Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Lung, Skin, Kidney Tumors Shrink in Early-Stage Trials Two experimental drugs that recharge the body's immune system to seek out and attack tumors are showing promise for the treatment of certain advanced lung, skin, and kidney cancers. The drugs disable a molecular shield that tumors put up to block attacks from the immune system. In early-stage studies, the drugs shrank tumors in some people with certain types of lung, skin, and kidney cancers who had not been helped by other treatments. Researcher Julie Brahmer, MD, associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, tells WebMD that she is optimistic because "in some patients, tumors did not grow back even after treatment was stopped." "These patients had been through several types of therapy and were very ill," she says. It's too soon to say whether the drugs will extend lives and whether they are safe in the long run. A larger, longer study is planned to test that. But the early ...

Carrying a few extra pounds? They could be making your cholesterol worse. Excess weight tends to increase your harmful LDL cholesterol levels, and one recent study linked a high ratio of body fat with higher levels of LDL. Three Key Measurements Do you use a bathroom scale to check your weight? Pounds aren't the only way to gauge health. Here are other, more accurate ways: BMI:  You can get an estimate of your body fat based on calculations of your height and weight. Waist circumference:  Anything more than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To measure your waist circumference, find the area between your lowest rib and the top of your hipbone. Place a measuring tape on bare skin and wrap it around the narrowest part. The tape should be snug, but not constricting. Waist-to-hip ratio:  This measurement takes into account the proportions of your body by comparing your waist and hip circumferences....

Self-Help for Headaches Next time you get a nagging headache, try a little fingertip therapy. You might feel better more quickly. Your temporalis muscle:  With your index and middle fingers, apply pressure to your temporalis muscle. It's that tender spot where you feel a muscle move when you clench your teeth. Behind your ears:  Using your thumbs, massage in a circular motion the spots just underneath the large bones behind your ears. Between your eyes:  With your middle finger and thumb, gently pinch the skin just above your nose and press upward so you feel the pressure around your eyebrows. The web of your hand:  Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze the fleshy pad of skin between the thumb and index finger on your opposite hand. Here are three more quick ways to destress your head. Stress isn't  all  bad. Short-term, it can help you meet a deadline, turn a double play, or keep your bumper from getting crumpled. But when stress lingers like wee...

Did you decide to skip your flu shot this year? If so, you might want to rethink that. Here's why: Getting the shot is the single best way for nearly everyone to prevent the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, what's stopping you? Here are 6 common excuses, and why you should reconsider: It's too late. It's true, getting a flu shot early in the season offers the best protection, but the shot is effective anytime, even if you wait until December. Flu activity typically peaks in January or February and can last as late as May. I'm healthy. The flu vaccine is especially important for high-risk people (pregnant women, young kids, older folks, and anyone with a compromised immune system), but the rest of us need it, too. Having the shot will prevent you from wasting precious vacation days or (worse!) going to work sick and sharing the virus with your coworkers. I had a flu shot last year. Smart move! Get ano...

If you have diabetes, prediabetes, or blood sugar on the high side of normal, we have some sound reasons why you should get your blood sugar in check. No doubt you already know about diabetes' scary complications, from heart disease to blindness and nerve damage, but did you know that diabetes can take a huge toll on your personal life, too? According to data we analyzed from 1 million RealAgers, it can impact your life in 3 key ways: 1. Relationships. People with diabetes are far less likely than nondiabetics to spend time with friends or relatives. They're also more than twice as likely as those without diabetes to say they're unhappily married. That's not surprising. Diabetes can make you prone to depression and anxiety, both of which are hard on relationships. It can also put the brakes on your sex life by causing vaginal dryness in women, and low testosterone and erectile dysfunction in men. 2. Depression. People with diabetes were twice as ...

Do you work with people who are cranky, antsy, or fed up to the point of negatively acting out toward you and others? If so, you're not alone. A recent survey says 43% of Americans have been targets of workplace rudeness no thanks to a shaky economy. Here are three great reasons you shouldn't put up with it: It infects your home life. Rudeness has a ripple effect. Bringing home bad vibes can make things tense there. Rinse off tension with a stress-relieving walk at the end of the day. It's a health threat. Negativity and chronic stress boost your blood pressure and the threat of heart disease and lung problems. Being positive and polite does just the opposite. Give stress the pink slip and avoid these chronic diseases. It's bad for business. Half of all workers who've been targets of a nasty work situation waste work time dodging or worrying about the next attack. One in five doesn't work as hard, and one in 10 finds ways to spend less ti...

