TUESDAY, May 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Some short men really struggle with their lack of height, feeling that they are both literally and figuratively looked down upon by others.That’s why an increasing number of height-challenged men are turning to limb-lengthening surgery -- an expensive, potentially painful, months-long procedure that will add a few extra inches to their frame.Limb-lengthening procedures have been around for decades, and have been typically used to correct illnesses and birth defects that cause one leg to be shorter than the other, said Dr. David Frumberg, co-director of the Yale Limb Restoration and Lengthening Program.“You basically convince the body that there’s a hairline fracture, and you allow the body to set up a healing response,” Frumberg...

TUESDAY, May 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- You'll likely lose some of your memory and thinking abilities as you age, but nutrients called flavanols might help thwart that decline, a new study suggests.Not getting enough flavanols -- natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables and even chocolate -- could be driving that age-related memory loss, researchers say.This research is the pinnacle of 15 years of work showing that flavanols seem to benefit the dentate gyrus, an area within the brain’s hippocampus that is critical to memory.“This is the first time we can conclude that flavanols are acting as a nutrient for the aging brain,” said Dr. Scott Small, a professor of neurology and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University College of Physicians...

TUESDAY, May 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For people who've lost some mental sharpness, to either aging or disease, a technique that gently "zaps" the brain circuitry is showing early promise.That's according to a new analysis of more than 100 studies assessing the technique, called transcranial alternating current stimulation, or tACS. It involves using electrodes on the scalp to send weak electrical pulses to specific brain areas.The premise behind tACS is based on the fact that brain activity naturally occurs in rhythmic patterns, or oscillations. Specific brain oscillations have been tied to various brain functions and states, with abnormal rhythms linked to a range of symptoms, including problems with memory and thinking.The electrical pulses from the tACS device essentially...

TUESDAY, May 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When parents rush their kids to an emergency room in the dead of night for an asthma attack or high fever, they are often discharged with a prescription. The problem is, there may be nowhere to fill it promptly.Now, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is calling attention to the issue, and highlighting one potential solution: 24-hour ER pharmacies.Studies have found that when children are prescribed medication in the emergency department, one-third to one-half of families never pick up the prescription.There are likely various reasons for this, but research shows that trouble getting to a pharmacy is a big obstacle, said Dr. Gregory Conners, chair of the AAP's committee on pediatric emergency medicine.Emergency department...