Looking after a loved one who has prostate cancer can be overwhelming. Caregivers — usually partners, family members, or close friends — play crucial roles in supporting a patient's physical and psychological well-being. But what does that entail? You as a caregiver might not know what to say or how…

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
By the time boys are 8 or 10, they’re steeped in Marvel action heroes with bulging, oversized muscles and rock-hard abs. By adolescence, they’re deluged with social media streams of bulked-up male bodies. The underlying messages about power and worth prompt many boys to worry and wonder about how to…

Can saw palmetto treat an enlarged prostate?
Marketed as a natural remedy for an enlarged prostate, saw palmetto is a top-selling dietary supplement. It’s extracted from berries that grow on saw palmetto palm trees, which are native to the southeastern United States. By one estimate, more than a third of all US adults who take supplements use…

Counting steps is good — is combining steps and heart rate better?
Have you met your step goals today? If so, well done! Monitoring your step count can inspire you to bump up activity over time. But when it comes to assessing fitness or cardiovascular disease risk, counting steps might not be enough. Combining steps and average heart rate (as measured by…

Think your child has ADHD? What your pediatrician can do
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. It affects approximately 7% to 8% of all children and youth in the US. As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) points out in their clinical practice guideline for ADHD, that’s more than the mental health…

Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?
Chocolates and flowers are great gifts for Valentine’s Day. But what if the gifts we give then or throughout the year could be truly life-changing? A gift that could save a life or free someone from dialysis? You can do this. For people in need of an organ, tissue, or…

A low-tech school vacation: Keeping kids busy and happy without screens
School vacation coming up? Wondering how to spend that time? Given how tiring holidays can be — especially for parents who are working — it’s understandable why children are often allowed to spend hours with the TV, tablet, or video games. After all, happy, quiet kids make for happy parents who can…

Less butter, more plant oils, longer life?
Not such good news for butter lovers like myself: seesawing research on how healthy or unhealthy butter might be received a firm push from a recent Harvard study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Drawing on decades of data gathered through long-term observational studies, the researchers investigated whether butter and plant…

Can a routine vaccine prevent dementia?
It’s fairly common for a medical treatment to cause side effects: think headache, upset stomach, sleepiness, and occasionally more severe side effects. Far more rarely, a side effect provides an unexpected benefit. This might be the case for the shingles vaccine. Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by…

Stepping up activity if winter slowed you down
If you've been cocooning due to winter’s cold, who can blame you? But a lack of activity isn't good for body or mind during any season. And whether you're deep in the grip of winter or fortunate to be basking in signs of spring, today is a good day to…