There are all sorts of medicines on the market today that help us to feel our best, prevent illness and treat disease. The vast majority of them come in pill form. But some people struggle — for a variety of reasons —to swallow pills. [Read more…]
A tough pill to swallow? The evidence on taking medicine
October 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment
What we know about kids and car seats
September 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Car seat technology has certainly come a long way in the past three decades. I have clear memories sitting in the front seat of my mom’s car (and playing with the radio buttons!) at age five — a practice that is now against the law in most states. [Read more…]
The body of evidence on reducing your risk of dementia
September 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment
As the world population ages, dementia is expected to affect more people than ever before — more than 65 million people worldwide by 2030. One of the first symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is cognitive decline: forgetting words and names, losing items and struggling with planning and organizing. [Read more…]
Therapy for insomnia?
June 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Chances are you know someone who has difficulty sleeping, or you experience insomnia yourself. About 30 percent of adults in the U.S. experience symptoms of insomnia and 10 percent experience sleeplessness that impacts their daily activities. [Read more…]
Evidence gap: What we don’t know about health apps
April 23, 2015 By 3 Comments
Smart phones have changed our society in a myriad of ways, making it faster and easier to communicate with each other, conduct research, access entertainment, and navigate the world.
The health care industry has also capitalized on this new technology. Today, there are dozens of apps designed to help people improve their fitness, lose weight and monitor medical conditions. But do they actually work? [Read more…]
Can we improve how well people take their medicine?
December 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment
In our modern health care system, prescribing medicines is one of the main ways that doctors treat illness and prevent more serious diseases. [Read more…]
Updated evidence: Workplace smoking interventions
September 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Smoking is one of the biggest public health threats across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. It accounts for one in ten deaths among adults worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable. [Read more…]
Evidence-based motivation
September 10, 2014 By 3 Comments
Do you ever find it hard to accomplish what you set out to do? I know it’s a problem I encounter sometimes, especially in this era of instant communication where there is so much distraction. So what’s the best way to get something done?
New evidence on toothpaste for kids
April 3, 2014 By 1 Comment
In the U.S. dental care has long been a priority for young children. Decades ago, I can clearly remember our church giving out toothbrushes and toothpaste every Halloween before it was time to trick-or-treat. But for many reasons, tooth decay is a growing problem among preschool children. [Read more…]
Mentoring works for troubled, but how?
March 18, 2014 By 1 Comment
When young people are struggling – with school, addiction, criminal behavior or a number of other problems – help often comes through a mentor. Thousands of organizations across the country pair at-risk young people with a role model to help them get back on track. But does mentoring work?
More evidence on the perils of smoking
January 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
It’s no secret that smoking is bad for your health. In fact, it was 50 years ago that the U.S. surgeon general released the first report warning the American public about the dangers of smoking. Since then, thousands of studies and hundreds of systematic reviews have documented a long list of health problems related to smoking. [Read more…]
What we know about gun violence
January 8, 2014 By 4 Comments
Each year, more than 30,000 Americans are killed in acts of violence using a gun. The problem is complex because it involves so many factors.
