Can a Broken Heart Contribute to Cancer?

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- "Broken heart syndrome" may harm more than just the heart, new research suggests.

While the extreme stress of losing a loved one has been linked to heart troubles in prior research, a new study found that one in six people with broken heart syndrome also had cancer. Even worse, they were less likely to survive their cancer five years after diagnosis.

At Risk for Alzheimer's? Exercise Might Help Keep It at Bay

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- Even if you are at high risk for Alzheimer's disease, a little more exercise may buy you time, new research suggests.

Folks with elevated levels of a brain protein called beta amyloid tend to be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and experience rapid brain decline later in life, previous research has found.

Menstrual Cups Equal Pads, Tampons in Effectiveness, Data Shows

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- They're gaining in popularity among women, and a new study finds menstrual cups to be just as safe and as effective as disposable pads or tampons.

British researchers looked at data on the cost-saving devices, gleaned from 43 studies involving more than 3,300 women and girls worldwide.

Exercises to Head Off a Painful Rotator Cuff Injury

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- The rotator cuff refers to a group of four distinct muscles and tendons that connect to each shoulder and stabilize the humerus, the upper arm bone. These muscles are engaged when you move your shoulder, and work together to give you the needed range of motion to toss a ball or reach for an object on a high shelf.

Baseball pitchers and other athletes aren't the only people who experience rotator cuff injuries. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates that nearly 2 million Americans see a doctor about a rotator cuff problem every year. Strengthening this group of muscles can help enhance the stability of this important joint and help you avoid injury.

Wake Up Your Breakfast With Delicious Whole Grains

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- If you're looking to change up that sugary bowl of cold cereal, quinoa and amaranth are nutritious alternatives.

These tiny grains (they're actually seeds) make excellent and hearty breakfasts, and are rich in iron, protein and magnesium along with many other vital nutrients. Cinnamon is the ideal spice to boost the flavor of these hearty grains.

Chinese Scientists Cut Local Numbers of Dangerous Mosquito by 94%

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- Some mosquitoes spread diseases to humans through their bite, passing along harmful pathogens like Zika, dengue fever, West Nile virus and chikungunya.

Now humans are turning the tables, infecting these dangerous mosquitoes with bacteria that sabotage their ability to spawn.

A New and Better Way to 'Stage' Alzheimer's Patients?

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, but what part those plaques play in the development of the disease isn't clear.

Now researchers have taken the first steps to trace the progression of plaque buildup in living patients. This way of "staging" the disease has implications for research and one day may help doctors treat this debilitating, fatal disease.

Autism Largely Caused by Genetics, Not Environment: Study

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- The largest study of its kind, involving more than 2 million people across five countries, finds that autism spectrum disorders are 80% reliant on inherited genes.

That means that environmental causes are responsible for just 20% of the risk.

Medical Marijuana Won't Help Ease Opioid Crisis: Study

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- Some proponents of medical marijuana have claimed that its use against pain might help curb the ongoing crisis of opioid abuse.

But a new study refutes that notion, finding that state laws legalizing medical marijuana have had little impact on the issue.

Clues to Why Women Have Higher Odds for Alzheimer's

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 -- Rates of Alzheimer's disease are higher in women than in men, and researchers now think they know why.

A team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tenn., has identified gender differences in how the Alzheimer's-related protein tau spreads in the brain.