Being Healthiest

LIFESTYLE

Why Do Babies Lose Their Hair?

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The first weeks and months of a baby's life are full of big changes. But what new parents may not have expected are the...

Cold Weather Triggers A Woman’s Rare Blood Disease

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Cold winter air may be one of the most uncomfortable weather conditions for a lot of people, but for a woman who lives in...

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15 Sneaky Spots Where Allergy Triggers Hide

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10 Trusted Home Remedies for Natural Anxiety Relief

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Anxiety can be a disabling condition that’s accompanied by long-term stress and a decline in overall health. It contributes to many chronic diseases, even when...

6 Outdoor Workout Hazards

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Spending time with nature has its benefits — fresh air, vitamin D from the sun, and a nice change of scenery to help you...

5 Big Reasons Runners Should Strength Train

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How Much Cardio to Burn Fat?

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Every time I go to the gym, I see the same crowd of overweight people grinding away in their spin classes and treadmill, StairMaster,...

Sleeping too much is bad for you, here’s why

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When it comes to sleep, can you have too much of a good thing? It's true a good night's sleep is essential for health....

10 Ways to Get More Fruits and Veggies in Your Diet

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Are you eating your fruits and veggies? In a recent informal poll by HealthyWomen, 42 percent of respondents answered that question with a resounding...

How Yoga Benefits Your Career

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Stressors from your career can really take a toll on your body, both mentally and physically. After a while, symptoms such as sleep deprivation,...

8 Common Birth Control Side Effects

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The oral contraceptive pill, commonly known as "the pill," is a hormone-based method of preventing pregnancy. It can also help resolve irregular menstruation, painful...

5 Keto Christmas Appetizers Even Non-Dieters Will Love

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Make Christmas More Delicious Than Ever! The holidays are here! Unlike Thanksgiving, you get much more flexibility in terms of dinner. Tired of turkey? We...

FOOD

Your Doctor May Need More Education on Nutrition

Preeti Garg

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut down on sweets and processed foods. Increase consumption of fish, nuts and legumes. This rudimentary advice has...

Here’s What to Know Researchers are studying how antibiotics can impact your heart. Getty Images A common type of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones may increase the risk of certain cardiac ailments. A new study found that people who took this type of drug had double the risk of certain cardiac issues. This research can help doctors determine when high-risk patients should get different medication. Your chances of developing a severe and potentially life-threatening heart condition can double if you take a commonly prescribed class of antibiotics, researchers find. These antibiotics are called fluoroquinolones, and a new study published this month finds people taking them had an increased risk of developing aortic and mitral regurgitation — a condition that could lead to heart failure. “This adds to the existing list of serious adverse events with fluoroquinolones, underscoring the fact that these drugs shouldn’t be prescribed for uncomplicated community acquired infections and should only be given when absolutely necessary,” Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the faculty of medicine at University of British Columbia (UBC), and lead study author told Healthline. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this class of drug is a broad range antibiotic used against bacterial infections, such as bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and urinary tract infections. FDA and insurance data analyzed Etminan and team looked at data from a large U.S. private health insurance database and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) adverse reporting system. Out of a random sample of over 9 million patients, the researchers identified 12,505 cases of valvular regurgitation with 125,020 case-control subjects. Fluoroquinolone exposure was defined as having an active prescription for 30 days prior to the adverse event, and recent exposure as 31 to 60 days prior. The antibiotics amoxicillin and azithromycin were used for comparison. Etminan said that while this type of antibiotic is convenient, in many cases there are other options for patients. “For the majority of cases, especially community-related infections, they’re not really needed. The inappropriate prescribing may cause both antibiotic resistance as well as serious heart problems,” Etminan said in a statement. 2.5 times greater risk of heart valve condition According to Etminan, this was the first time that recent exposure to fluoroquinolones was associated with an almost 2.5 times increased risk of causing blood to flow back into the heart. The risk was highest within 30 days of use. Even those who had stopped taking the medications within the last 60 days were still 1.5 times more likely to develop heart valve trouble when compared to the amoxicillin users. According to the National Library of Medicine, fluoroquinolone antibiotics include: levofloxacin (Levaquin) ciprofloxacin (Cipro) moxifloxacin (Avelox) ofloxacin (Floxin) gemifloxacin (Factive) delafloxacin (Baxdela) Dr. Raymond Durkin, chairman of cardiovascular medicine for St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and not associated with the study, explained that aortic and mitral regurgitation means there is leaking from those two valves respectively and it can be mild or severe. “When it’s mild or moderate, people can typically live with this without symptoms and can be monitored. But when it’s severe, it can lead to heart failure, be life-threatening, and may even require the valve to be replaced,” Durkin said. Dr. Jeffrey A. Jahre, Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs and infectious disease specialist at St. Luke’s University Health Network agreed that, as with all drugs, both the benefits and hazards regarding the use of these drugs in any patient must be taken into account when they are prescribed. He emphasized that “for most indications, there are multiple other choices that can be considered.” HEALTHLINE PARTNER SOLUTIONS Get Answers from a Doctor in Minutes, Anytime Have medical questions? Connect with a board-certified, experienced doctor online or by phone. Pediatricians and other specialists available 24/7. FDA warns of other adverse effects A recent FDA reviewTrusted Source finds that this class of drug can have another, very serious, impact on heart health: a potential tearing of the aorta. “There has been a recent added warning to fluoroquinolone antibiotics that include the potential rupture or tearing of the aorta,” Jahre said. He explained that this finding means physicians should be careful not to prescribe these drugs for patients “who are at higher risk for this event.” “There are also a number of other potential adverse effects that have been attributed to this class of drugs,” he said. In 2013, the FDA strengthened its warningTrusted Source that this class of antibiotic could cause a sudden and potentially permanent form of nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. They’re typically felt in the arms and legs and can include numbness, tingling, burning, or a shooting pain. But experts advise that this risk only occurs with fluoroquinolones taken by mouth or injection. Topical formulations, which are applied to the ears or eyes, have not been found to increase this risk. The bottom line Recent research finds that a commonly used class of antibiotics can cause a potentially serious heart valve condition. These drugs, called fluoroquinolones, have also been found to cause other significant health issues, such as nerve damage. Experts emphasized considering the benefits and hazards of this medication before prescribing, as there are many options available. Written by George Citroner on September

