Smokers are twice as likely to succeed in quitting if they receive supportive text messages, British researchers have found. The study, published June 30 online in the British medical journal The Lancet, followed 5,800 smokers as they attempted to quit.

Quick tips from ex-smoker Patrick Reynolds of Foundation for a Smokefree America

Mobile healthcare is taking a huge step forward with some help from automobile maker Ford Motors. The company has announced that it is developing voice-controlled wireless technology that allows drivers to connect to various health monitoring technology and services.

Lauren Cooper is attached at the hip to her iPhone – “Seriously, it’s a problem,” she says – so when she decided to track her diet and exercise, downloading an app made perfect sense. Cooper, a project manager in Columbia, S.C., now tabulates her Weight Watchers points using one app. Another app acts as a digital coach, urging her toward running a 5K.

For years Hewlett-Packard has been equated with computers and printers. The company is looking to be a player in a new era of mobile health monitoring.

H.P. said on Monday that it was beginning a yearlong clinical trial in Botswana that will equip doctors and nurses with Palm Pre 2 smartphones and an application that is designed to collect information about malaria outbreaks.

More and more these days, the same smartphone technology that allows tourists to find the best latte nearby and bystanders to become instant video journalists at a natural disaster is making its way into medicine and health.

The sound of a text message, recognizable the world over, but in a small village tucked away down the sandy back-roads of Senegal, a few short beeps can be vital reminders. For mothers living in and around the Mbosse, receiving an SMS (cellphone small message service, text) from their doctor’s helps keep themselves, and their babies, alive and healthy.

“Independent living,” “nonassisted living” or “aging in place” more or less mean the same thing: staying in your own home as long as you’re able, as opposed to moving to a health care environment.
Today, high-tech monitoring systems and other gadgets are helping seniors age in place, independently and comfortably, while giving their family greater peace of mind.
A growing number of downloadable software applications (“apps”) are available for use with smartphones and tablets. These apps can be used by those who are living independently or by caregivers as a means to remotely …

Executives and employees are often so involved in their jobs and so busy with their lives that they overlook one very important
factor — their health. This can be especially true with men, who often feel more pressure to “tough it out” and may dismiss their symptoms as just the result of the stress of the job.
“Employers can take steps to help ensure their male employees acknowledge symptoms and get the care that they need,” says Julie Sich, health promotions coordinator for SummaCare, Inc.
“Employers can’t ignore the health of their male …

June 1, 2011 – Do you know what the number one cause of death is for both men and women in the U.S.? It’s heart disease. The most common type of heart disease here is coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack. Although genes play a big part in diagnosis, experts say you can do a few things at home to reduce your risk of death.
 
Joe Piscatella knows a thing or two about staying healthy. Thirty-three years ago, the now-best-selling author thought his life was over.
“One day I …