Patti Neighmond

How To Turn Down The Heat On Fiery Family Arguments

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:26:00 +0000

All parents are bound to disagree, argue or even raise their voices with each other.

But psychologists say parents can minimize the negative impact of their arguments on their children.

How Exercise And Other Activities Beat Back Dementia

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:04:00 +0000

The numbers are pretty grim: More than half of all 85-year-olds suffer some form of dementia.

But here's the good news: Brain researchers say there are ways to boost brain power and stave off problems in memory and thinking.

In other words, brain decline is not necessarily an inevitable part of aging. "It's simply not pre-destined for all human beings," Bryan James tells Shots. He's an epidemiologist at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago.

Study Hints Vitamin D Might Help Curb High Blood Pressure

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:20:00 +0000

We've heard many claims in the past decade — and much debate — about the role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of conditions as varied as brittle bones, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia.

Now researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have what they think may be another tantalizing lead: Their study suggests moderate doses of vitamin D supplements might help reduce high blood pressure.

It w

Postpartum Depression Affects 1 in 7 Women

Patti Neighmond — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:13:00 +0000

It's well documented that some women suffer depression after having a baby. But it's less well-known just how many do.

The largest study to date shows that as many as 1 in every 7 women suffers postpartum depression.

Selling Kids On Veggies When Rules Like 'Clean Your Plate' Fail

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:25:00 +0000

If you're a parent, you've probably heard remarks like this during dinner: "I don't like milk! My toast is burnt! I hate vegetables! I took a bite already! What's for dessert?" It can be daunting trying to ensure a healthy diet for our children. So it's no wonder parents often resort to dinner time rules.

In our new poll, with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, 25 percent of families tell their children to eat everything on their plate, and 45 percent report setting restrictions on the types of foods eaten.

How Parents Can Learn To Tame A Testy Teenager

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:38:00 +0000

If you're the parent of a teenager, this may sound familiar: "Leave me alone! Get out of my face!" Maybe you've had a door slammed on you. And maybe you feel like all of your interactions are arguments.

Kim Abraham, a therapist in private practice in Michigan, specializes in helping teens and parents cope with anger. She also contributes regularly to the online newsletter Empowering Parents. Abraham says, for starters, don't take it personally.

Teens just can't explode at their teachers or with friends, but parents are safe.

Schedule Of Childhood Vaccines Declared Safe

Patti Neighmond — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Childhood vaccines for diseases like measles, polio and whooping cough have repeatedly been proved safe and effective. Even so, some parents still worry that the schedule of vaccinations — 24 immunizations by the age of 2 — can be dangerous.

Pictures May Speak Louder Than Words When It Comes To Smoking

Patti Neighmond — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:56:00 +0000

Researchers have found that graphic anti-smoking images may be more powerful than words alone in warning people from different income and racial groups about the dangers of smoking.

The study, from the Legacy Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, finds that bold pictorial cigarette warning labels approved by the Food and Drug Administration depicting health consequences of smoking can impact on smokers' Before getting treated for cancer, Hunter led a busy, active lifestyle.

Like Girls, Boys Are Entering Puberty Earlier

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 08:20:00 +0000

It's been known for a while that girls start puberty earlier than they did in the past, sometimes as young as 7 or 8. But it's been unclear whether boys also go through puberty earlier. Now, a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics helps answer that question.

Marcia Herman-Giddens is a public health researcher at the University of North Carolina.

Why It's Easier To Scam The Elderly

Patti Neighmond — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:32:00 +0000

Lots of scams come by phone or by mail, but when the scam artist is right in front of you, researchers say the clues are in the face.

"A smile that is in the mouth but doesn't go up to the eyes, an averted gaze, a backward lean" are some of the ways deception may present itself, says Shelley Taylor, a psychologist at UCLA.

Taylor wanted to know if older people recognized these visual cues as readily as younger people. She brought 119 adults older than 55 into the research lab along with 24 younger adults in their 20s.

Text Messages Help Smokers Kick The Habit

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:21:00 +0000

Some good news about texting: A review of studies published by the Cochrane Collaboration finds that smokers trying to quit the habit are helped in a big way by supportive messages sent via text.

We all know it's really hard to quit smoking. Dr. Pamela Brar, an internist in private practice in La Jolla, Calif., says only 5 percent of smokers succeed the first time they try to quit.

Can You Move It And Work It On A Treadmill Desk?

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:26:00 +0000

As we've reported, there's a backlash brewing to sedentary office life as more people realize how sitting all day can do a body wrong.

I work at home and often sit in front of my computer doing research and writing. So I thought I'd give a treadmill desk a try.

I went about this in steps. First, I elevated my sitting desk to a standing desk.

Reinfection With Lyme Disease May Cause Chronic Symptoms

Patti Neighmond — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:29:00 +0000

In recent years, a disease spread by ticks has become more common across the country.

Lyme disease causes a skin rash, and in some cases, more serious symptoms. The rash usually goes away with antibiotics, but some people say they have other symptoms that persist for months or years.

Now a study published in the latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine suggests those with a recurring rash don't have one long illness.

