The face is the touchstone of our emotional world. A person’s collection of facial features helps define their identity and make a first impression. In the future, it also might define health status. Our mugs are not a uniform temperature where a nose or a cheek and jowl or lower lip are all similarly warm or cold. Instead, our faces emit patterns …

When your child is upset and on the verge of making a scene in the cereal aisle, it can be easy to fill their hands with a smartphone or tablet so you can keep filling your cart. A new study, however, says this quick fix may hinder your child’s emotional development. Canadian and Hungarian researchers followed 265 Canadian families with preschool-a…

Aside from the debt, getting a new car is loads of fun. Learning all its features. Feeling fancy when you drive it. And of course, delighting in that new-car aroma. Its time-limited bouquet hits every time you buckle up, fooling you into thinking you absolutely will go years never sullying your ride with so much as a single wayward French fry. New …

Grandpa isn’t the only one who can benefit from eating prunes. A new study found that eating prunes improved bone health and lowered the risk of bone disease in postmenopausal women. Researchers from U.S. universities found that those who routinely ate prunes maintained better bone density and strength than those who didn’t. The scientists separate…

Imagine yourself old. If you’re already old, just think of yourself as you are now. But instead of how you feel or expect you would feel, envision older adulthood as a time your joints aren’t complaining. You need no walker because you’re not frail, so you haven’t broken any bones. Your eyesight and hearing? Imperfect, but not terrible. How would t…

Your schedule of bowel movements can provide valuable insight into your health. Of course, when we talk schedule, it must be emphasized that no appointment is necessary for this activity. It turns out that the frequency of those movements might say something about your well-being. University of Washington scientists say in a new study that the freq…

Imagine your child is walking through a mall, alone. Your little one passes shop after shop and person after person. Of course, you hope your child won’t talk to strangers or give anyone their personal information. Or that no one encourages them to do something they shouldn’t. Online life today is just as perilous for children as being alone in pub…

At this point, everyone and their mother are begging you to go outside and spend time in nature. There’s decades’ worth of research to support it making you feel better, both mentally and physically. Now, a research study is drilling down into the details to find that even as little as 10 minutes spent outside could help your mental health. Publish…

Traveling by air on planet Earth is remarkably safe. The worst hazard on a flight might be the talkative passenger sitting next to you with the endless stories about their oh-so-clever dog. Want to see some pictures? Mars, on the other hand, isn’t a short hop to Phoenix. Not that we’re flying to the Red Planet just yet. Some influential people in t…

Want to boost your brain? You’ll need to hit the gym. A new study shows that just a few months of high-intensity interval training exercises, also known as HIIT [hit], can increase brain function in older adults for years to come. University of Queensland researchers studied 151 healthy people between the ages of 65 and 85 who were randomly assigne…

Can you hear me? Good. How about now? Even better. We all enjoy an evening at home, relaxing with good company or a remote in hand and a favorite program on the telly. But sometimes, background noise can be too much, limiting your hearing and comprehension. There are several ways to reduce noise and improve your experience. Look around. Consider yo…

Ever wondered if that park down the street could be benefiting your child’s health? A new study from researchers in Spain suggests it might be more important than you think. Analyzing data from 35,000 children across eight countries, scientists noted a link between early exposure to green spaces and better lung function. The research study examined…

While it may not be possible to always keep the doctor away, a new study offers strong evidence that consuming apples, berries, and other fruit can help keep antidepressants at bay. With aging populations growing around the globe, depressive symptoms in older adults are also increasing. Specifically, many of these older adults face delayed cognitiv…

In recent years, glucose-lowering drugs — originally prescribed to treat Type 2 diabetes — have gained attention for their ability to kick-start weight loss. Simply starting one of these medications seems to help many shed pounds easily. But what if similar results could be achieved by increasing your fiber intake? A recent study indicates this mig…

Ever caught yourself endlessly scrolling through troubling news and feeling defeated? Read a headline that left you needing to put your phone down and stare into space? Do you wonder how an endless supply of information is affecting you? Well, you’re not the only one. A new study from Flinders University [Flin-drz] suggests that doomscrolling isn’t…

More than 10 million texts, calls, and chats in just two years. The 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which launched in July 2022, has had quite an impact. In 2022, suicide deaths reached a record high in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change to a three-digit number, instead of its 10-digit predecessor, …

