'Experience to Share': Facebook Page Helps Families Hit by Polio-Like Illness

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Isolated and afraid, Erin Olivera cast about the internet looking for information about the mysterious paralysis that had stricken her 11-month-old son Lucian.

She found next to nothing. No clear reason why over the course of a weekend in 2012 her boy went from a happy active toddler to utterly immobile and barely able to breathe.

Fentanyl Now the No. 1 Opioid OD Killer

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- As the U.S. opioid epidemic grinds on, fentanyl is fast becoming the main culprit in drug overdose deaths, health officials report.

Cocaine and heroin remain the street drugs of choice, but more overdose deaths involve fentanyl, either mixed with those narcotics or taken alone. Between 2013 and 2016, overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased about 113 percent per year, researchers found.

Hispanics Bear Brunt of Exposure to Workplace Hazards: Study

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Exposure to metals and pesticides at work could increase risk of heart disease, researchers say.

Hispanic workers in the United States may be especially vulnerable because of language barriers and lower levels of education, the study authors noted.

Some Foods Can Be Cholesterol Fighters

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Watching your cholesterol has gotten easier.

Nutrition experts now agree that foods high in cholesterol, like shrimp, don't have the impact on blood cholesterol that was once thought. So depending on your current cholesterol count, you may not have to curtail your intake of many formerly forbidden foods.

Increase the Calories You Burn When Walking

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Walking is not only a great first exercise, it can also be a forever exercise.

Here are some ideas to show you how to take it to the next level.

More Sleep in Seattle: Later Start to School Brings Kids Better Grades

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Would delaying the start of school help sleep-deprived teens get more of the shut-eye they need?

Yes, suggests a Seattle experiment that assessed how adolescent sleep habits changed after the opening school bell shifted from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

'Easy Way Out'? Stigma May Keep Many From Weight Loss Surgery

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- For many obese people, weight loss surgery can be a new lease on life, but too few who qualify for the procedure opt for it.

One big reason: The widespread notion that surgery is an "easy way out," signifying a weakness of willpower to slim down using diet and exercise.

Eczema Can Drive People to Thoughts of Suicide: Study

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Nearly 28 million Americans are affected by the skin condition eczema, and for some it may become so chronic and severe they consider suicide, new research shows.

A new review of data from 15 studies, involving over 300,000 people, found that those with eczema had a 44 percent higher risk of suicidal thoughts compared with people without the immunological disease.

How the Mediterranean Diet Can Help Women's Hearts

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Women who stick to a Mediterranean diet have a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease -- and researchers say they're starting to understand why.

"Our study has a strong public health message that modest changes in known cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly those relating to inflammation, glucose metabolism and insulin resistance, contribute to the long-term benefit of a Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease risk," said study lead author Shafqat Ahmad. He is a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Obesity to Blame for Almost 1 in 25 Cancers Worldwide

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Overweight and obesity accounted for nearly 4 percent of all cancers globally in 2012, and that rate is likely to rise in coming decades, a new study suggests.

Rates of excess body weight have been increasing worldwide since the 1970s. By 2016, about 40 percent of adults (2 billion) and 18 percent of children aged 5 to 19 (340 million) had excess body weight, the researchers said.