You might want to sit down for this. It turns out, while too much sitting can be bad for your health, not all kinds of sitting are equal. How’s that? We’ve all been told that sitting too long raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems. But research suggests that leisure-time sitting has a greater risk of heart disease than sitting at work. For more than eight years, Columbia University researchers followed nearly 4,000 people who reported how much time they spent sitting...
Jul 24, 2025•2 min
It takes a microbiologist to answer this one. For good hygiene and health, what is better, showering in the morning or the evening? Think there isn’t a difference? Not according to science. Primrose Freestone, a clinical microbiologist from Great Britain, notes in a recent online essay published on the website, The Conversation, that mornings are best for keeping squeaky clean. You can try to “wash the day away” right before bed as a coping mechanism for a stressful day. But Freestone says you’l...
Jul 23, 2025•2 min
Scientists have discovered a nanoparticle produced by jet engines that could be endangering human health. The pollutant reminds some researchers of an onion. An international team of investigators discovered “onion-like” particles in aircraft jet exhaust while testing engines in Switzerland. Experts have long known that soot particles are produced by aircraft, typically found in higher concentrations closer to the engine. But more than 15 meters from the engine, or just under 50 feet, about 99% ...
Jul 22, 2025•2 min
About 16 million Americans deal with chronic back pain issues, a whopping 8% of the population. And a staggering 65 million report dealing with some kind of lower back discomfort in particular, meaning you more than likely know someone who grumbles about the pitfalls of having a spine. In short: Lower back aches can be a real pain. But a simple solution might lie just outside your front door. In a new study from the University of Plymouth, people who suffer from chronic lower back pain were aske...
Jul 21, 2025•2 min
Although a clinical pathologist’s role is primarily behind the scenes, bloodwork and general lab testing are critical for disease diagnosis and prevention in pets. When you visit the veterinarian, chances are you’ll be asked to have samples taken from your pet’s blood, urine and stool to assess his or her health status. Dr. Chris Lanier, a board-certified veterinary clinical pathologist, will discuss the types of tests that typically take place in veterinary clinical pathology, and what they mea...
Jul 18, 2025•47 min
Some of us are lucky enough to see our parents and grandparents enjoy healthy lives well into old age. You’d probably feel as if you’d won the genetic lottery if your 90-year-old parents still managed a round of golf now and then. On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve all heard someone lament that “they die young in my family.” A new study reinforces that nothing is preordained when it comes to the genetic sweepstakes. Living a healthy lifestyle remains the essential ingredient in the recipe f...
Jul 18, 2025•2 min
Your heart takes a licking, and most of the time, it keeps on ticking. But there are several screenings you can get to be sure that it does. According to the American Heart Association, an important factor in lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease is managing your health behaviors. These include your diet, physical activity, whether you smoke, your body mass index, or B-M-I, blood pressure, total cholesterol and more. A first step to protecting your heart health: Check your blood pressure...
Jul 17, 2025•2 min
Loneliness is becoming especially prevalent in the digital age. With our faces glued to computer and smartphone screens, face-to-face time with friends and family has fallen. Being lonely is about more than social isolation. It can be a health threat, contributing to depression, heart problems, cognitive decline and premature death. Add one more thing to the potential risk of ills: hearing loss. A recent Chinese study found that loneliness increased the risk of hearing loss by 24%. That figure h...
Jul 16, 2025•2 min
You use it to freshen your breath. Baseball players blow big bubbles between pitches on the baseball diamond. Kids swap it between classes. But each stick of chewing gum has a benefit — and a downside. A positive: Gum promotes oral health. As you work the wad between your teeth, the sticky texture removes food and plaque from your mouth. Clearly, sugar-free options are better when it comes to preventing tooth decay. In fact, research shows that gum with xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol, reduces ...
Jul 15, 2025•2 min
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what about an apple, some berries, a cup of tea and a piece of dark chocolate? As nutrition science continues to advance, we can gain deeper insights into exactly how certain foods contribute to our well-being, like preventing aging, protecting against chronic disease or boosting brain health. A new study published in Nature Food turned its attention to flavonoids, which are naturally occurring compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, chocola...