Got a few minutes, but not a few bucks? In less time than it takes to eat a sandwich, you can give stress the pink slip -- and reduce your risk for everything from heart disease, diabetes, and snapping at your spouse to high blood pressure, sleep problems, and less-than-stellar immunity. And it won't cost you a dime. That's good news, because escaping to a fabulous tropical resort sounds like a good idea, but it becomes a source of high anxiety when you get the bill. Not so when you try these three fast, free tension tamers: Close your eyes and follow your breath. Regularly meditating (at your desk, before you start your commute, even before you get out of bed in the morning) counteracts the toxic effects of stress. Pay attention to your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale. Try putting your fingers over your belly button to help stay focused. Yes, your mind will wander. Just invite it to listen to your breath again.  Read the comics, or call your funniest...

Here's one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you -- and your looks -- down: Step outside and leave your stresses -- and your iPod -- behind. Take in the details of your surroundings -- the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds. You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on. Let your mind and memory run free. Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It's a great way to beat down stress while at the same time...

  Researchers Report Some Success Against Advanced Lung Cancer With Epigenetic Drugs A new approach to treating cancer appears to help certain patients with advanced lung cancer, and researchers say they think they may have a way of spotting those who will benefit. The small study is generating big excitement in the world of cancer treatment because it demonstrates that so-called epigenetic drugs may work when traditional chemotherapy has failed. Epigenetic drugs work by controlling gene expression -- the way information from genes is used to create products such as proteins. The study is published in Cancer Discovery . "This is a ... groundbreaking study, showing that by modifying the epigenetics of a cancer cell we can get real responses in lung cancer," said Jeffrey A. Engleman, MD, PhD, director of thoracic oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, in a news briefing. "And getting real responses in lung cancer is actually quite dif...

Not that you need another reason to indulge in chocolate (you probably already know it's good for your blood pressure), but isn't it delightful, delicious, and delectable that there is one? Eating chocolate shaves your risk of "cardiometabolic disorders," a cluster of conditions that nobody wants, including heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. (Taking this vitamin also helps protect you from this nasty threesome.) Here's the big surprise: We're talking all kinds of chocolate, not just the dark types. Even milk chocolate and cups of hot cocoa have benefits. We're also not talking slight improvements. Research reveals that consuming a healthy amount of chocolate reduces your risk of heart disease by 37% and stroke by 29% versus eating little or none. (Not coincidentally, it also lowers your bad LDL cholesterol.) In addition, it shrinks your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 31%. These impressive numbers emerged from an analysis of ...

Your heart disease risk could probably be lower with a little more of this nutrient on board: vitamin D. Older adults who had the highest blood levels of vitamin D enjoyed a 33 percent lower risk of developing heart disease in a recent study. And supplements are a fine source. You can also look to sunshine and fortified dairy products to get your fill of D. Beyond Bone Health Vitamin D has long been touted for its benefits to bone health. But more and more research is showing a bigger role in health. In a study, adults who had the highest levels of D had the lowest level of "cardiometabolic disorders" -- the family of conditions that includes heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Delight Your Heart Exactly how high levels of vitamin D protect against cardiometabolic problems isn't entirely understood. Vitamin D may protect the heart and blood vessels by acting on genes or vitamin D receptors or by regulating calcium levels in the body. Vitam...

If the economy's ups and downs are making you feel like a bronco-busting rodeo cowboy (every day you're rattled and sore) we have one word to get you through this ride calmer and stronger: omega-3s. Longtime RealAgers know these heart-healthy fats have a list of benefits longer than Kim Kardashian’s wedding attendees (and way longer than her 72-day marriage!): They boost brainpower, deter colon cancer, ward off osteoarthritis, protect your vision, and more. ( Check out this slide show from Eating Well, showcasing foods for better eye health. ) The Ultimate Stress Protection But here's what's giving omega-3s top billing for uncertain times: They also reduce inflammation and anxiety. Why is that such big news? Stress and anxiety are some of today's biggest mind-body agers, and inflammation damages cells in ways that invite all kinds of trouble, from arthritis and cancer to heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s can cut anxiety symptoms by 20% and redu...

Researchers Say Supplements Contain 'Significant' Amounts of Thyroid Hormone Nine out of 10 "thyroid support" pills tested by Mayo Clinic researchers contain "risky" levels of thyroid hormones. A wide range of supplements that claim to support or improve thyroid function are available online and in retail stores. Some list only herbs as ingredients. Others are capsules filled with dried, ground-up thyroid gland from pigs or cows. People take the supplements because they may feel tired, or for unexplained weight gain -- symptoms they interpret as a sign their bodies are making too little thyroid hormone. When a number of his patients told him they were taking the supplements, endocrinologist Victor Bernet, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., became curious. Might they contain the same thyroid hormone as Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid and other prescription drugs used to treat thyroid hormone deficiency? Yes, Bernet says...

Study Suggests Benefits to Taking Blood Pressure Drugs Before Going to Sleep Taking at least one blood pressure medicine at bedtime cuts the risk of heart problems, according to new research. The study also shows that participants taking at least one blood pressure pill at bedtime had lower blood pressure while asleep. Earlier studies have suggested that bedtime dosing of at least one blood pressure medication may help control blood pressure. But the new study is believed to be the first to look at whether the timing makes a difference in terms of heart attacks, strokes, and death. Ramon C. Hermida, PhD, director of the bioengineering and chronobiology labs at the University of Vigo in Spain, studied 661 people with both high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. "Taking blood-pressure-lowering medication at bedtime, compared to [taking] all medication upon awakening, not only improved blood pressure control, but significantly reduced the risk of card...

