Monthly News Archives



		Men Prefer Subordinate Women to Equals Men would rather marry their female assistants than equal-ranking women or their supervisors, according to social psychologists. Recognizing Movement in the Mind's Eye An area of the brain that responds to actions we watch, such as the movement of a dancer, reacts differently in people who are skilled at doing the same movement than in other people. Breakups Can Be Mapped in the Brain Women who are distraught after breaking up with a romantic partner show brain changes that are not seen in women less upset by a romantic rift, researchers report. Peanuts Rival Fruit As Source Of Health-Promoting Antioxidants Peanuts are often thought of as high-fat foods, but party goers can feel a little better about reaching for the roasted nuts at holiday gatherings this season. Not only do peanuts contain the so-called "good" kind of fat, but University of Florida researchers have found they also are high in a wide variety of helpful antioxidants, rivaling the fruits often sought out by health-conscious consumers. More Kids at Risk for Future Heart Trouble More kids are heading toward heart trouble, the American Heart Association reported in its annual assessment of cardiovascular disease, the top killer in the United States. Yellow Pigment in Curry Blocks, Breaks Up Alzheimer's Plaques A dietary staple of India, where Alzheimer's disease rates are reportedly among the world's lowest, holds potential as a weapon in the fight against the disease. Excess Weight Can Compromise Birth Control Pills Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to get pregnant while taking birth control pills than women of normal weight are, new research finds. Smoking During Pregnancy Raises Diabetes Risk Pregnant women who smoke face a higher risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy -- a condition known as gestational diabetes -- according to a new study. Schools Replace Milk Cartons With Bottles Yet another familiar school-days object may be going the way of the inkwell and the slide rule. Encouraged by a milk industry study that shows children drink more dairy when it comes in round plastic bottles, a growing number of schools are ditching those clumsy paper half-pint cartons many of us grew up with. Working While Ill Increases Risk of Heart Attack Men who never take a sick day even though they're not in good health may be setting themselves up for a heart attack, according to a new study. Fine-tune Your Intake of Fatty Acids Whether you've been counting carbs, calories, or fat grams, you can help your body by paying attention to what are known as fatty acids -- specifically, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Chocolate: A Boon for the Libido and the Heart Chocolate. It's on everyone's wish list. And for good reason. There's something about chocolate, something beyond tactile taste that is indefinable, ineffable and inexpressible. And as the medical reviews keep coming in, there's evidence that chocolate may meet a variety of needs, from the libido to the heart. Staying Active Keeps Mind Sharp in Old Age People who stay just as active after age 70 as they did before are less likely to experience age-related declines in mental functioning, new study findings suggest. False Memories May Work as Diet Aid Raising the prospect of weight loss through mind control, researchers report they may have successfully planted false memories about bad food experiences into the minds of ordinary people. Remarriage Turns Men Into Couch Potatoes Men who remarry after a divorce or death of a spouse start packing on the pounds and cutting back on exercise, essentially letting themselves go, a new study finds. Research Studies Effects Of Soy Baby Formula On Intestinal Development Two studies by University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Sharon Donovan show that the soy isoflavone genistein, in amounts present in commercial soy infant formulas, may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies. So what are we to think about soy in a baby's diet? Exercise, Diet Equally Important Being fit but fat isn't good enough. Excess weight, all by itself, can take years off your life, even if you get plenty of exercise, a study found. The National Institutes of Health: Public Servant or Private Marketer? Doctors have long relied on the NIH to set medical standards. But with its researchers accepting fees and stock from drug companies, will that change? A continuing examination by the Los Angeles Times shows an unabashed mingling of science and commerce. Study Sees Little Benefit From Melatonin A government review of more than 50 studies on the effect of melatonin on sleep has found little evidence that the supplement helps people drift off. More Pregnancies, and False Alarms, in Winter Sales of pregnancy tests typically soar in the first months of the year, as more women than usual tend to become pregnant -- or just think they are, according to Inverness Medical, the makers of the Clearblue