common areas for osteoarthritis to occur, although it can happen in any joint.Over-the-counter pain relievers and prescription medications are two common treatments for osteoarthritis. However, one big change that can help you feel better when you have osteoarthritis is to improve your diet. What you eat can make a difference when it comes to osteoarthritis.

A compound found only in avocados shows promise as a safe supplement that could promote insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes.

Ever notice how your thoughts and emotions can influence or create a certain physical sensation in the body? This happens throughout our day, sometimes without conscious awareness.Let’s try an experiment: think about cutting an orange in half, looking at the pulp with its juices flowing, and now think about eating that orange. What happened? Did you start salivating? That’s how connected our minds and bodies are. Images and thoughts can start to create a physical response in our body.One of our systems that gets affected immediately when this process happens is digestion. Most people think digestion starts in our mouth with chewing our foods, but digestion itself, actually starts in the brain. Why should you care about this? Because your thoughts and emotions can influence how well you digest your food, and you aren’t in fact what you eat, you are what you digest!

When Sgt. Michael Nowacki of the Chicago Police SWAT Team had a day off this past weekend, he needed to find something to do. His longtime girlfriend, Officer Erin Gubala, was busy working the finish line of the Hot Chocolate 15K as part of Chicago Police’s bike patrol unit.Nowacki, an avid runner since he joined the Army in 1990, decided he might as well run the race, and represent his department while doing so—by completing it in his SWAT gear. An experienced marathoner with 11 Chicago Marathons under his belt, a 15K wouldn’t be that bad. The gear aspect, though, would be a little challenging. Nowacki, 46, had done a few 5Ks in it, but tripling that would be a decent jump.But the pros for running outweighed the cons. He’d represent his department, run for the Make a Wish Foundation, which the race partners with, and challenge himself to run that far in his gear.

I had been asked to see a young woman on the general medicine service. Earlier her mother had wheeled her into the emergency room where she then described a history of back pain lasting several weeks that had gotten steadily and significantly worse. She could not think of an inciting event—no trauma, no fall, no sports injury.By the time she came into the ER, she could no longer walk. A CT scan showed a lesion in her lumbar spine, which the radiology report commented was "consistent with metastatic disease." She was admitted for further evaluation and management.My fellow had fielded the consult and called me to discuss it before seeing her. "I guess the team just wants us to know about her," she said. "Apparently, their medicine attending is insisting we see her now."After hearing the story, I was certainly concerned about cancer, but I didn't want to assume that's what it was. My fellow then proceeded to outline the workup in progress—a smorgasbord of bloodwork, imaging, and plans for biopsies. We reviewed her medical history, family history (no history of breast or ovarian cancers), and social history.

According to new research, physical activity levels may be the most accurate way to predict the risk of mortality among older adults.

LAS VEGAS — The investigational drug setmelanotide was associated with a "clinically meaningful" effect on weight loss and hunger in two small, preliminary trials in patients with obesity caused by two types of rare genetic mutations, researchers reported here at Obesity Week 2019.Setmelanotide, a melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist designed to target the central melanocortin pathway involved in hunger regulation, is being developed by Rhythm Pharmaceuticals to treat patients with obesity as a result of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiencies. The trials were sponsored by Rhythm Pharmaceuticals.Individuals with these gene deficiencies have a normal weight at birth but develop persistent severe obesity within months because of insatiable hunger (hyperphagia).

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's proposal to help pay for Medicare for all by curbing physician fees is mostly drawing anger and dismay from doctors, although some continue to support the notion of creating a single-payer, government-run health system.Much of organized medicine has been on record as opposing a single-payer system, and now many doctors have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms ― some to voice their disdain for Warren's plan, others to voice their doubt (and some, support).Warren announced in her plan that was released on November 1 that she'd hold physician fees to roughly what Medicare pays and increase primary care physician pay while decreasing pay of many specialists. The plan is based on a report prepared for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission in January 2019 titled, Analysis of Disparities in Physician Compensation.

Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus, Novo Nordisk) lowered hemoglobin A1c more than empagliflozin (Jardiance, Boehringer Ingelheim/Lilly) in a recently published open-label, head-to-head comparison of the type 2 diabetes drugs. The findings from the PIONEER-2 trial were published online in Diabetes Care.Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has been available as a once-weekly subcutaneous injectable since December 2017; the oral version, the first tablet form of a GLP-1 agonist, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in September.Empagliflozin is an oral sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that has been on the market since 2015.Helena W. Rodbard, MD, medical director of Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants, Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues compared the effects of the two agents on A1c and body weight at 26 and 52 weeks among patients with type 2 diabetes in the Novo Nordisk funded study.