In the universe of healthy snacks, baby carrots might just be one of the trendiest. A favored snack among the younger set, even the family dog might love a few if your hot dog stash runs dry. New research tells us that if you’re a young adult, these cutest of carrots could boost your skin, too. A team from Samford University presented findings at a…

As nutritional science has evolved over time, butter has passed in and out of favor with nutritionists and the public. At times butter has been touted for its nutritional value and that it may contribute to weight loss for those on a low-carb diet. But butter is looked upon less favorably when its fat profile is examined. That’s because butter is h…

You’re pouring yourself a cup of coffee while chatting up the new boss, and you get distracted — subsequently spilling it all over. You feel your face turn beet red, and it’s not the first time. After all, blushing is a universal part of the human experience. Now, researchers are trying to understand why. Using MRI scans to track brain activity, te…

You might be 10 slices of bacon away from a longer, healthier life. Yes, you heard that correctly. Bacon has a rap sheet. It’s high in sodium and fat. While some sing its praises, many doctors are not in the choir. The World Health Organization calls the food a carcinogen. University of Edinburgh scientists recently found that if Americans collecti…

The blood orange is delicious, often expensive, and packed with nutrients that taste great. But unlike the more common citrus that thrives in the humid state of Florida, this pigmented fruit requires more consistent cold temperatures than are readily available in a state known for its sunshine and beaches. Now, new University of Florida research is…

As a result of participation in this activity, participants should be able to: 1. Discuss UF neurosurgery research 2. Discuss importance of research 3. Discuss goals of UF neurosurgery researchPor UF Health Shands Hospital

Low back pain is an often-chronic condition many accept as just a natural part of aging. But what if ditching low back pain was as simple as taking a walk? A new study suggests it might be. Australian researchers recruited adults who had recently experienced an episode of lower back pain for at least 24 hours and who had no specific diagnosis. Part…

Millions of Americans regularly take multivitamins, accepting as fact that the dietary supplement can help them stay healthy and live longer. Consumers reliably scoop them up at the drugstore or supermarket. One estimate pegs the value of the multivitamin market at more than $21 billion. A new study, however, questions their usefulness. National Ca…

For those among us who prefer the steady thrum, pacing, and incline control of a treadmill (and the air conditioning that often comes with it), there can often be an unpleasant tax — shin splints. Now, researchers from the University of Virginia Health System may be onto a treatment plan that protects against this pesky, but common, sports injury. …

Don’t mess with Texas. Not with its ticks, anyway. The lone star tick, once found mostly in the southeastern United States, has been expanding its turf. They’re becoming more common in the Northeast, the Midwest, and even Canada. While its bite isn’t as dangerous as that of the also-common blacklegged tick, which spreads Lyme disease, lone star tic…

Summertime is a great time to get outdoors, go hiking, and explore nature. Kids are out of school and vacation season is in full swing. But so is the heat. High temperatures are no joke and can make any hike dangerous — even deadly. Each year, multiple people die from heat exhaustion during hikes and hundreds more are rescued. By taking a few safet…

For millions of Americans, eating oatmeal isn’t enough to lower cholesterol. Many leave the doctor’s office with a high cholesterol diagnosis and a statin prescription. One study from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University reported that by 2019, 818 million people were prescribed statins. But perhaps that number may change. As many as 40% f…

We all keep time to an internal cellular clock. Our circadian rhythms are tuned to the rotation of the Earth and its cycle of night and day. Still, our clocks aren’t all set to the same hour and minute. Some scientists believe that the biological clock influences whether we are a morning person or a night owl. If you groan and swear at the morning …

The dentist adjusts his instrument in your mouth, frowning. You tense, gripping the armrests. Silence. Then, the dreaded question: “Have you been flossing?” Maybe you have been. Maybe you really, really meant to, but forgot. Or maybe you glance over to the dusty floss pick packet every night … and then you look away. Whether you do, don’t, or won’t…

Elias Sayour, M.D., discusses the challenges of creating therapeutic cancer vaccines, advantages for mRNA vaccines and how to adapt mRNA to treat patients with cancer.Por UF Health Shands Hospital

Whether we’re binging one more episode of our favorite TV show, scrolling through social media, or battling insomnia, there are plenty of distractions in today’s world to keep us from sleep. But getting enough sleep is extremely important for a variety of reasons, and two new studies from the University of Michigan show that those who don’t get eno…

