Aging Well

Who is eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid?

Health care expenses often increase as people age, due to more health challenges and care needs. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. adults ages 65 and over each spent $22,356 on personal health expenses in 2020. That’s almost 2.5 times higher than expenses for younger adults ($9,154). How can you pay …

Life

More Americans than ever—especially young adults—say drinking alcohol is unhealthy

Is hitting the bottle a detriment to one’s health? More Americans than ever think so, with 45% agreeing that it’s unhealthy to drink one or two alcoholic beverages a day—and with young adults more likely than middle-aged or older adults to take this position, according to the results of a new Gallup survey. The high …

Family

Researchers have finally discovered the cause of morning sickness in pregnancy—and may be close to a cure

Expecting women know to anticipate morning sickness, a potentially debilitating side effect that plagues 80% of pregnant women. But scientists haven’t been sure as to why the misery occurs—until now. GDF15—a hormone that exists throughout the body in low levels, but is produced in the placenta at higher levels during pregnancy—is indeed the cause of …

Aging Well

Many Gen Xers demand menopause hormone drugs, and they won’t take no for an answer

Some 65 million Americans count themselves as members of Generation X—more than half of them are women. Many of those latchkey kids who were left to fend for themselves after school in the ’80s are now fending for themselves through perimenopause and menopause.  Without much of a road map from their mothers or guidance from …

Life

There is a best time of day to work out and it may lead to better results

Claire Zulkey, a 44-year-old Chicago-area freelance writer, has a well-established morning routine: She gets her kids off to school, turns the television to a favorite show, and gets moving with a full-body workout. Once completed, Zulkey showers and settles in to work. Meghan Cully, in contrast, puts in a full day’s work before hitting the …

Family

Are cold plunges and saunas safe for kids? What parents need to know about the benefits and risks

In late 2019, Kevin MacDonald noticed that his twin 16-year-olds, Allie and Lexi, seemed sad and uninterested in schoolwork. He decided to buy an infrared sauna for the family after seeing research on the potential mental health benefits. For MacDonald’s family, the purchase has paid off. “It’s been therapeutic for the kids in dramatic ways,” …

Health

Chappell Roan drops out of music festival to prioritize health

On the heels of blasting the “abuse and harassment” accompanying fame to her 3.4 million TikTok followers—prompting ridicule and pushback—pop music sensation Chappell Roan has pulled out of a major music festival, citing a need to “prioritize my health.” “I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this …

Life

Ozempic linked to rare cases of vision loss in Harvard study

Novo Nordisk A/S’ best-selling diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy appears to be associated with a higher risk of a rare form of vision loss, according to an analysis by doctors at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Harvard-affiliated hospital. Patients who took the drugs for weight loss were more than seven times more likely …

Life

America’s teachers are among the most burned-out, stressed-out, unfairly paid workers in society, survey finds: ‘They should be lionized’

Summer means school’s out. And this year, teachers are likely just as thrilled as students—if not more so, judging by the results of the 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey, released on June 18, which finds that educators are among the most stressed, burned-out, and unfairly compensated workers in society. The survey, from the …

Health

I’m a notoriously bad sleeper, but these $50 earplugs gave me the best sleep of my life

Since turning 40 a few years ago, I’ve become super sensitive to noise and prefer to be in environments where I can almost hear a pin drop. I also struggle to get a good night’s sleep. That’s why I jumped at the chance to test Loop Earplugs’ new model designed specifically for sleep—the Loop Dream.  …