Monthly News Archives



		Simple Steps in Youth Boost Bones in Old Age Experts are warning that it's time to bone up on bone health, with a recent U.S. Surgeon General's report estimating that at least half of those over age 50 will suffer osteoporotic fractures by the year 2020. Dirty Teeth Can Kill You Germs found in dental plaque can make their way into the lungs and cause potentially fatal pneumonia in elderly nursing home patients, U.S. researchers reported. Muscle Training Often Useful for Leaky Bladder About half of women with stress urinary incontinence, a type of urine leakage that occurs with actions like coughing or laughing, benefit from training designed to strengthen the bladder muscles, according to a new study. Stress May Promote Aging of Cells A new finding may explain how stress could ultimately lead to premature aging. Study Finds Health Benefit in Low-Glycemic Diet A diet rich in the type of carbohydrates that maintain a more stable blood sugar beats out a conventional low-fat diet in reducing the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, according to a new study. Parents Failing To Recognize Obesity in Their Children Many parents are failing to recognise obesity and overweight problems in their children, according to a study on bmj.com today. Is Their A Heart Risk When You Go to Work Sick? Staff who struggle into work when they are ill risk potentially shortening their lives, researchers believe. Chest Pain Not from Heart Check Again, Docs Urged People who go to the emergency room with chest pain and are told that it is not caused by a heart attack or angina might want to get a second opinion. Findings from a new study indicate that on rare occasions heart-related chest pain is incorrectly chalked up to something else. Weight Gain Harder on Heart than Maintaining Higher Weight Gaining 15 pounds or more over several years puts people at greater jeopardy of developing risk factors for heart disease than maintaining a stable weight � even a stable weight that is considered obese, according to a recent study. Flu Pandemic Inevitable, Plans Needed Urgently -WHO Every country in the world must come up urgently with a plan to deal with an inevitable influenza pandemic likely to be triggered by the bird flu virus that hit Asia this year, a top global health expert said. What Happens In The Brain When We Remember Our Own Past? Researchers are using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe brain activity in search of the answer. According to a new fMRI study using a "diary" method to collect memories, it all depends on what we're thinking about! Pseudoephedrine Tied to Heart Attack in Young Man If a recently reported case is a reliable indicator, the over-the-counter medication pseudoephedrine can cause a heart attack -- even in healthy young adults. Medical Journal Calls for a New Drug Watchdog The United States needs a better system to detect harmful effects of drugs already on the market, and it should be independent of the Food and Drug Administration and the drug industry, medical researchers and journal editors said. It's Never Too Early to Teach Kids the Activity Habit Movement Specialist, Jane Clark, calls this the age of "containerized" kids. As infants, children are plopped from car-safety seats to high chairs to baby seats to watch TV, said Clark, at the University of Maryland. More Muscle Means Better Regulation of Blood Pressure People with more muscle than fat have increased ability to regulate their blood pressure in response to stress, according to a Medical College of Georgia study. Researcher Breaks Down Cholesterol Mystery You may not yet have heard of chylomicrons, but a nutritional scientist at the University of Alberta believes you will soon--especially if you care about preventing a stroke or heart attack. Chronic Back Pain Shrinks Brain Chronic back pain can shrink the gray matter in your brain by as much as 11 percent in one year, the same amount of brain density that's lost in 10 to 20 years of normal aging, says a Northwestern University study. Childhood Obesity Leads to Enlarged Heart-Study Obese children grow up to have bigger left ventricles in their hearts, putting them at risk for heart disease, researchers said. Few Kids Get Alternative Medicine Many pediatricians don't feel comfortable discussing or recommending complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies for their patients, says a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study in the November issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics. Obesity Bad for Brain, Study Finds Obesity is harmful to the brain for women, but it doesn't appear to raise the risk of dying for men who have suffered heart attacks, according to two new studies. Arthritis Pills Little Use in Beating Pain Painkillers taken by millions of arthritis sufferers worldwide are actually of limited use in relieving symptoms, Norwegian scientists said. Chocolate May Hold Cure for Coughs An ingredient in chocolate could be used to stop persistent coughs and lead to more effective medicines, researchers said. Bayer Delayed Warning on Cholesterol Drug Bayer AG may have known its withdrawn cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol caused a high rate of a serious muscle condition more than a year before it added a warning to its label, according to a prominent medical journal. Bottle, Pacifier Can Misalign Baby Teeth Children who were bottle-fed or used pacifiers as babies are at risk of dental problems in preschool, a new study suggests. Obesity a Major Obstacle to Good Sex Life New research confirms the worst fears of those who worry about putting on extra pounds: Severely overweight people are much more likely to report poor sex lives. Expert Warns Against 5 FDA-Approved Drugs At least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised safety questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx. Study Suggests How COX Drugs Cause Heart Disease Painkillers suspected of causing fatal heart disease may act by starting the process of hardening the arteries, researchers proposed. Allergies May Raise Blood Cancer Risk In contrast to some earlier reports, allergic conditions appear to increase, rather than decrease, the risk of leukemia and lymphoma, according to a Swedish study. Officials: