Robert Roy Britt

Surprising Benefits to Heart & Brain Health from Resistance Exercise Working your muscles releases vital “exerkines” and boosts overall well-being. No matter how old you are.

Maintaining strength is vital, especially with #aging. Strength training - via weights, stretchy bands or even body-weight exercises - allows one to perform basic life tasks, and it helps prevent falls. It also makes the heart stronger and helps the brain stay healthy. This doc explains.

Dementia, Anxiety and ADHD Benefit from the Same Meds Blood pressure medications can rescue brains from a range of conditions

This psychiatrist/neuroscientist eats well and runs marathons, yet still had high blood pressure. He's found that meds that can help stave off bad heart #health outcomes can also benefit people struggling with #mentalhealth conditions. What an unexpected, informative story!

When Chronic Ailments Pile On One physical disease or mental health condition will frequently spawn or exacerbate others, new research reveals. Here’s how to buffer…

Chronic pain can be depressing. And I mean that in a clinical sense: People with chronic ailments, including ongoing pain, are at high risk for other chronic conditions, both physical and mental, including heart disease, arthritis, asthma and even cancer, new research finds.

#health #mentalhealth

Why Fingernails Break and Split, and How to Fix Them New research promises a possible remedy. Meantime, here are a dermatologist’s top tips for thicker and stronger nails.

For anyone who gets their nails done a lot, this story will prove enlightening. Facts like: As we age, fingernails produce less keratin and hold less moisture. And: The stuff that adds sheen to gel nail polishes just got banned in Europe for being harmful (but not in the US). Plus new research.

We Have a Lyme Disease Vaccine. Why Don’t We Use It? The tragic tale of LYMErix — a chilling prequel to today’s antivax movement.

I had no idea there was a human vaccine for Lyme disease. That's because it was shelved decades ago. The dubious reasons, and the story behind a vaccine still used for dogs, is a cautionary tale in how good science can be negated by one bogus study and the ensuing hysteria of a misinformed public.

Gen X Leads in Addiction to Unhealthy Food Youngest Boomers hooked at high rates, too. New research suggest why.

Ultra-processed food is engineered by big food companies to be tasty, cheap and convenient, but also highly addictive. New research finds the first generation to grow up with UPFs shows the highest rates of addiction to them.

medium.com/wise-well/ge... #GENX #food #diet #health

The Truth About Tylenol and Autism President Trump’s definitive statements that acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism are not supported by evidence

The debate over whether #acetaminophen causes #autism is rooted in studies that find an association, not causation. The link is not so clear. This writer, a scientist with an autistic child, parses what's known and what's speculated to offer a reasoned view.

Is Medicine Still a Calling, or Just a Job? I asked multiple physicians what they think about their profession. Views varied significantly based on generational expectations

The writer, a retired physician and former US medical center CEO, reached out to several former colleagues, young and old, to glean whether becoming a doctor has the same noble lure of days gone by. Responses reflect problems in healthcare: inhumane workloads, substandard care and physician burnout.

9 Things I’m Doing to Stay Sane These Days Amid all the insanity, anger and sadness in politics and culture, I’m leaning into science to stay afloat

I hope you're doing OK. It's crazy out there. We all have ways of coping in times like these, but maybe some of yours aren't working so well. I'm certainly struggling. So I pulled together some of the most useful science-backed ways of getting by, of dealing with difficult times.

Why People Seek Revenge: Clues from Neuroscience The craving for vengeance is ancient and global. New studies suggest why — and shed light on how all of us can control our hostile urges…

Why would Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, do such a thing? We don't have all the details, but science offers clues about retribution and revenge being incredibly powerful human emotions. Understanding the #psychology might help us all process, if not prevent, events like this.

Changing Telehealth Prescribing Rules Will Kill People DEA regulations to punish US telehealth businesses will restrict access for those most likely to benefit from stimulants and other…

Waiting lists for #mentalhealth counseling can be weeks or months. #Telehealth services have helped fill the gap, and research shows they're vital for those who most need the help, as this psychiatrist explains. So why does the US government want to shut them down?

The Cruel Side Effect of Chronic Pain: Severe Loneliness A comprehensive new survey offers a disturbing portrait of what it’s really like to live with enduring pain

If you've never had chronic pain, you likely have no idea how it transforms life, from the constant weight on mental health to an even crueler effect that's rarely discussed: Sheer loneliness, and lack of support from friends and family, according to a new study.

What ‘September Lock In’ is and Why You Should Do It Science-based strategies for finishing the year strong and getting a head start on next year via this popular new trend

We get all serious about goals at the beginning of every year, but most people, according to surveys, give up on their resolutions within weeks. In this new trend, people "lock in" on their goals now in order to finish the year strong. But how? This psychologist offers three research-backed tactics.

The TV Trap: How Screen Time Saps Mental Health Research suggests a simple swap may improve your mood

You've probably hear that watching lots of TV isn't great for the mind. New research suggests that cutting out even one lousy hour of your TV time can be good for you, but it depends on what you use that time for.

