![]() |
|
Get a flu shot now, CDC saysWe’re halfway through the Hanukkah celebration; Christmas sales are in full swing and flu season is starting to pick up. So federal health officials are once again reminding everyone about the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu – part of National Influenza Vaccination Week. This is the first flu season in which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that most everyone older than 6 months of age get a flu vaccine. Many older men sexually satisfied in 70s, 80s, even 90sFile this in the "age isn't anything but a number" category: Older men enjoy a satisfying sex life well in to their golden years, finds a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers surveyed about 2,800 men in Australia, ages 75 to 95, and found a third of them had at least one sexual encounter with a partner in the last year. 56 percent of those men reported satisfying sex lives. Sex was considered to be a "somewhat important" part of life for 48 percent of the respondents, including men ages 90 to 95. "Sexuality is an innate component of our make-up as human beings," says Michael Reece, Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, who was not affiliated with the study. "We're sexual beings from birth until death." One Canadian concussion policy: 'Better safe than sorry'Calling its policy "better safe than sorry," a Canadian hockey league has instituted new rules that could keep players suspected of having a concussion off the ice for days, weeks, or even months. The new guidelines' most forceful statement: "A player suspected of a concussion must stop play immediately." Hockey Nova Scotia's new policy is designed to eliminate rink-side guesswork, insisting that the diagnosis of a head injury happen among medical, rather than bench staff. Mindfulness as good as antidepressant drugs, study says
A new study published the Archives of General Psychiatry finds that depression patients in remission who underwent mindfulness therapy did as well as those who took an antidepressant, and better than those who took a placebo. That means that mindfulness therapy was as effective as antidepressants in protecting against a relapse of depression. Mindfulness generally refers to the concept of being present and in the moment, and comes from the Buddhist meditation tradition. In the context of this study, mindfulness therapy incorporates meditation and focuses on helping patients watch their feelings and thoughts in a way that lets them work with them differently, said Zindel Segal of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in Toronto, Ontario. Is the HPV shot advised for teen males?Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Mondays, it's pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu. Question asked by Natalie of Virginia: What is the deal with the HPV shot for teen boys? I have heard that is now being advised for males. I have a 15-year-old son. Docs get guide for ID'ing food allergiesThe first guidelines for  diagnosing and managing food allergies were released Monday by The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Designed by and for allergists, immunologists and other health care professionals, the guidelines represent the best practices for management of a disease where there is no current treatment. It's a framework  intended to help doctors make appropriate decisions about treating patients, but not fixed rules that must be followed. Doctors and patients still need to develop individual treatment plans based on the circumstance of the patient. |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. ![]() ![]() |
|