Quality of life benefits

The substance is called carnitine, and as bacteria in the gut breaks it down, it turns into compound known to harden arteries, according to a study published Sunday in Nature Medicine.

Among employees with adult/elder care responsibilities who’ve used Bright Horizons’ back-up care service within the last six months, nearly 70% said the benefit has allowed them to work on a day they would have otherwise missed.

Random acts of kindness in the workplace make for a rousing and engaging culture at The Online 401(k).

Tips for using Twitter and other social media for business communication, including benefits information.

Random acts of workplace kindness boost employee satisfaction and engagement levels at The Online 401(k). Maybe everyone should RAWK out more.

An analysis of seven previous studies showed the beverages appeared to disturb the heart’s natural rhythm, which over time may lead to an irregular heartbeat or death and raise blood pressure.

Funding for Alzheimer’s has lagged behind other medical issues, advocates say, and the disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Without breakthroughs, the number of those affected aged 65 and older will double by 2050.

Western European nations, backed by strong health care and retiree social programs, dominated the top of the list, snagging the first 10 slots in an index based on data from sources including the World Bank and the United Nations.

Some 29 states have so-called lifestyle laws that protect smokers’ rights.

Even companies who have no interest in getting involved with a public health care exchange for active employees might help steer their pre-65 retirees toward the marketplace, experts with Fidelity Investments said Thursday.

As growing numbers of employers enhance their online branding and communications via social media, the National Prevention Information Network offers tips on Twitter setup and strategy.

Most (91%) are confident in their ability to manage their personal finances, according to a recent survey by Allstate, even as more than 40% are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Almost 40% of boomers are obese, compared with 29% a generation ago. Fifty-two percent said they got no regular physical activity versus 17% of their parents, according to the study released this week.

Primary care physicians should screen all females between the ages of 14 and 46 for evidence of domestic abuse, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Recent Yale study concludes that fructose, as opposed to glucose, has a minimal effect on telling the brain that it’s full, and may contribute the nation’s obesity epidemic.

Globally, those who are slightly overweight and obese have the lowest risks, according to a new U.S. government report, but critics say the study doesn’t take enough other factors, such as disease or nutrition.

Women make up about half of the workforce and are becoming breadwinners of their families yet many don’t take advantage of group life insurance.

With the cost of a private nursing home room running $90,000 a year, many retirees are considering giving all their money to their children in order to qualify for Medicaid. Aside from being a serious financial risk, it shines a bright light on the lack of awareness of long-term care insurance.

The vote by the American Psychiatric Association follows a seven-year debate that split the mental health community over whether the changes will spur over-diagnosis of some autism spectrum disorders, and limit treatment for others.

A smoker’s need for a support network is one reason smoking-cessation programs in the workplace have a good chance at success.