Getting older has its ups and its downs, but if there is one key to staying healthy as you age, I would argue it is the gut microbiome. In fact, I would say the gut microbiome is the most important organ for human health (at any age), and—unlike some of your joints and reflexes—microbes don't decline or lose function with age. In fact, they procreate, multiply, and continue to live, generation after generation. What I'm saying is that it's possible to keep your gut "Forever Young."There's one caveat: In order to accomplish this, we need to actively support the friendly microbes inside us as we age. Let's take a deep dive into the gut microbiome and how to keep it young. But first, inflammation. What's inflammation got to do with it? Well, everything, to be honest. If forced to summarize a complex topic in one word, my one word for aging would be inflammation. To put it simply, inflammation is a localized response that occurs when the immune system is activated with the intention of trying to restore normal function. It wasn't always the case—humans have evolved to have inflammation as a protective mechanism, such as to fight an infection or to heal a bodily wound. Consider that for most of human history, the top causes of death were infections or bodily injury, and it makes sense that we needed this immune response.

In the year since the 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon was canceled due to poor air quality caused by the Camp Fire, race organizers have continued to give back to fire relief efforts in Butte County, California.Last year’s half marathon was canceled the day before, when heavy smoke from the wildfire carried over into the Monterey area. But days after the cancellation, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, which organizes the race, jumped into action to help those affected by the devastating fire that killed 85 people, decimated more than 240 square miles of forest, and destroyed almost 19,000 structures, according to NBC News. On race morning last year, volunteers rushed uneaten food from the half marathon up to a clearinghouse for fire victims, volunteers, and first responders in Butte County. Then race organizers gave entrants the opportunity to assist by providing the option to donate a portion of their 2018 race entry fee directly to the North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF), a nonprofit dedicated to wildfire relief efforts in Northern California. Of the 7,600 entrants, 24 percent chose to donate their entry fee to the nonprofit organization, which totaled a $110,000 donation.

Vitamin D is a pretty fascinating nutrient, because, to begin with, it's not even a vitamin. It's a prohormone—a substance our bodies convert into hormones for various uses. Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, may reduce our risk of certain chronic diseases and may minimize your risk of developing mental illness.Unlike many of the other vitamins our bodies need, most of our daily vitamin D needs can actually come from sunlight. However, about 10% of our vitamin D needs aren't met through this process, so we need to get this portion through food—20 mcg for children over 4 and adults. Lisa Valente, M.S., R.D. and digital nutrition editor for EatingWell, says some of us live in climates where it isn't especially sunny certain times of the year, and we have to work a little harder to get what we need—especially in the winter.

Sterling Ransone, MD, a family medicine physician in rural Deltaville, Virginia, used to dread the legal pad filled with a list of concerns that his patient would bring to every appointment."At first when I saw that legal pad, my brain would explode, especially when we'd get to the bottom of the list and she'd turn the page," he said.Ransone came up with a solution: He now says, "Let's see that list," at the beginning of the appointment. Scanning the list with his patient at the outset of the visit enables him to group and address related complaints quickly while working with his patient to identify the two primary concerns they will focus on during the encounter. "I write those on a white board to keep her focused," he says. "She feels listened to, we address what's most important, and we schedule another appointment if she has things we didn't get to."

Traditionally, it's been widely assumed that patients with mental illness start smoking to self-medicate, but a novel study suggests the reverse may be true — that cigarette smoking actually raises the risk of mental illness, including depression and psychosis.Investigators at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, found that lifetime smoking and smoking initiation were both associated risk factors for schizophrenia as well as depression — an association that could, at least in part, be considered causal.Conversely, genetic liability to depression increased the risk of becoming a smoker, although the evidence that genetic liability to schizophrenia might increase smoking risk was less convincing."Smoking is much more common among individuals with mental illness," study investigator Robyn Wootton, PhD, told Medscape Medical News.

Coronary artery atherosclerosis contributes to the leading cause of death worldwide. It is the principal cause of coronary artery disease (CAD), in which atherosclerotic changes are present within the walls of the coronary arteries. Plaque rupture is the predominant cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The international incidence of ACS and AMI, especially in developed countries, is similar to that in the United States.Do you know key aspects related to coronary artery atherosclerosis, as well as best practices for management? Test yourself on the basics of this condition with this short quiz.

In my early twenties, I found pride in being a yes-woman. I took on roles and responsibilities at work that weren’t mine to carry, convinced that I would be viewed as a stronger, more valued employee. I continuously gave too much and neglected my personal needs in my romantic relationships in hopes of being a more compassionate partner. Within my family, I gave myself the role of communicator due to an overwhelming feeling that everything would fall apart if I didn’t over-communicate and placate as I went.Over a few years, my people-pleasing tendencies began to catch up, and I felt overwhelmed by the smallest tasks and spread too thin daily. My anxiety was high as I found myself experiencing a panic attack in the office bathroom, convinced that I needed to “try harder” to solve my problems.

