Curious what recovery really looks like after a hip replacement?  Dr. Ayesha Abdeen, chief of hip and knee replacement surgery at Boston Medical Center, shares what to expect at every step along the way — from managing pain to getting back to favorite activities. What to expect after surgery Total hip replacement (THR) surgery has become less invasive thanks to new surgical techniques and modern implants. As a result, recovery is now faster and more comfortable than it used to be.  Patients are encouraged to start walking as soon as possible to lower the risk of complications like blood clots that can travel from the leg to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Weight-bearing on the operated leg is allowed, though most people use an assistive device — like crutches or a walker — for support in the first few days as they regain strength and balance. Physical therapy usually begins the same day as surgery. After surgery, it’s normal to feel pain around the incision as well as some joint and muscle discomfort in the buttock, groin and/or thigh areas. Most patients are prescribed a combination of low-dose medications that work together to manage pain effectively.  This “opioid-sparing” approach helps avoid stronger painkillers like oxycodone when possible, since they can lead to issues like drowsiness, breathing problems, constipation, dizziness, falls, nausea and vomiting. Other pain relief…  read on >  read on >

From slurping daily spoonfuls of fish oil to giving up alcohol, lifting weights and playing word games, older Americans think just about anything that might keep their brains sharp is worth a try. After all, the risk of dementia — a loss of memory, problem-solving and thinking abilities that often equals an end to independence — rises sharply with age. By itself, the most common dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, affects an estimated 6.7 million Americans.  And that number is forecast to almost double every 20 years. That’s why researchers are looking at many ways to stop cognitive decline, from diet to how and with whom people spend their time.  “There are so many strategies that have been of interest in the last five to 10 years,” Dr. Daniel Vela-Duarte, a neuro-interventional surgeon at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fl., told Tribune News Service. But which strategies are most apt to pay off? Here’s a rundown on a few that seem to be beneficial: Puzzles and games: Give your brain a daily workout with a crossword puzzle, Wordle or any game that requires strategic thinking.  Games that challenge you to think fast and solve problems can stimulate key brain areas. But why they might slow mental decline isn’t clear, Tribune News Service reports, and scientific evidence is scant.  But this much is clear: “Reading,…  read on >  read on >

President Donald Trump signed an order this week removing limits on how much water can come out of showerheads.  He said the change will help Americans enjoy better showers and joked it would “make America’s showers great again,” The Washington Post reported. Just one day later, the Senate voted 53-44 to cancel a planned energy-saving rule for gas tankless water heaters — repeating action taken earlier in the House of Representatives. Together, these moves show how Trump and congressional Republicans are pushing back on energy-efficiency standards for everyday household things. Trump has long criticized these rules, even blaming them for messing up his hair, The Post said. “I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” Trump said Wednesday before signing the executive order at the White House. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It’s ridiculous.” In a fact sheet sent to The Post, the White House said the order “frees Americans from excessive regulations that turned a basic household item into a bureaucratic nightmare,” adding that Trump would “end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure and make America’s showers great again.” The now-canceled showerhead rule — first put in place under President Barack Obama and later brought back by President Joe Biden — said each showerhead could only use 2.5 gallons…  read on >  read on >

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will tell the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water across the country. He also announced plans to form a special task force to focus on health risks of fluoride. Kennedy made the comments Monday during a media event with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in Salt Lake City.  Last month, Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water supplies. The EPA said it is reviewing new science about the possible dangers of fluoride in water, The Associated Press reported. Kennedy can’t force communities to stop fluoridating water, but he can influence the CDC’s recommendations and work with the EPA to change the allowed limits. The CDC currently recommends 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, while the EPA allows up to 4 milligrams. “I’m very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it, and I hope many more will,” Kennedy said, referring to Utah. Under its new law all water systems in the state must stop adding fluoride by May 7. Kennedy called fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin” that may also be linked to arthritis, thyroid problems and bone fractures, according to The Associated Press. Some studies have found possible health risks at higher-than-recommended levels…  read on >  read on >

The Trump administration has decided not to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for popular obesity drugs, blocking a Biden administration initiative that could have helped millions of Americans access the medications. Catherine Howden, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said that expanding coverage for these drugs “is not appropriate at this time,” though it “may consider future policy options” for them. The decision was included in a 438-page rule updating other parts of Medicare’s drug coverage. Currently, Medicare covers these drugs only for people with diabetes, or in rare cases, for those who are obese and also have major heart problems or sleep apnea, The New York Times reported. Former President Joe Biden’s plan would have expanded access to people who are obese but do not have other health problems.  Officials estimated that about 3.4 million more people might start using the medications if coverage were expanded. The drugs include Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro. These medications have shown benefits beyond weight loss, such as lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But cost was a major concern. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that expanding coverage would cost the federal government around $35 billion over 10 years, The Times said. Retail prices for the drugs range from $350 to $500 per month without…  read on >  read on >