More Than Half of Adult Diabetics Obese An increasing number of adults diagnosed with diabetes are obese, making it more likely they will suffer heart disease, vision damage and other health problems, U.S. officials said. Too Much Belly Fat May Up Later Disability Risk Too much abdominal fat in middle age may increase the risk of disability in later years, according to new study findings presented at the annual meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity in Las Vegas. Want to Lose Weight? Eat More, Study Finds Losing weight may be as simple as eating more -- eating more fruits and vegetables and less food that is "calorie-dense" such as cheese, researchers said. Nursery Rhymes Have More Violence Than Kids TV Children's nursery rhymes contain 10 times more violence than British television shows broadcast before the country's 9 p.m. "watershed" after which more adult content can be shown, a recent research study published. Rise in Antidepressants Prescribed for Children: Study Doctors are prescribing more antidepressants for children and adolescents although there is little evidence about their safety or efficacy in youngsters, researchers stated. Pfizer's Contraceptive Can Weaken Bones The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered a strong, new warning for Pfizer Inc.'s injectable contraceptive called Depo-Provera, saying it could permanently weaken bones. Long Computer Use May Be Linked to Eye Disease Hours in front of a computer screen may increase the risk of glaucoma in people who are myopic or short-sighted, Japanese scientists said. Selenium May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk High levels of selenium in the blood may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study that suggests but doesn't prove the mineral's role as a preventive. Low-Income Dads Key to Child's Development Fathers in low-income families may play pivotal roles in their child's intellectual development, concludes a new study from the Society for Research in Child Development. U.S. Launches Giant Study on Children U.S. government researchers launched the biggest-ever study of children, saying they will track 100,000 children from birth through age 21 to see what makes kids sick. Britain Confirms Plan for Major Smoking Ban The British government plans to impose a sweeping public smoking ban across England and Wales within two years and will consider curbs on television advertising of "junk food" aimed at children. Study Links Sleep Deprivation, Obesity Weight-loss experts have a novel prescription for people who want to shed pounds: Get some sleep. A very large study has found a surprisingly strong link between the amount of shut-eye people get and their risk of becoming obese. Short-Term Ozone Pollution Raises Mortality Risk When ozone goes up in cities, even for short periods at levels below current regulatory standards, so does the death rate, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Fearful Body Posture Tells Others: Run! The brain's response to another person's body language may help explain why humans are quite efficient at fleeing from danger, according to researchers. Teens with Same-Sex Parents as Normal as Peers Teenagers raised by two women appear to be as well adjusted as those who are raised by male-female couples, a new report indicates. Allergy Sufferers Keen to Try Alternative Therapy In a survey of allergy and asthma patients seen at a private allergy practice, 62 percent expressed an interest in also being treated with complementary and alternative medicine, such as acupuncture or vitamin therapy. Toy Companies Make Getting Off the Couch Fun As more adults dabble in fad diets and the obesity rate among their children swells, toy makers are looking to cash in by designing products meant to encourage physical activity. Drinking During Pregnancy Can Lower Baby's IQ Women who drink while pregnant not only run the risk of having a child with fetal alcohol syndrome, but of having a baby with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, a new study finds. Genes May Give Some a Taste for Alcohol Genetically influenced variations in the way that people taste alcohol could interact with other factors to determine a person's risk of developing a drinking problem. Pre-Diabetes Should Not Be Ignored Doctors call it pre-diabetes, the period when people at high risk of full-blown diabetes exhibit elevated blood-sugar levels. But they're still capable of processing that sugar, called glucose -- the energy that fuels the body's cells. Respiratory Problems Plague Kids With Asthma Respiratory infections, not air pollution, cause a significant worsening of health problems in winter for children with asthma, according to researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Program Gets Kids to Be More Active Exercise-intervention programs can help boost physical activity in children, says a study by researchers at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Herbs, Lifestyle Changes May Aid Prostate Men who are bothered by symptoms of an enlarged prostate may find some relief in certain herbal remedies and simple lifestyle changes, according to one expert. Shunning Peanuts May Up Risk of Allergy Recurrence Children who outgrow an allergy to peanuts but continue to avoid peanuts may be at risk of seeing the allergy reappear, a new study suggests. Breastfeeding May Lower Childhood Leukemia Risk Breastfeeding for even a few months may lower the odds that a child will develop leukemia, a new research review suggests. Special Diets Don't Mean More Weight Loss Dieters looking for tricks to lose weight are getting more bad news with the publication of a study showing diets that restrict certain food groups do not take any extra weight off. Waist Size Linked to Future Heart Trouble The best tool for predicting the risk of heart disease may be a tape measure, researchers said. Breastfeeding Linked to Lower Arthritis Risk Women who breastfeed are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than women who don't, according to a new report. Natural Cancer-Fighting Food: Apples The old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has taken on a deeper meaning. Researchers have discovered that a whole apple, especially the skin, may offer some anti-cancer