Monthly News Archives



		Memory Aided By Meaning Ever struggled to recall something you knew you ought to remember? Part of the problem might be that your brain just wasn't ready to store the memory in the first place. Chocolate Linked to Lower Blood Pressure Leave it to the Dutch to help demonstrate the health benefits of chocolate. A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its luscious chocolate, indicated those who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death. People in Pain Often Suffer In Silence More than 20 percent of patients with chronic pain do not seek physician care for their pain, according to a report. Prematurity 'Affects Personality' Being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood, a study has suggested. Scientists 'Can Predict Memories' Scientists say it may be possible to predict how well we will remember something before the event has even taken place. Vitamin D Protects Against Tuberculosis Discovery of the molecular mechanism that the body uses to fight off tuberculosis could open the way to use of ordinary vitamin supplements to help prevent the disease, researchers report. Green Tea May Protect The Aging Brain People who regularly drink green tea may have a lesser risk of mental decline as they grow older, researchers have found. Teen Girls Drink More Soda as They Age As teenage girls get older, they drink less milk and more soda, which translates into lower intakes of calcium and higher body-mass indexes, a new study finds. Supplements Fail to Ease Arthritis When researchers set out to test whether two nutritional supplements helped relieve arthritis pain, many were hopeful that a clear-cut answer would emerge about the popular yet unproven alternative treatment. Working More But Accomplishing Less? Most workers say they feel rushed on the job, but they are getting less accomplished than a decade ago, according to newly released research. Neighborhood Helps Prevent Childhood Obesity The neighborhood an adolescent lives in may influence his or her development of obesity, new study findings suggest. Specifically, investigators found that adolescents from close-knit neighborhoods were less likely to be obese. People 'Worrying More Than Ever' People say they are worrying more than they did five years ago, a survey has revealed. Grapefruit May Sweeten Way to Lower Cholesterol Red grapefruit appears to lower cholesterol and fight heart disease, Israeli researchers report. Mirror Therapy May Aid Body Image Problems A good look in the mirror may help women with poor body image see themselves differently, new research suggests. Stress in Early Pregnancy Linked to Miscarriage Pregnant women who are stressed out during the first three weeks after conception are nearly three times as likely to miscarry, a new study finds. When It Comes To Kidney Stones, Let Nature Take Its Course It can cause excruciating pain, but doctors say the best medicine for a kidney stone usually is to let it pass on its own. Advocates Threaten Lawsuits To Curb Food Marketing As more and more children grow obese eating fatty foods saturated with sugar, consumer advocates battling to curb marketing by food companies are threatening to use their big guns: lawsuits and bad press. Diet Study Confusion Will Not Change Habits New studies indicating a low-fat diet does not reduce the risk of cancer and calcium supplements do little to prevent broken bones are unlikely to change consumers' habits and may only add to confusion about the link between diet and health. Acupressure Eases Low Back Pain Acupresssure -- pushing with the fingertips at the same body points used in acupuncture -- gave patients better, long-lasting relief for low back pain than conventional physical therapy, Taiwanese researchers report. Feel-Good Fixes Help Fight Fatigue Lifestyle factors such as stress, poor sleep or a hectic schedule are the most common causes of fatigue. Women 'Get More Headache Drugs' Women aged between 45 and 54 with headaches are twice as likely to be prescribed drugs by their GP as men of the same age, a study suggests. Fit Teens Have Less Chronic Pain Later On Good flexibility in the teen years for boys can lower the risk of tension neck in adulthood, while good endurance strength may do the same for girls, Finnish researchers report. Bad Asthma and Bad Behavior Linked Preschoolers with persistent asthma symptoms may be more likely to get into fights with their peers or otherwise have more behavior problems than children with less severe asthma, a study finds. Safety Concerns With Teflon Home chefs have questioned the safety of nonstick cookware since an Environmental Protection Agency advisory board asked regulators in late January to examine whether a chemical that gets slippery Teflon and similar coatings to bond to a pan can cause cancer. Risk of Death Can Soar When Spouse is Sick When a person over 65 is debilitated, the odds of dying within a year can increase dramatically for the spouse, a new study shows. McDonald's: Fries Have Potential Allergens Not long after disclosing that its french fries contain more trans fat than thought, McDonald's Corp. said that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular menu item � an acknowledgment it had not previously made. Why Some Old Lovers Look Alike Forget about opposites attracting. We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own. An Opposing View To "You Are What You Eat" The notion that what you eat shapes your medical fate has