Wellness

U.S. health officials are considering including tests for sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis and hepatitis B for the elderly and disabled covered under Medicare.

NEW YORK | Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:28pm EST - Women who take bone drugs for several years have a slightly increased chance of suffering an unusual type of thigh fracture, according to a large Canadian study.

A study of the two most popular weight-loss surgeries found obese diabetics who had gastric bypass surgery lost 64 percent of their excess weight after a year, compared with 36 percent in those treated with Allergan Inc's Lap-Band device, researchers said on Monday.

A new survey of mostly middle-aged adults reveals that among people aged 45 to 54, one in nine shows signs of hearing impairment.

Employers just can’t get enough of wellness. In 2010, nearly 75% of 147 mid- to large-size employers offered 19 or more health promotion programs, finds a study by Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School report that women with highly stressful jobs are 40% more likely to have poor cardiac health, such as a heart disease, a heart attack or coronary artery surgery, compared to their less-stressed colleagues.

One of the hottest games on Facebook is Cafe World. More than 22 million participants play to run their own virtual restaurant. In the game, a "buzz rating" indicates customers' satisfaction with the virtual restaurant. The goal: to create and maintain a high buzz rating.

Today, more and more advisers and their clients are looking to an employee assistance program as a source of health and wellness benefits.

Lincoln Industries feels so strongly about wellness that the company has made it a component of its employees' performance reviews.

Employees who come to work with cold and flu symptoms cited workplace pressures and presenteeism as key reasons why they make the haul into work feeling under the weather, according to a CareerBuilder survey.

Sad news today out of Los Angeles that fitness guru Jack LaLanne died Sunday at the age of 96. Of course we mourn LaLanne, while at the same time applauding his longevity and commitment to a life of health and wellness.

On Jan. 10, 2011, the final regulations under Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA II), which were issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, went into effect.

At some companies, financial incentives for wellness programs can reach up to $3,000 per employee. But, on average, employers spend about $220 on each employee, up from $163 in 2009, according to a new survey on wellness programs.

Muscular health, or more broadly musculoskeletal health, isn’t a very “sexy” problem. No blood is spilled and no one is likely to die. The problem is hard to see.

Facbook has trickled down into the diseases management space for diabetics, while a study examining a chronic care program for heart disease shows that a sophisticated approach to harmonizing care can reduce health costs.

I'm a big fan of NBC's "The Biggest Loser." I love the show's stories of triumph and redemption, and watching the contestants have a light-bulb moment when it comes to making lifestyle nutrition and fitness changes is inspiring.

The National Business Group on Health has launched an ambitious, three-year initiative aimed at helping employers design benefit plans that reflect the latest scientific information and expert recommendations on cancer treatment and prevention.

Every year, large consulting and brokerage firms conduct surveys on what companies are doing to mitigate the impact of rising health care costs. Questions about wellness initiatives have become a standard feature in such surveys.

In a three-month period, about one-quarter of U.S. adults experience at least one day of back pain, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Thanksgiving now has come and gone, and the annual holiday season is in full swing. This time of year can be one of the best, but it can also be one of the most taxing on our bodies.