Hot MedFax

I just found out my best friend is moving to one of the wealthiest communities in the country.  Not only will she be able to avoid all the rush-hour traffic in our town, she'll also be able to remove her son from his inner city high school and place him in one of the top schools in the state. The green-eyed monster has reared its ugly head. Actually, though, I'm a little out of my element.  When it comes to envy, guess who has it most?  Young adults. I guess that's because they're starting out and it's all ahead of them.  Who wouldn't envy someone who has a good job, the ability to move to a better home in a better town, and to place their kid in a school that doesn't have others pulling guns (OK, so it was a bb gun) on their peers? A new study has found that young adults are more envious than older adults. They are more envious over looks and for a wider range of other reasons, too. It also appears that both men and women are more likely to envy...

It's not exactly new.  We've known for some time that exercise and crossword puzzles can slow down, or defeat, Alzheimer's.  But now a new study has found that a healthy lifestyle can improve memory, even under 40. I've been getting worse and worse at remembering things (though I'm well past 40!).  I walk into a room and say, "Now, what did I come in here for?"  Fortunately, I have a son, who, once he stops snickering, says, "Your keys, Mom." But there are ways to improve -- or sustain -- your memory Cathy Payne at USA Today writes, "Healthy eating, not smoking, and exercising regularly were linked to better self-perceived memory abilities."  Even those engaging in just one healthy behavior -- across all age groups -- were 21% less likely to report memory problems than those who didn't. And it's not just us aging Baby Boomers complaining about memory.  A shocking 14% of those from 18 to 39 also have problems with it (thou...

OK, so we've heard all the back-and-forth between presidential and legislative forces and the NRA.  Make all gun buyers and owners register.  No weapons sold to those with mental health conditions, as recommended by healthcare professionals.  And my favorite: armed guards at schools.  Puhleeze. But Kaiser News reports that children, teens and young adults, and their mental health -- along with the teachers, counselors and therapists who could spot problems before they happen -- are a big part of President Obama's gun plan. Spoiler alert:  I live about 20 miles from Newtown and this crime has struck me far more than any other "mass shooting." (I remember my shock when Colin Ferguson entered the Long Island train and began shooting and I thought then, what is the world coming to.)  And when mass shootings referred to war, and  wasn't a common phrase in our language. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/January/17/mental-health-gun-control...