Wondering what recovery is really like after knee replacement surgery?  Dr. Ayesha Abdeen, chief of hip and knee replacement surgery at Boston Medical Center, breaks down exactly what to expect — from managing pain in the first few days to getting back on your feet and returning to the activities you love. Total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is usually done using spinal anesthesia along with a nerve block to help reduce pain after surgery. Right after the procedure, you will likely still feel pain relief from the nerve blocks for about eight to 12 hours. Once the spinal anesthesia wears off — usually within the first hour or so in the recovery room — you will be encouraged to start walking.  Early movement helps speed up recovery and lowers the risk of serious blood clots that can form in your leg (deep vein thrombosis) and travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism). You will also be given a medication to help prevent blood clots, such as aspirin or a stronger blood thinner (anticoagulant), depending on the type of clots you have. Pain during the first few days after TKR can be strong, especially in the front and back of the knee. Pain in the back of the knee may be due to bone spurs caused by arthritis that are removed during the surgery. To help manage…  read on >  read on >

Common chemicals used in plastic and personal care products may interfere with brain development in babies, a new study says. Phthalates are found in many everyday items, like food packaging, shampoo, toys and vinyl flooring. They help make plastics soft and carry scents in products. But they may also harm unborn babies’ brains when mothers are exposed during pregnancy, researchers say. “We conducted this study because phthalates are everywhere in our daily lives,” senior study author Donghai Liang, an associate professor of environmental health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, told to CNN. Hence their nickname “everywhere chemicals.” His team found that babies who had been exposed to these chemicals in the womb had lower levels of important brain chemicals, including serotonin and dopamine.  These help control mood, learning and a baby’s reactions. The study, published April 2 in the journal Nature Communications, followed 216 mother-baby pairs in Atlanta. Researchers tested urine from pregnant women for phthalates and tested the babies’ blood after they were born. The tests revealed that babies exposed to phthalates had low levels of tyrosine and tryptophan — amino acids that help make key brain chemicals. These babies also scored lower on tests of attention and response. Phthalates have been linked to many health issues, including asthma, obesity and even cancer. This new research helps explain how…  read on >  read on >

Strokes caused by an artery tear are landing five times as many Americans in the hospital these days, a new study says. Cervical artery dissection involves a small tear in the inner lining of an artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain. Blood can clot at the site of the tear. If the clot breaks loose, it can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Hospitalizations for this sort of stroke have increased nearly fivefold during the past 15 years, according to findings published April 2 in the journal Neurology. “Cervical artery dissection is an important cause of stroke, especially in people under 50, so it is crucial to detect it right away,” senior researcher Dr. Shadi Yaghi, a vascular neurologist at Brown University in Providence, R.I., said in a news release. “Strokes that are not fatal can lead to long-term disability, poor mental health and reduced quality of life,” he said. “Our research found a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalizations for cervical artery dissection, with rates rising steadily year over year.”  These sort of tears in the cervical artery are most often caused by a motor vehicle crash or other accident that causes neck strain, researchers said. However, activities as simple as heavy lifting has been known to cause a cervical artery tear in some people. For the…  read on >  read on >

The telehealth company Hims & Hers Health is expanding its weight-loss offerings by adding new medications to its platform. The company said Tuesday it now provides access to Zepbound, a brand-name version of the drug tirzepatide, as well as to generic liraglutide. Zepbound is made by drugmaker Eli Lilly. While Hims & Hers offers it for $1,899 per month, Lilly said the price on its own LillyDirect platform starts at $349 for self-paying customers. With insurance, some patients may pay as little as $25, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal. Other medications for weight loss on the Hims & Hers platform include Ozempic and Wegovy, priced at $1,799 and $1,999 per month, respectively. “We’ve now expanded that choice even further by adding access to generic liraglutide and branded tirzepatide through our platform,” Hims & Hers said. Lilly said it has no official connection with Hims & Hers. Hims & Hers said it plans to keep expanding its offerings to help people find the treatment that works best for them. “All of this is part of our long-term commitment to build the most comprehensive and personalized digital health platform for weight loss and beyond,” Hims & Hers noted. The company’s weight-loss business is growing fast. Hims & Hers expects at least $725 million in revenue from its weight-loss services alone in 2025. …  read on >  read on >

For nearly two decades, a stroke had left a woman unable to speak — until now.  Thanks to a new brain implant, her thoughts are being turned into real-time speech, giving her a voice again for the first time in 18 years. The device was tested on a 47-year-old woman with quadriplegia who lost her ability to speak after a stroke. Doctors placed the brain-computer implant during surgery as part of a clinical trial, The Associated Press reported. It “converts her intent to speak into fluent sentences,” said Gopala Anumanchipalli, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC Berkeley and a co-author of the study published Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Unlike other brain-computer systems that have a delay, this new technology works in real time. Scientists say that the delay in existing systems makes conversations hard and, sometimes, frustrating. Jonathan Brumberg of the Speech and Applied Neuroscience Lab at the University of Kansas, who reviewed the findings, welcomed the advances. This is “a pretty big advance in our field,” he told The Associated Press. Here’s how it works: The team recorded the woman’s brain activity using electrodes as she silently imagined saying sentences. They also used a synthesizer using her voice before her stroke to re-create the sound she would have made. An AI model was trained to translate her…  read on >  read on >