Easy pregnancy tests. Knowing Metabolic Rate May Help Dieters Devices that measure metabolic rate can tell dieters how many calories they need to eat each day to lose weight, according to experts. Diet Soda Could Soon Outsell Regular Still think the cola wars are about Coke vs. Pepsi? These days the carbonated beverage battleground is diet vs. regular, and it's looking increasingly as though the lightweight could flatten its full-calorie cousin. Poor Sleep in Late Pregnancy Tied to Tougher Labor First-time mothers who get little sleep late in pregnancy may have a longer labor and higher odds of a cesarean section than women who are more well-rested, a new study suggests. Smelling Citrus Oils May Prevent Asthma A key ingredient in the aroma from citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons appears to protect rats from the symptoms of asthma, new research shows. Mobile Phone Radiation Harms DNA Radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions, according to a new study majority-funded by the European Union, researchers said. Exercise Before Fatty Meal May Curb Bad Effects People gearing up for an indulgent holiday feast may want to make time for some pre-meal exercise. A small study suggests that a long walk before a fatty meal can lessen the effects of high fat intake on blood vessel function. Cherries May Help Fight Diabetes Chemists have identified a group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Pain Relievers and Anti-Inflammatories Are Damaging To Your Health The popular over-the-counter pain reliever Aleve has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in a National Institutes of Health study, the agency recently announced. Acupuncture Improves Osteoarthritis, Trial Shows Acupuncture added to conventional therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee improves function and reduces pain, according to a clinical trial conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Waistline Can Be a Tummy Fat Warning Measuring your waistline can help you determine if you have too much abdominal fat, which puts you at increased risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. Yo-Yo Diets and Olestra Boost Toxic Excretion Perhaps Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko should try an "Olestra diet" to rid his body of dioxin. It wouldn't be the first time that the "fake fat" product was used as an emergency agent. WHO: World Close to Next Flu Pandemic Health officials warned that the world was close to its next pandemic � a powerful and highly contagious mix of avian influenza and flu virus that would likely be centered in Asia. Circumcision Pros and Cons Your wait is finally over - you're the proud new parents of a baby boy. But if you haven't already thought about it, you need to make an important decision for your son before you take him home: whether to circumcise him. Fruits May Protect Children from Leukemia U.S. investigators have found that children who ate oranges and bananas or drank orange juice most days of the week before age 2 were significantly less likely than other children to be diagnosed with leukemia before age 14. Magnetic Bracelets Cut Osteoarthritis Pain Magnetic bracelets can help to ease the pain of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, British researchers said. Doctors Say Avoid Pfizer's Bextra Doctors writing in a prominent medical journal recommended that physicians stop prescribing Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra painkiller, just as a large study found the drugmaker's sister drug, Celebrex, doubled risk of heart attacks. Fewer Calories May Slow Alzheimer's A restrictive diet in mice reduces the build-up of a substance linked to memory loss. But can the findngs be applied to humans? Restricting the diets of mice reduces the build-up of plaques in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to a USC study. Desires For Fatty Foods And Alcohol Share A Chemical Trigger A brain chemical that stokes hunger for food and fat also triggers thirst for alcohol and may play a role in chronic drinking, according to a study led by Princeton University scientists. Polymeals - the Recipe for a Longer Life? If you enjoy good food and don't like the idea of taking pills to reduce the risks of heart attack or stroke, it could be time to try the Polymeal. NIH Official Altered Safety Report on Nevirapine Use in Pregnant Women A director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of AIDS, rewrote a safety report on the use of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine in pregnant women in order to change its conclusions and remove negative information about the drug. Low Iron Levels May Contribute to ADHD Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seem to have iron deficiency, according to the results of a small study. The researchers suggest that such kids may benefit from iron supplements. Air Around Indoor Pools May Harm Kids' Lung Cells Children who make regular visits to an indoor pool may