exerted a strong pull throughout history. And its appeal continues to this day, medical historians and researchers say. But what happens when studies and experts oppose this view. Overweight Women Risk Problem Pregnancies With millions of women heavy enough to be termed obese, and many others at a weight deemed unhealthy, it's no surprise doctors are becoming more concerned about women who are too heavy before they get pregnant. Exercise Goes to the Dogs Owning a dog will get you off your duff. That's the conclusion of a Canadian study that finds dog ownership nearly doubles the amount of time spent healthily walking. Vending Machines Can Hamper Good School Nutrition Early lunchtimes, parents who bring fast food to the cafeteria for their kids, and school income from vending machines can all conspire against high school students trying to make healthy food choices, a new study finds. Global Warming A Major Health Risk Global warming is already causing death and disease across the world through flooding, environmental destruction, heatwaves and other extreme weather events, scientists said. Influenza Resistant to Antiviral Drugs Virtually all samples of seasonal influenza virus tested by the U.S. government this year were resistant to adamantanes, the class of drugs considered to be the leading treatment for flu infection, a new report shows. Got Exercise-Induced Asthma? No Need To Stop Exercising People with asthma who get symptoms during exercise shouldn't be deterred from staying active, experts say. Broccoli Chemical's Cancer Check A chemical in vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can boost DNA repair in cells and may stop them becoming cancerous, a study says. Diet Doubts Attacked By Experts Heart experts say a study which shows a lack of health benefits from a low-fat diet failed to take into account other risk factors. Is Bottled Water Better For Us? Consumers spend a collective $100 billion every year on bottled water in the belief--often mistaken, as it happens--that this is better for us than what flows from our taps, according to environmental think tank the Earth Policy Institute (EPI). Limited Access to Exercise Facilities Fueling Childhood Obesity Epidemic Lack of access to exercise facilities, particularly in low-income areas, is one force that's driving the obesity epidemic that's endangering children. Diabetics' Hearts Fueled By Fats The heart muscle of people with diabetes relies on fat as an energy source, researchers report. The finding could explain why 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart attack or stroke, they add. Give Kids Dairy 3 Times A Day, Experts Advise Milk does do a child's body good, according to new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Low-Birth-Weight Babies Become Successful Adults A recent study has good news for parents of babies born at an extremely low birth weight: As these children grow up, they seem to catch up with their normal-birth-weight peers -- graduating from high school, getting jobs, living on their own and entering into adult relationships. Aging Brain Makes You Lose Focus High levels of magnesium in the diet may lower a woman's risk of If you're midway through life and wondering why your powers of concentration aren't are sharp as they used to be, a new study could help explain why. Magnesium May Prevent Colon Cancer High levels of magnesium in the diet may lower a woman's risk of developing colon cancer. The findings from the study of U.S. women support the results of an earlier study of Swedish women. Teasing Makes Some Kids Turn To Unhealthy Dieting Children who are teased about their weight may try to shed pounds in any number of unhealthy ways, a recent study published showed. Kids and Exercise When most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym on a treadmill or lifting weights. But for children, exercise means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they have gym class at school, soccer practice, or dance class. They're also exercising when they're at recess, riding bikes, or playing tag. Alcohol Underestimated As Cancer Cause Along with smoking and chronic infections, alcohol consumption is an important cause of several types of cancer, researchers said. Meat May Cause Colon Cancer Scientists said they may have found a reason why eating too much red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. For Alertness, Skip Coffee And Try Pepper and Cinnamon To stay alert behind the wheel on long road trips, skip the coffee and try sniffing peppermint or cinnamon. Researchers from West Virginia have found that getting a whiff of pleasant odors periodically while driving increases alertness, reduces fatigue, and even lowers drivers' anxiety and frustration. Anger Can Harm Your Health Anger has been blamed for everything from high blood pressure to road rage. Now, a new study links it to something else -- injuries in men. Holding Loved One's Hand Can Calm Jittery Nerves Married women under extreme stress who reach out and hold their husbands' hands feel immediate relief, neuroscientists have found in what they say is the first study of how human touch affects the neural response to threatening situations. Teflon Chemical a Likely Carcinogen A chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon and other nonstick and stain-resistant products should be considered a "likely" carcinogen, according to an independent scientific review panel advising the Environmental Protection Agency.