All Articles on Health

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  How well does bariatric surgery work?

  The number of bariatric surgeries done each year in the United States has ballooned. Now, in an August 27 state-of-the-art review in The BMJ and a September 3 editorial in JAMA, David Arterburn, MD, MPH, weighs the evidence on the benefits and risks of the various types of this surgery.
• Collaborative care improves depression in teens

  How best to care for the many adolescents who have depression? In a collaborative care intervention, a care manager continually reached out to teens—delivering and following up on treatment in a primary-care setting (the office of a pediatrician or family doctor, not a psychiatrist or psychologist) at Group Health Cooperative. Depression outcomes after a year were significantly better with this approach than with usual care, according to a randomized controlled trial published in JAMA.
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  In a funk? Break out with these experiments.

  When you feel really down, even a single positive change can make a real difference. But if you experiment with three small changes in one week, you may increase your chances of lifting your spirits even more.
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  The smoker’s dilemma: Will I gain weight if I quit?

  Will I gain weight if I stop smoking? Maybe. Some weight gain is normal. The average person who decides to quit smoking gains about seven pounds. Some gain more, some less. And some people gain no weight at all.
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  Caring for someone with dementia? These tips may help.

  If you’re a caregiver for someone with dementia, you know how challenging your role can be. This is especially true with progressive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, where deterioration of brain function can affect a person’s behavior.
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  Why aren’t pregnant women getting flu vaccine?

  Why aren’t pregnant women getting flu vaccine?—Both mother and fetus are at increased risk for complications of flu infection during pregnancy. Prenatal care providers say they’re advising women to get the flu vaccine, but many pregnant women opt out.
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  Research shows online care from dietitians helps control weight

  Where’s a dietitian when you need one the most? The e-Care for Heart Wellness study– which tested ways to help patients lower their blood pressure and risk for heart-disease and stroke–sought to solve this common need.