Study Shows Benefits of Adding Radiation Therapy to Breast-Conserving Surgery Women with early breast cancer often consider breast-conserving surgery in which a doctor removes the tumor but spares the rest of the breast. But they may worry that their cancer is more likely to come back if they don't remove the entire breast. New research shows that adding radiation therapy to breast-conserving surgery halves the chance that cancer will come back and reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer, when compared to the breast-conserving surgery alone. The study is published in  The Lancet . Breast cancer experts tell WebMD that the new findings should provide some peace of mind for women with early breast cancer who choose breast-conserving surgery plus radiation over mastectomy -- the complete removal of the breast or breasts. In 2011, an estimated 230,480 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. About 39,520 women wi...

Next time you're headed to the office vending machine, skip the chips and instead grab yourself a bag of almonds. Your heart will sing. Besides offering an abundance of fiber, magnesium, polyphenols, and good-for-you monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), almonds may wrestle two known heart disease risks to the ground: insulin resistance and bad-for-you LDL cholesterol. Heart-Lovin' Nuts At least, that's what happened to people with prediabetes in a recent study. Eating just 2 ounces of almonds a day for 2 weeks helped lower their LDL cholesterol and improve their insulin resistance -- two healthy changes that could help halt the progression of prediabetes and protect the heart from the ravages of high cholesterol. But you don't have to have high blood sugar to gain heart-protective benefits from almonds. Plenty of related findings suggest the nuts also help lower inflammation and LDL cholesterol in folks with normal blood sugar levels. (Related: Steady high b...

  Back pain is a nothing short of a modern day plague; around seven out of 10 of us can expect to suffer from it at some time. Back pain is a major cause of days off work, and is the second most common cause of long-term sickness in the UK, after stress. Much of the back pain is not caused by lifting heavy objects or shifting around chests of drawers, but is down to sitting at an office desk for lengthy periods of time. Many office workers don't even take a break from their desk: A UK wide survey by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists found one third choose to work through lunch breaks. Yet sitting is one of the worst things you can do to your lower back, and that's before slouching and bad posture are factored in. Just working in the same position without a break increases the risk of developing back (and neck) pain. To prevent developing back pain while sitting in front of a computer, try the following tips from the British Chiropractor Associa...

Considering the blood sugar, cholesterol, digestive and appetite-controlling effects of fiber, who wouldn't sing its praises? Well, get ready to hum another bar. The new verse is written mostly with ladies in mind. Research has revealed that dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, which is the most common type of cancer in women. A Clear Link After analyzing data from 10 large studies, researchers found a clear connection between dietary fiber consumption and risk of breast cancer. In reviewing the research they discovered that women with the most fiber in their diet were 11% less likely to develop breast cancer than those with the least. So, ladies, are you getting 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day? How to Get There If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, here's what you can to do consume at least 30 grams of fiber: Grab a cup of oatmeal (4 grams) with a half a cup of raspberries (4 grams) for breakfast. Snack on an ounce of almonds in the af...

Millions of Americans with restless legs syndrome (RLS) may have an increased risk for high blood pressure, one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. In a new study, middle-aged women with the most frequent RLS episodes were 41% more likely to have high blood pressure than women without the disorder, and the prevalence of high blood pressure increased with RLS symptom frequency. The findings strongly suggest that restless legs syndrome increases the risk for high blood pressure, but more research is needed to confirm the association, says researcher Salma Batool-Anwar, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "We cannot say from this study that restless legs syndrome causes blood pressure to rise, but we did see a significant relationship between the severity of (RLS) symptoms and prevalence of hypertension," she tells WebMD. RLS and the Heart, Studies Mixed More than 5 million people in the United States have modera...

Heart-helping, brain- and immune-system boosting vitamin B6  can now add another job to its already impressive resume: breast cancer fighter. New research suggests that simply getting your share of this nutrient could cut your risk of breast cancer, a lot. Double-Duty Cancer Fighting A study of Taiwanese women found that B vitamins in general and vitamin B6 in particular can reduce breast cancer risk. Higher vitamin B6 intakes were specifically associated with a much lower risk of developing ER-negative breast tumors. How does B6 do it? Researchers say it plays a pivotal role in preventing DNA damage and guarding against genetic mutations -- processes that up the risk of cancer. It also blocks the blood supply to tumor cells so they fail to grow and spread. Now that's a b-eautiful thing.  ( Related: Do you drink wine? Pair these three B6-rich foods with your favorite vintage .) Go Bananas for B! Bananas have close to half a milligram of B6 each (you nee...