benefits. Overweight Urged to Slim Down to Cut Diabetes Risk Half the world's diabetes cases could be eliminated by curbing the soaring number of people who are overweight, health experts stated. Vegetable Oils Reduce Heart Risk Vegetable oils found in leafy green vegetables, nuts and flaxseed reduce a woman's risk of dying from heart disease, U.S. researchers reported. Exercise Curbs Diabetes More for Some Than Others Despite similar levels of physical activity, white women appear to have a greater reduction in their risk of developing diabetes than women of other races. Red, Processed Meats Up Diabetes Risk Red meats and processed meats such as hot dogs appear to increase the risk of diabetes, as does a heavily "Western" diet, according to new research released. Glucosamine No Benefit for Knee Arthritis Evidence continues to mount that glucosamine, while generally safe, is not effective in treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Different Exercise Makes for Different Effects Very obese people are as unhealthy, and probably as likely to die, as patients with heart failure, U.S. researchers reported. Obesity as Unhealthy as Heart Failure People too fat or too weak to start normal exercise may get surprising benefits from a downhill stroll, Austrian researchers reported. Preschool Exercise Varies, Influences Kids' Habits Some preschools encourage more physical activity than others, and all have a strong influence on how active students are in their daily lives, new research reports. Teens Exercise Less as They Become Adults Many teens do not get enough exercise and spend too much time in front of a television or computer screen. Yet, the few who are physically active do not often stay that way as they enter adulthood, according to a team of North Carolina researchers. Arthritic Joints Stand Up to Intensive Exercise Long-term high-intensity exercise does not accelerate the progression of joint damage in the hands and feet of people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Dutch report. Overweight Women May Have Longer Labor Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant generally spend a longer time in labor than thinner women do, a new study suggests. A Jog in the Pool May Spare Sore Joints Runners looking to ease their aching limbs may want to move their act from dry land to the pool. Scientists Uncover How Bee Venom Eases Arthritis Bee stings have long been known to relieve some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but only now has the reason for this been clarified. White Bread, Starch Increases Diabetes Risk Fans of white bread, hear this: it increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the illness, new research shows. Many Older Adults Drink Too Much Between one-quarter and one-half of adults in their 50s and 60s drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol, putting them at risk of problems related to their drinking, according to new research. Cholesterol Pills and Grapefruit Don't Mix Taking certain cholesterol-lowering drugs at the same time as grapefruit juice can increase the risk of potentially life-threatening muscle toxicity, British regulators warned. Coffee, Cigarette Combo Is Extra Hard on Arteries People who like to start the day with coffee and a cigarette may be doing particular damage to their arteries, new research suggests. Fruits and Veggies No Help Against Cancer Consuming a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables seems to reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes, but not cancer, according to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Melatonin Helps Asthmatics Sleep More Soundly Treatment with melatonin -- a hormone believed to play an important role in the sleep cycle -- improves slumber for people with asthma, says a Brazilian study in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Optimism May Make for a Longer Life Older adults with a bright outlook on the future may live longer than those who take a dimmer view, a study suggests. Exercise Alternative to Flu Vaccine With the flu season rapidly approaching, many are concerned with the limited supply of vaccine doses available. However, researchers may have discovered an alternative method to avoiding the flu, thus eliminating the common reliance of vaccines. Obesity Itself Seems to Impair Heart Function Even in the absence of apparent heart disease, obesity appears to prevent the heart from functioning normally, according to a new report. Babies' Excessive Crying May Signal Later Problems Healthy infants older than three months who cry incessantly for no apparent reason may be at risk for lower IQ and behavior problems in their childhood years, new study findings suggest. Colon Cancer Risk Fourfold Higher in Obese Women Obese women are four times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than normal-weight women, according to new study findings reported here at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Getting a Good Night's Sleep Many people suffering from insomnia use sleep medications to help them nod off, but this isn't a good first choice for combating sleep problems. Babies' Excessive Crying May Signal Later Problems Healthy infants older than three months who cry incessantly for no apparent reason may be at risk for lower IQ and behavior problems in their childhood years, new study findings suggest. FDA: Olive Oil May Boost Heart Health As long as people don't increase the number of calories they consume daily, the FDA found "limited but not conclusive evidence" suggesting reduced risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. Older Women with Heart Disease Gain from Exercise Aerobic and strength training improve overall fitness and quality of life for older women with coronary artery disease, the results of a small Canadian study suggest. Allergies Can Crop Up Indoors Spring and summer aren't the only seasons that can cause allergies in children. During the fall and winter, indoor irritants such as mold, cigarette smoke, dust mites, pet dander, sprays, chemicals and gas fumes can cause trouble for children with allergies. Cruising In the Golden Years New research finds that living on a cruise ship is a cost-effective, not to mention luxurious, alternative to assisted-living facilities for the elderly.