Doctors Strike Mutating Bacteria In Teen Acne Battle

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:28:00 +0000

Acne, the scourge of many an adolescent life, is getting harder to treat, but 80 percent of teenagers have some form of it.

Conventional treatment includes topical and oral antibiotics. Studies are now finding the bacteria that cause acne are increasingly resistant to antibiotic treatment. Alternatively, there are effective laser treatments.

When Should Seniors Hang Up The Car Keys?

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:06:00 +0000

With a growing population of baby boomers, officials are bracing for a surge in senior drivers.

Two New Drugs May Help In Fight Against Obesity

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:22:00 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration approved two new medications this year to help obese and overweight individuals lose weight.

Diet drugs have been around in different forms for a while, but now researchers hope one of these two might actually help make a dent in the obesity epidemic.

Both of the drugs — Belviq and Qsymia — were approved in July.

Low And Slow May Be The Way To Go When It Comes To Dieting

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:29:00 +0000

If you're dieting, you know you've got to count calories, carbs and fats. But if you really want to take off the weight and keep it off, you might want to pay more attention to the glycemic index, which is essentially a measure of how quickly foods are digested.

That's because high glycemic foods cause a surge in blood sugar, followed by a crash.

X-Ray Tests May Heighten Cancer Risk In Susceptible Women

Patti Neighmond — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Researchers report that women with genetic mutations that put them at dramatically increased risk of developing breast cancer may also face a heightened risk from radiation used during medical screening and diagnosis.

The imaging tools that help doctors identify disease, injury or damage to the body have long been known to carry some risk of cancer, in large part because ionizing radiation can damage the genetic material in the body.

If the body is unable to repair that DNA damage, and if cells are changed permanently, they may go on to produce abnormal cells when they divide.

Sleepless Nights May Put The Aging Brain At Risk Of Dementia

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:24:00 +0000

As we age, our sleep patterns change. We've all heard the complaints: "I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep!"

Some sleep experts estimate that as many as 40 percent of older adults suffer sleeping problems such as sleep apnea and insomnia.

Not Milk! Too Much Calcium Does The Body Bad, Researchers Say

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 07:29:00 +0000

When it comes to a healthy diet — especially for women, and especially after menopause — nutritionists, doctors, everybody it seems, will tell you: calcium, calcium, calcium.

Federal health officials recommend that women and men younger than 50 consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day.

Cheer Up, It's Just Your Child Behind The Wheel

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:56:00 +0000

One rite of passage most teenagers look forward to and parents dread is learning how to drive. Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens by far, on the order of five times more than poisoning or cancer. Does that mean you should scare the daylights out of teens to encourage safe driving?

Is HIV Still A Death Sentence? Young People Weigh In

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:25:00 +0000

Think of this like a snapshot — a few perspectives of HIV-negative 20-somethings.

To start, we posted the following query on NPR's Facebook page:

"Thirty years ago, a positive HIV status was considered a death sentence. As treatments for the disease have advanced over the past three decades, we're wondering how younger people view the disease today."

Hundreds of people e-mailed and commented with their reactions. We also gathered reactions from young folks we met on the street.

Sutton Resler is 25 years old and lives in Washington, D.C.

Many Migraines Can Be Prevented With Treatments, But Few Use Them

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 06:57:00 +0000

Millions of Americans suffer from migraine headaches so severe they miss work, social gatherings and important family events.

But that doesn't have to be the case, according to Charles Flippen, a University of California, Los Angeles, neurologist and researcher.

Is The Coconut Water Craze All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:03:00 +0000

You've probably seen them in the grocery store — cans of coconut water with their come-hither photos of young, green coconuts, tops sheared off, a straw poking out, and blue and green boxes that evoke cool, tropical breezes. Some vendors even sell the real thing. Artist John Gordon Gauld enjoys fresh coconut water when he's thirsty after biking through New York City.

"Its fresh and quick," he says. "There's a lot more flavor when the coconut water comes from a fresh coconut" versus a box or container.

To Sniff Out Childhood Allergies, Researchers Head To The Farm

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:31:00 +0000

Allergies are on the rise these days, especially in children. Nearly half of all kids are now allergic to something, be it food, animals, or plants.

Need A Nurse? You May Have To Wait

Patti Neighmond — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:48:00 +0000

Nurses are the backbone of the hospital — just ask pretty much any doctor or patient. But a new poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health finds 34 percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help."

Since nurses provide most of the patient care in hospitals, we were surprised at the findings. We wanted to find out more. We wanted to know what was going on from nurses themselves.

Doctors' Due Diligence: Measuring Kids' Blood Pressure

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:27:00 +0000

There have been hints that the obesity epidemic's rise has slowed a bit among certain populations, but for the most part, it continues to dominate American health. One third of children and teenagers are now overweight or obese. And researchers forecast as many as half of our nation's population could be obese — not overweight but obese — by 2030.

With obesity comes a host of health-related problems: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even certain cancers.

Swaddling and Shushing Help Soothe Babies After Vaccinations

Patti Neighmond — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:40:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkR_e1L6zxI