http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health Health articles, tips, news, advice, bogs and information on the latest research and advice from doctors and medical experts, from the Boston Globe and Boston.com. en-us 2012-05-16T09:00:46Z http://www.boston.com/ http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/bcom_logo_140w.gif http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/15/iraq_veteran_uses_rap_to_treat_his_ptsd?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice On one of the many days Leo Dunson wanted to die, the Iraq veteran put a gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. The loaded weapon misfired. For the troubled former soldier, it was another inexplicable failure, like his divorce or inability to make friends after returning from the war. Cristina Silva, Associated Press 2012-05-15T07:10:49Z http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/15/govt_adopts_landmark_strategy_to_fight_alzheimers?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Look for a fundamental shift in how scientists hunt ways to ward off the devastation of Alzheimer's disease -- by testing possible therapies in people who don't yet show many symptoms, before too much of the brain is destroyed. Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer 2012-05-15T04:14:47Z http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/14/1_in_3_autistic_young_adults_lack_jobs_education?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said. Lindsey Tanner, AP Medical Writer 2012-05-14T04:30:50Z http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/14/is_proton_beam_therapy_a_better_treatment_for_prostate_cancer_mass_general_trial_to_answer_question?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Massachusetts General Hospital is launching a large, long-awaited trial this month that will test whether a controversial cutting-edge proton beam therapy, already being used across the country, is more effective than standard radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Proton beam therapy, a targeted and controlled way to administer radiation to a tumor, has become a flashpoint in the debate over health care reform. Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff 2012-05-14T02:31:14Z eco http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/10/whooping_cough_epidemic_declared_in_wash_state?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Washington state's worst outbreak of whooping cough in decades has prompted health officials to declare an epidemic, seek help from federal experts and urge residents to get vaccinated amid worry that cases of the highly contagious disease could spike much higher. Donna Gordon Blankinship, Associated Press 2012-05-10T18:30:22Z http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/07/delving_into_female_memory_loss?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice New research is showing that memory does decline slightly during the early part of menopause, and there is a clear connection between memory and the hormone estrogen. Karen Weintraub, Globe Correspondent 2012-05-10T13:09:22Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/08/the_quantified_self_movement_grows_but_what_are_we_really_learning_about_ourselves?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice At the moment the so-called quantified self movement is populated mainly by tech geeks, fitness devotees, eager dieters, and people with chronic health issues, but it’s starting to go mainstream. Devotees use wearable gadgets and apps to track all sorts of information about themselves—mood state, heart rate, sweat level, sleeping patterns, miles walked, steps climbed, and, with the Boozelyzer app, even post-drinking binge emotions. Why do they do it, and what does it tell us about ourselves? Beth Teitell, Globe Staff 2012-05-08T04:00:00Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/07/health_answers_what_causes_a_hand_tremor_and_is_it_a_sign_of_disease?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Although hand tremors are typically associated with Parkinson's disease, there are multiple tremor types and causes. Globe Correspondent 2012-05-07T04:00:00Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/07/care_for_abused_women?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Nurse Annie Lewis-O’Connor founded the Women’s After Care Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a year-old program to help victims of violence. Globe Correspondent 2012-05-07T04:00:00Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/05/07/how_to_help_your_brain_as_you_age?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Here are some tips for staying mentally fit. 2012-05-07T01:26:05Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/04/30/finding_alternatives_to_potent_sedatives?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice A growing number of nursing homes are treating the agitation and disruptive behavior that often accompany dementia without resorting to antipsychotics. Kay Lazar, Globe Staff 2012-04-30T04:27:48Z met http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/04/30/goodbye_paper?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice One in 10 outpatient doctors in the United States began using electronic health records in 2011, helped along by the promise of $27 billion in incentives from the federal government. Doctors in Massachusetts have been quicker than those in other states to adopt the new systems, with about 44 percent of outpatient physicians using them as of last year. Now, some involved in health information technology say it is time to focus more attention on making sure the systems are safe. Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff 2012-04-30T04:01:00Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/04/29/nursing_home_residents_with_dementia_often_given_antipsychotics_despite_health_warnings?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice A Boston Globe investigation found that roughly 185,000 US nursing home residents received antipsychotic drugs in 2010 contrary to government recommendations, often to control agitation and combative behavior among those with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The drugs, which are intended to treat severe mental illness, can leave people in a stupor. And the US Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about potentially fatal side effects when antipsychotics are taken by patients with dementia. Kay Lazar and Matt Carroll, Globe Staff 2012-04-29T04:00:00Z met http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/04/29/how_the_nursing_home_data_were_analyzed?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice The Boston Globe examined data on more than 15,600 nursing homes across the nation for its investigation of antipsychotic overuse. The information was supplied by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 19 months after a Freedom of Information Act request was submitted. Matt Carroll, Globe Staff 2012-04-29T04:00:00Z met http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/04/23/massachusetts_cites_3_hospitals_for_inappropriate_care_of_patients_in_emergency_rooms?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Health officials cited three Massachusetts hospitals in the past six months for wrongly sending away patients from their emergency rooms, in one case resulting in the death. Liz Kowalczyk, Globe Staff 2012-04-23T03:36:06Z met http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/03/26/parents_are_changing_autism_research?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Science and medicine are catching up with parents’ understanding of the condition, and a more nuanced view is slowly emerging: Autism is not just a brain problem. Karen Weintraub, Globe Correspondent 2012-03-26T00:23:43Z liv http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/11/13/a_diminished_presence?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Lifestyle+%2F+Health+and+Wellness+Boston+--++articles%2C+tips%2C+news+and+advice Alzheimer’s has quickened its pace, snatching from Vincent more abilities than it had since his diagnosis three years earlier. But his humor and selfless core endure. Kay Lazar, Globe Staff 2011-11-13T03:24:59Z met