Jul 14, 2025•2 min
Quick bites, fast action. Snake bites are one of the most common occurrences in veterinary hospital emergency rooms through the summer months, and prompt medical attention can make the difference between life, death and/or a lengthy and expensive hospitalization. Dr. Michael Schaer, UF CVM professor emeritus of emergency medicine and critical care, joins Animal Airwaves Live to talk all things snake bites, discuss an update on recent lessons learned from several severe cases of pit viper envenom...
Jul 11, 2025•47 min
In June, the United States Army adopted new fitness standards for its combat soldiers. The biggest change? The new standards are the same for men and women. The test has been around for more than 100 years. Even if you have no reasonable expectation of ever donning a military uniform, the test is a great gauge of overall fitness. Think you can hang? The first part of the test is deadlifts. The Army’s test uses a hexagonal bar with weights on each end. Soldiers must lift 150 pounds off the ground...
Jul 11, 2025•2 min
Does this sound familiar? You’re following a generally healthy diet, eating your vegetables and carefully avoiding unhealthy, fatty foods. The weekend arrives, or maybe a holiday. Like a reformed card counter at a Las Vegas casino, we might think, “I can cheat this one weekend without causing myself any harm.” A study by Australian scientists, however, suggests that even an isolated weekend splurge at the fatty food buffet can quickly cause harm to your gut. It can trigger a domino effect, resul...
Jul 10, 2025•2 min
Weight loss solutions are a dime a dozen. Some swear by dieting, others by intense exercise. But for those who struggle with feelings of satiety, a new solution may be on the horizon. In a new study out of Spain, scientists developed a collagen-based protein bar that swells up to 19 times its size once it hits stomach acid. The result? People who consumed it lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t, all without following a calorie-restricted diet. Participants consumed collagen-enriched pro...
Jul 09, 2025•2 min
When it comes to the lifelong pursuit of happiness, dieting rarely comes up. Now a new study using data from over 28,000 adults finds that calorie-restricted diets may come with unexpected mental health costs — especially for men and people with a higher body weight. Researchers from Toronto analyzed six cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018, looking at the link between different kinds of diets and depression scores. Participants were grouped by how the...
Jul 08, 2025•2 min
Despite being beloved by most folks with a deadline, caffeine’s effect on the brain when they are asleep is far from universal. A new study from researchers in Montreal dives into how caffeine transforms our brains during sleep — and why younger people might feel the impact more. Forty healthy adults, ages 20 to 58, spent two nights in a sleep lab after taking either a placebo or 200 milligrams of caffeine (roughly two cups of coffee). Their brain activity was monitored through a 20-channel elec...
Jul 07, 2025•2 min
If you’ve read or heard about a dog’s life being saved through a blood transfusion, chances are a blood bank that collects blood and blood products from qualified canine blood donors was involved. On this archived episode, veterinary technician Camille Kelly, CVT, VTS, who manages the canine blood donor program at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss common conditions that can require a blood transfusion and how to determine if your dog might be suitable as a donor. She’ll also sh...
Jul 04, 2025•47 min
They creak, they crunch, they catch. But mostly they hurt. Every year, about 800,000 of us have such bad knees that we have them surgically replaced. That number has been growing. And with a quickly aging population, that trend is expected to continue. The process of acquiring a new knee is far from simple. It can take a year to recover. Infection is a worry. And replacement knees don’t last forever, which is why some doctors advise patients to manage their pain as long as possible before opting...
Jul 04, 2025•2 min
Before antibiotics became widely available in the first half of the 20th century, we humans were vulnerable to all kinds of ailments. An infected tooth could take you out. So could minor problems during childbirth. Even a bad case of diarrhea could be fatal, especially in children. But as the 1980s power-ballad classic goes, “Every rose has its thorn.” So it is with antibiotics. The miracle medicine that extended human lifespans by decades now often pollutes our waterways. A new study from Canad...