These Common Antibiotics May Hurt Your Heart

Preeti Garg

These antibiotics are called fluoroquinolones, and a study published this month finds people taking them had an increased risk of developing aortic and mitral regurgitation...

Should You Be Popping Probiotics?

Disha Mittal

Are probiotics good for you? The answer to that question seems baked right into their name: pro-biotics. We’ve all heard about the benefits of...

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

Why Do Babies Lose Their Hair?

Preeti Garg

The first weeks and months of a baby's life are full of big changes. But what new parents may not have expected are the...

Cold Weather Triggers A Woman’s Rare Blood Disease

Preeti Garg

Cold winter air may be one of the most uncomfortable weather conditions for a lot of people, but for a woman who lives in...

What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Preeti Garg

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue...

GROOMING

Why Do Some People Always Get Bitten by Mosquitoes, While Others Don’t?

Preeti Garg

Some people can sit outside all summer long and not suffer from mosquito bites. It's mostly about the invisible chemical landscape of the air around...

How to Care for Your Sensitive Skin

Disha Mittal

Sensitive skin as very dry skin, which is prone to skin reactions such as pustules, skin bumps or skin erosion and has a tendency...

Amazing Yoga Asanas That Will Help With Hair Growth Faster

Disha Mittal

Is your hair dull and lifeless? Does a single swish of hand through your hair give you back a few bundled up strands in...

VITAMINS

High doses of vitamin D can lead to kidney failure

Preeti Garg

Doctors are warning patients to be cautious about the amount of vitamin D supplements they take after a man developed kidney damage due to...

Does vitamin A help reduce skin cancer risk?

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Can diet really help reduce skin cancer risk? The answer, according to study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Dermatology, is...

Best Vegetables To Juice

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A glass of juice a day keeps all those calories away! That doesn’t just apply to apples you see! Ever felt that overwhelming disappointment...

YOGA

What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Preeti Garg

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue...

Too much exercise may affect our ability to make decisions

Regular Physical Activity Help Us Make Better Decisions

Preeti Garg

A physical training overload leads to a significant drop in physical performance as athletes experience an overwhelming sense of fatigue. The researchers wanted to...

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