Experts estimate that half of us will be nearsighted by 2050, thanks to a surge in the amount of time we spend indoors staring at phones and computers, says a new report in the journal Ophtalmology. Researchers recommend cutting back on screen time and getting outside – natural light may stimulate the release of dopamine, which regulates eye growth.

More than one third of Americans have prediabetes, in which blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Yet of those given a diagnosis of pre- diabetes in a new Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine study, only 23% were prescribed treatment. Ask your doctor about options if you have high blood sugar: Even simple changes, such as exercise and healthy eating, could slow or stop disease progression.

In the future, doctors may create cartilage to repair a damaged nose, ear, or knee using a 3-D printer. At an American Chemical Society meeting, researchers reported using ink containing human cells to print cartilage in specific shapes. They successfully implanted the tissue into mice and hope the technology will eventually help surgeons repair damage from injuries or cancer in humans.

The number of people ages 62 to 85 who regularly use potentially fatal combinations of prescription medications with OTC drugs and dietary supplements has doubled over a five-year period, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago study. Both prescription drug and supplement use in older adults have increased in the past decade. Ask your doctor about how certain medications or dietary supplements may interact before popping an extra pill.

Reader’s Digest

June, 2016