A Friday afternoon voicemail informed Priya her mammogram results were back and that the doctor would like to discuss them with her, but by the time she picked up the message, the doctor's office was closed until Monday. Facing a loooooooong weekend, Priya called me, insisting she couldn't stand the uncertainty of not knowing what the doctor wanted to tell her.Jean was laid off four months ago, and he still hadn't found work and had no clue how he was going to pay his rent if something didn't turn up soon.Beth and her partner had been trying to get pregnant for 14 months and were heading into yet another round of IVF. It was all she could talk about in our sessions. The not knowing if she'd be able to have the family she long dreamed of was unbearable, she said.What these disparate patients have in common was the reliance on brain to deal with their problems. And the experience of brain being absolutely undone by not knowing. For each, it was coming to the point where they felt they could not rely on brain to be productive at all.

When I reached out to Puneet Sabharwal, the CEO and co-founder of plant subscription company Horti, about common mistakes that plant parents make leading into winter, I thought I had an idea what his answer would be. Surely overwatering since plants don't need as much water once the sun gets less strong, right?Wrong! According to Sabharwal, the biggest thing to consider in the colder months is actually your plant's placement. What's the best spot to put your plant in the winter? "There are two common spots where plants struggle the most in the winter: drafty cold windows and above or close to radiators or heaters," he explains. First up: Make sure your windows are airtight and your plant's leaves aren't touching the cold glass. And since radiators dry out the air and extract moisture from plants (if you notice leaves starting to wilt and brown, this could be the culprit), you'll want to move your greenery away from the heat source if possible. If not, just mist them every few days with water and a spray bottle. Grouping plants close together is another quick way to boost the humidity of the surrounding air (plus, it looks cute).

"He is resting comfortably and looking forward to getting back to work," the show's representatives tweeted.

New research investigates the effects of different types of physical activity on cardiovascular health, showing the impact of strenuous exertion at work.

Acute gastroenteritis is responsible for some 600,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths a year in the United States. Patients who are unable to tolerate fluid replenishment with oral hydration may need to receive intravenous (IV) fluids in the emergency department or other acute care settings.Now a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial suggests that a bimodal, sustained-release tablet of the antiemetic ondansetron could help eliminate the need for antiemetic infusion or rescue agents. A single dose prevented vomiting for 24 hours in 65.6% of patients in the treatment group compared with 54.3% in the placebo group for an 11.4% absolute probability difference (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3% – 22.4%).That translated to a statistically significant 21% higher proportion of treatment success in the experimental group, for a relative risk of 1.21 (95% CI, 1.00 – 1.46; P = .04). The researchers defined treatment success as meeting the following criteria from 30 minutes through 24 hours after the first dose: no further vomiting, no rescue medication for nausea or vomiting, and no IV hydration.

Gone are the days of waiting until the New Year to make some healthy changes! Ree Drummond recently debuted a slimmer figure in October, and the Pioneer Woman star wrote on Instagram that it took her "two full seasons" to achieve her goal.Drummond shared a boho-inspired elevator selfie wearing black jeans and high, tan boots. "These jeans are a size smaller than I’ve worn for (quite) awhile and even though they were skin tight (as you can probably see) and a long top was required, they buttoned," she wrote in the caption. The Food Network star went on to say that she attributes her ability to fit into her dream jeans to watching her favorite show, as long as she did so while working out on a rowing machine. It seems like the system worked for the celebrity chef! "It just took two full seasons for the buttoning to be successful," she wrote.

Concerning risk for concussion, there is no clear evidence in the literature that a specific age or developmental stage in children is safer or more appropriate for starting contact sports, a consensus panel of 11 experts revealed. Also, although history of concussion is a major risk for subsequent issues, there is no firm number of events that dictates when or if a child should stop playing contact sports altogether.Recommending that children stop playing contact sports "is a complex decision that must take into account time between concussions, severity of symptoms, and child and parent desires," lead author of the consensus statement, Frederick P. Rivara, MD, MPH, told Medscape Medical News."There is no evidence that concussions limited to young ages increase the risk of CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy]," said Rivara, the Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research and vice chair and professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington in Seattle.

Have you ever wondered what your friends think of you? New research on brain activity and friendship could give us the answer. Now the question is, do we really want to know?A small study published recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology used fMRIs to evaluate brain imaging in a group of friends and found similar activity in the brain when a person thinks about their friends and when they think about themselves. Studying the brains of friends The researchers selected a group of 11 friends to participate in the study. According to Dylan Wagner, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Ohio State University and co-author of the study, “They were a pretty tight-knit group from the same academic program who all spent time together at the university as well as outside of it.” Each participant was given a written questionnaire that asked them to rate themselves and their 10 friends on 48 different personality traits, including lonely, sad, trustworthy, clumsy, smart, and nice. In a separate session, participants completed these evaluations while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner.