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If you have a kid diagnosed with asthma, it probably is not news to you that the environment in which children with the condition spend their time can play a major role in how well they are doing. As such, you may have ripped out all of the carpets in your home and banned pets. You may also obsessively wash dust-mite pillow covers and other bedding several times a week. (Cha, 11/21)

A new national study that looked at 15 years of health records for thousands of pediatric patients suggests that hypertension in children is a greatly underdiagnosed condition. Only 23 percent of the children who had elevated blood pressure readings in the hypertension range and about 10 percent of the patients with prehypertensive readings were actually diagnosed with the conditions, according to the study to be reported online Tuesday in the medical journal Pediatrics. Of the children actually diagnosed with hypertension, fewer than 6 percent were prescribed medication for their condition. (Giordano, 11/21)

The rate of diabetes complications has declined over the past 20 years because patients and practitioners are taking the disease more seriously. In the years ahead, the number of new diabetes cases may decline, but the total number is still high and will remain high because people are living with the disease much longer than they used to, said Matt Petersen of the American Diabetes Association. ... People will go blind, be forced to go on dialysis or have their limbs amputated. (Goetz, 11/21)

A mother and her teenage son approach Ana Cristina Jurczyk near the entrance of a Food 4 Less grocery store in Anaheim. Boxes of Cheetos and Frosted Flakes are stacked to the ceiling next to them. The mother explains to Jurczyk, a registered dietitian, that her son wants to vomit when he eats vegetables. “That’s probably psychological,” says Jurczyk, smiling. (Karlamangla, 11/22)

The aloe vera gel many Americans buy to soothe damaged skin contains no evidence of aloe vera at all. Samples of store-brand aloe gel purchased at national retailers Wal-Mart, Target and CVS showed no indication of the plant in various lab tests. The products all listed aloe barbadensis leaf juice — another name for aloe vera — as either the No. 1 ingredient or No. 2 after water. There’s no watchdog assuring that aloe products are what they say they are. (Mulvany and Faux, 11/22)

As the saying goes, "old habits die hard." When you've been doing the same thing over and over again, it is indeed difficult to make changes. Unfortunately, many people have developed bad exercise habits, and bad exercise habits can lead not only to ineffective workouts but, in many cases, to injuries. As we near the end of the year, it's a good time to identify any negative habits and adjust your workout routine accordingly. (Anderson, 11/21)