If you’re a woman who needs another reason to shovel in those fruits and veggies or forgo that triple fudge brownie, this is it. New research has shown that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet can reduce overall mortality rates in women by 23%. A study published in JAMA Network followed over 25,000 women for 25 years, observing their food choi…

Untreated diabetes can be life-threatening to your dog or cat, so it’s important to recognize the signs. Diabetes is more common in cats than dogs, but the signs for both are similar. Excessive drinking and urinating are the most common, but some animals may become ravenous without gaining weight. Any of these signs warrant a trip to your veterinar…

We spend a lot of time talking about tick prevention in our pets, but these creepy crawlers bother all sorts of animals — including horses. Worse yet, they can transmit dangerous diseases, which in horses include Lyme disease and equine granulocytic [gran-you-low-SIT-ick] anaplasmosis [ann-uh-plaz-MOE-sus]. Horses encounter ticks when they graze or…

In hot dry weather, your horse’s hooves can really take a beating. Dry, hard ground increases the risk of lameness. Risks are even worse when a horse is exposed to alternating wet and dry conditions — like evening turnout in dew-soaked grass and hot, dry conditions during the day. The cycle causes a horse’s hooves to repeatedly swell and contract, …

As temperatures break record highs all over the world, it’s more important than ever to protect our pets from the heat. The best way to do that is to keep them cool indoors and provide plenty of fresh water. Pets shouldn’t stay out longer than five or 10 minutes in the midday heat — just long enough to do their business. Morning or evening walks ar…

When we call out certain plants for being hazardous to pets, we’re usually talking about toxicity. But with foxtails, it’s all about physical contact. Foxtails are seemingly innocuous seed pods that arise from all sorts of grasses across the U.S. Their salient features are long, sticky fronds that attach to an animal’s fur. From there, pieces of th…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, was busy this spring approving medications for dogs with heart disease. Pimobendan [pea-moh-BEN-din] and torsemide [TORE-suh-mide] were approved for dogs in congestive heart failure — that’s fluid buildup due to heart disease, when it’s caused by myxomatous [mix-OH-mah-tus] mitral valve disease, or a t…

If you’re a pup parent who’s planning to have your dog spayed or neutered — often referred to as “neutered” for both — you may have lots of questions. For years, it’s been common to neuter dogs before they turn one year old — that is, before they mature. But in the past 20 years, research has shown that early neutering can increase the risk of join…

Most dogs love to eat. But what should you do if your pooch is absolutely obsessed with food? If your buddy can’t ever seem to get enough to eat, there could be lots of reasons why. So, start by scheduling a visit with your veterinarian. Diabetes, Cushing’s disease and cancer are just three conditions that can increase a dog’s appetite. If your poo…

It’s August, and your kids are likely preparing to return to school. Supplies are packed, lunches are made and blissful quiet awaits you at home. But before you send them off, make sure their eyes are classroom-ready. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, so it’s no time to neglect an aspect crucial to your child’s academic success. A 2…

“Screenager” is a term often used to describe tech-savvy teens who irritate their parents with extended stints online. But is it more than that? A new study from University College London found that increased internet addictions among adolescents may cause more serious health issues. Researchers reviewed 12 studies involving adolescents ages 10 to …

Meat has been a staple of the human diet for approximately three million years — since our ancient ancestors were scavenging raw meat and fish, and long before the invention of fire and cooking. But times change. Today, we have access to an array of plant-based meat alternatives, or PBMAs, packed with comparable nutrients to real meat. At the same,…

It’s summer, the temperature is rising, and so are the number of heat-related emergencies. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitals across the country are seeing higher numbers of emergency room visits related to heat illnesses. And it’s not necessarily the regions with the highest temperatures that have the highe…

Good news for coffee-lovers in cubicle land: That daily latte might be doing more than just waking you up. A new study finds that people who regularly drink coffee seem to gain some protection from the increased risk of death associated with prolonged sitting. Chinese researchers studied data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Survey, f…

Thiago Beduschi, MD, converses UF Health’s leading liver transplant program, highlighting innovations such as MARS, an artificial liver, and NRP. He explains liver failure, patient support, and how the UF Health program became Florida’s top-ranked liver transplant center as evidenced by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). Dr. B…

Por UF Health Shands Hospital

Por UF Health Shands Hospital

When you’re at a wedding reception and dancing begins, do you break into a sweat at the very idea of dancing, or do you kick off your shoes? If you’re the latter, your ability to loosen up may be more important than your ability to break into a cha-cha slide. New research from scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germa…