HB Mag Health Research Team

CA 125 is a protein that shows up in the blood, and it is most often measured in people being evaluated for ovarian cancer or monitored after treatment. The single most important fact about it is this: a rising or falling CA 125 does not by itself mean a cancer is growing or shrinking. Many … Read more

Falls cause the majority of playground injuries. Most of these are falls from climbing equipment onto the surface below, and most happen on public playgrounds. The child lands on an outstretched arm, hits their head, or twists a leg on the way down. That single mechanism — a fall from height — accounts for more … Read more

Weight loss happens when your body uses more energy than it takes in, but that simple statement hides a complex system. Your body constantly balances calories consumed against calories burned through basic functions, physical activity, and digestion. When that balance tips toward a deficit, stored fat gets broken down for fuel and you lose weight. … Read more

Hip pain is one of the most common reasons runners cut back or quit. The good news is that most running-related hip pain is not caused by wear and tear you cannot control. It usually comes from doing too much, too soon, or with muscles that are not strong enough to handle the load. Preventing … Read more

A new tattoo is an open wound, and how it heals depends on the size, placement, and how well you care for it. You can tell a tattoo is healing well when the redness and swelling fade over the first few days, the surface dries and begins to flake, and the skin feels less tender … Read more

Sleep does not start when you close your eyes. It builds through the evening, driven by two forces working together: sleep pressure that accumulates the longer you stay awake, and a circadian clock that tells your body when night has arrived. When those two systems line up, sleep comes more easily. When they don’t, you … Read more

Boar taint is the unpleasant smell and taste that some pork carries when it comes from uncastrated male pigs. The compounds responsible are androstenone and skatole, and no cooking method removes them once they are in the meat. The only reliable ways to deal with boar taint are prevention at the farm level, detection before … Read more

Motivation feels like a switch you either have or you don’t. It isn’t. It is a biological process, and it can be studied, measured, and understood. When you ask “why do I bother,” you are really asking why your brain stops pushing you toward a goal it once wanted. The science of losing motivation explains … Read more

Ski boot flex is a number that tells you how much force it takes to bend the boot’s cuff forward. A lower number means the plastic gives way more easily. A higher number means it resists bending and transfers your movements to the ski more directly. The right flex for you depends on your weight, … Read more

Stem cell therapy is used to rebuild damaged blood and immune systems after high-dose chemotherapy, and to treat a small number of inherited blood and immune disorders. Those uses are proven and standard. Most other uses you see advertised — for arthritis, autism, heart disease, Parkinson’s, or general anti-aging — are experimental or unproven, and … Read more