Jul 03, 2025•2 min
Judging by our dogs’ reactions when they hear the word “walk,” they love their outdoor time — the action, the smells, seeing other animals and being with us. So, it’s important to make walks as safe as possible. It starts with ensuring that your pet has up-to-date identification — preferably in the form of a microchip — in case you get separated. Always be careful on unfamiliar terrain to prevent falls or other injuries. If it’s hot outside, save walks for cooler parts of the day — and if it’s r...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
You may have heard about tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, but not likely in a canine context. Tularemia is a bacterial disease that often causes liver abscesses in rabbits and rodents. In North America, its most frequently reported in the spring and summer. Dogs uncommonly develop tularemia when they eat tissues from infected animals, drink contaminated water or suffer bites from carrier insects. Affected dogs may be lethargic and have a poor appetite or — rarely — develop conjunctivitis a...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Like humans, our pets’ vision worsens with age. But since they can’t tell us what’s happening, we need to watch closely for behavioral cues. Pets with failing vision may be more hesitant when navigating their usual environment. They might bump into things and misjudge distances due to faulty depth perception. A quieter, less energetic demeanor is also a clue that something’s up. Uncharacteristic behavior to other people or pets may also be a sign of fear or anxiety related to vision loss. Once w...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
After recent high-profile cases, hantavirus came roaring back into the headlines as a potentially deadly human pathogen. Hantavirus is spread by rodents — most commonly the deer mouse in the United States. However, a recent study identified fifteen rodent species as carriers in North America and revealed hantavirus hotspots in Virginia, Colorado and Texas. That said, hantavirus is a global pathogen. It has pandemic potential with symptoms akin to those seen with severe COVID-19. It’s transmitted...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Before another summer of celebrations, certain pet-friendly precautions bear repeating. First and foremost, always keep your pet cool and well-hydrated. That means never leaving them unattended in the car and always offering plenty of water. The Fourth of July is a big celebration for many of us, but a terrifying time for most pets. That’s why it’s best to leave your buddy at home in a quiet, comfortable indoor spot with the windows and curtains closed and the air conditioning on as needed. Remo...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
For nearly a century, widespread vaccinations have saved the lives of countless animals. Beyond that obvious benefit, vaccinations are often required by pet boarding and daycare facilities, as well as local and state laws. But which vaccinations does each pet need? Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs and cats unless there’s a medical risk to vaccination. In contrast, non-core vaccines are only important for certain animals, based on their risk of disease by way of their location or lifest...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Equine lumps and bumps can appear alike whether they’re benign or cancerous — and skin tumors can affect any age or breed of horse. Sarcoids, most common in Quarter Horses and related breeds, can occur anywhere on the body as flat ulcers, small nodules or large fleshy masses. Squamous cell carcinomas can also be ulcerative or fleshy growths, but they’re likely to affect white or pink areas of skin. Melanomas — another of the three most common equine skin tumors — appear almost exclusively, but n...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Because horses are natural grazers, many people don’t know that seemingly benign vegetation might be dangerous. Take grass clippings, for example. They’re so tasty that horses may bolt them down, risking esophageal obstruction. What’s more, their high digestibility causes rapid hindgut fermentation that could result in laminitis. Clippings that mold in wet weather can also increase the risk of colic. Trimmings from certain shrubs and trees are highly toxic as well. Yew tops the list, but rhodode...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
This spring, the US Food and Drug Administration made legally available a treatment for a parasitic disease that commonly affects fish often kept in home aquariums and outdoor ponds. Informally known as “ich,” pronounced ‘ick,’ or “white spot disease,” this condition causes white spots on a fish’s skin or gills, lethargy and decreased appetite. Ich is highly contagious and can kill all fish in a tank in a short period of time. It’s easily introduced into water by adding new fish or using equipme...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Chances are you’ve heard about the environmental impacts of free-roaming domestic cats — but that doesn’t mean our pooches are off the hook. An Australian review of existing studies recently reported that pet dogs have a far more troubling impact on the environment than was recently known. The study calls out dogs as the large carnivore most commonly implicated in killing and disturbing native wildlife, especially shore birds. Indirect effects are rampant too, particularly involving dog waste, w...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is the most common cause of death in senior cats. Unfortunately, it’s usually not diagnosed until symptoms are advanced. But when it’s caught early, targeted treatments can keep your cat happy and active for as long as possible. As CKD progresses, cellular toxins build up and increased amounts of fluid are lost in the urine. These processes can be measured by blood and urine testing. Annual testing is recommended when your cat reaches four years of age. By the age...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