Mental Health is Not Just Due to Good or Bad Genes Genetics shape our traits in a number of complex ways.

Nature or nurture? Yep. And that's why it's so hard to pinpoint causes of our behaviors and habits and mental health conditions.The writer calls for a greater understanding of genetic complexity and more appreciation of the powerful nuances.

Why are Healthy Women Having So Many Heart Attacks? Many women have heart disease without the telltale risk factors. A new study suggests the root cause.

We've long known women are woefully underrepresented in medical research. That long history of exclusion has real consequences, as this family doctor explains, as the risk factors for heart disease are different in women and men. Thus many women never exhibited the telltale warning signs until...

Does Taking Tylenol in Pregnancy Really Cause Autism and ADHD? A new study is making headlines. Here’s the science — and why to not panic just yet.

The main ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, has been linked with #autism and #ADHD in children whose mothers took the painkiller during pregnancy. But as is often the case with medical research, the finding may not be as dire as news reports indicate.

Can We Really Smell Unsafe Food? Trusting your nose is a myth. Here’s how to know if food is truly safe.

Our food safety expert explains how bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply like gangbusters at room temperature yet don't give off any odors. Here's what to know to protect yourself, plus who is at greatest risk.

When Hearing Declines, So Does Mental Health and Well-Being Millions ignore hearing loss, putting their health and happiness at risk. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A hearing check qualified me for a set of $6,000 hearing aids, and I said to the audiologist: "Say what?" I get by without, but millions of people have much worse hearing, and I'm not surprised by the results of this new study.

What Top Athletes Can Teach You About Health, Productivity and Performance You don’t have to be a pro to use their techniques in everyday life

The human brain gets better at dealing with high-stress events  (physical and mental )  through repeated exposure. It's how top athletes stay on top of their game. They also learn use proven strategies, such as taking deep breaths after a missed shot to regain focus. You can learn a lot from them.

Are Weighted Vests the Perimenopause Magic Bullet We Want Them to Be? What these popular fitness tools can — and can’t — do

It was inevitable that eventually marketers would catch up to the growing awareness among women of perimenopause, that time of great internal change that happens sooner and lasts longer than many would wish. Enter the weighted exercise belt. Seriously? for perimenopause?

MAHA Blames the Ill and Disabled for Their Plights Rhetoric from the Make America Healthy Again movement discounts the government’s responsibility for helping people with chronic illness and…

“As a scholar of rhetoric and the mother of an autistic child, in the language of #MAHA I hear a disregard for the humanity of people with disabilities and a shift from supporting them to blaming them for their needs."

I’m Child-free at 50: With No Regrets With my fertile years in the rearview mirror, here’s my take on the pros and cons of choosing a child-free life.

People don't have children for various reasons, and if you've ever wondered what some of them are, this writer has a bunch of answers… and no regrets.

AI Is Disrupting How Young Brains Grow What every parent needs to know about the risks, plus strategies to prevent the damage

It's not rocket science to imagine young minds will be transformed by #AI. This neuroscientist/psychologist has thought deep about how it will affect her own kids' pliable young brains. Given her serious concerns, should we be worried?

How AI is Making People Literally Crazy Artificial intelligence can push normal people into prolonged delusional states and outright psychosis.

One of AI's most sinister effects is showing up among people prone to paranoia. This writer/psychiatrist and others are seeing evidence for AI-induced psychosis, and while it affects a small number of people, the implications are big for us all. #AI #psychology

Are Organic or Cage-Free Eggs Safer? Everything You Need To Know Misleading labels sound good but don’t guarantee safety. Here’s what to know before you buy another dozen.

After two recent outbreaks of egg-based Salmonella infections involving cage-free and even organic eggs, you gotta wonder: Do the labels mean anything? This food safety expert offers a surprising inside look.

AI has a hidden water cost − here’s how to calculate yours AI systems’ water usage can vary widely, depending on where and when the computer answering the query is running.

#AI systems use up to a the equivalent of one bottle of water for each short conversation with the OpenAI’s chat GPT-3, or to draft a 100-word AI-driven email.

The Silent Yet Deadly Disease You May Not Know You Have Fatty liver disease is a harbinger of poor health, but many people are unaware they — and their kids — have it.

This doctor writes about fatty liver disease, a deadly condition that affects a surprising percentage of Americans, even children... and it's main cause is not what we thought.

Mysteries Mount on the Supposed Scourge of ‘Inflammaging’ New research questions whether inflammation is a natural part of aging, and even whether it’s the insidious health culprit it’s cracked up…

Inflammation at the cellular level is often blamed as a cause of chronic disease, and inflammation is thought to increase with aging (hence the term). New research on indigenous people finds inflammation doesn't increase as they age, suggesting modern lifestyles are the cause of inflammation.

In the Grips of ‘Painsomnia’ Thanks to my chronic pain, nighttime is a nightmare, but advice from an expert may save my sleep

Nighttime is a nightmare for this writer, who suffers never-ending chronic pain that makes sleep difficult. His plight is not all that unusual, and he and other who deal with it have a name for the condition, even if it's not a formal medical term: #painsomnia