develop damage to a type of lung cell that helps prevent airway inflammation, a new study suggests. Study Links Obesity to U.S. Residency Long-term exposure to American culture may be hazardous to immigrants' health. A new study found that obesity is relatively rare in the foreign-born until they have lived in the United States � the land of drive-thrus, remote controls and double cheeseburgers � for more than 10 years. Blood Pressure After Exercise May Predict Heart Risk Systolic blood pressure, the upper number in a blood-pressure reading, during the recovery period after exercise stress testing may help predict the risk of heart attack in men, according to a report in the journal Hypertension. Today's Produce May Contain Fewer Nutrients Compared to 50 years ago, today's fruits and vegetables carry smaller amounts of some key nutrients, including protein, calcium and vitamin C, according to new study findings. Remarriage Makes Men Gain Weight Men who remarry appear to put their feet up - tending to do less exercise and putting on weight, researchers have found. Holidays Bring Death for Many Christmas is the deadliest day of the year for Americans with 12.4 percent more deaths than normal, researchers said. Does Chocolate Qualify as a Health Food? It's the news we've all been waiting for — chocolate is a healthy snack. Or so one candy company says. Male Birth Control Moves Closer to Reality The day when men can take a pill or rely on an implant to keep them from fathering a child may only be a few years away, experts say. Some Expert Advice on Warding Off the Common Cold By some estimates, Americans suffer about 1 billion colds over the course of a year, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reports. Coronoviruses, responsible for many adult colds, usually strike in the winter and early spring. Since colds are highly contagious, taking simple steps to prevent them can avoid a lot of misery. Childhood Cancer Increasing Steadily The rate of childhood cancer has slowly increased over the last three decades, research has found. Obesity Researcher Comes Up With New Diet Florida's got the South Beach diet. Now Minnesota's got the "Northwoods Diet." That's what University a Minnesota professor came up with as the solution when he noticed his waistline expanding. Teenagers, Young Men Warned of Laptop Health Risk Teenagers and young men should keep their laptops off their laps because they could damage fertility, an expert said. First-Ever Safety Study of Medical Cannabis Use in Canada Launched A first-of-its-kind study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched. Known as the COMPASS study (Cannabis for the management of pain: assessment of safety study), the research initiative will follow 1400 chronic pain patients, 350 of whom use cannabis as part of their pain management strategy, for a one-year period. Pediatricians Strengthen Warning on Air Pollution's Effects The nation's leading group of pediatricians has strengthened its stand on the dangers that air pollution poses to children, and offers new recommendations on how to help solve the problem. Smoking Is Bad for the Brain Smoking not only damages health, it is bad for the brain too, according to a Scottish study spanning nearly 60 years. Red Wine: More Evidence Points To The Drink's Cardiac Heath Benefits New research on rat heart cells suggests that a well-known antioxidant found in red wine, called resveratrol, may benefit heart tissue by limiting the effects of a condition called cardiac fibrosis. Pharmaceutical Marketing Tactics Cost Billions But Little Impact on Physicians Pharmaceutical drug companies spend upward of $25 billion per year on promoting new drugs and distributing free samples to doctors, but new research shows such marketing devices have little impact on physicians and their prescribing behavior. Misaligned Legs, Extra Pounds Worsen Bad Knees Being overweight can speed the progression of knee osteoarthritis, but the effect may be limited to people who are moderately "bowlegged" or "knock-kneed," a new study suggests. Bigger Babies Get No Break Later On Bigger babies are not guaranteed to grow into healthier adults when it comes to cholesterol levels and related heart disease problems, a study said. Studies Show Why Lost Sleep Equals Gained Weight People who put on a few extra pounds may be able to blame a lack of sleep for the added weight, according to two separate studies published. Birth Month Seen Linked to Multiple Sclerosis Risk People born in May in the northern hemisphere have a higher than average risk of developing multiple sclerosis, researchers said. More Proof That Chimp, Human Brains Share Similarities New research provides more evidence that chimpanzee brains are human-like in terms of the links between brain asymmetry, language and right- or left-handedness. Sunshine May Ward Off Lymphoma Sun exposure apparently has a protective effect against the development non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a blood cancer, Australian researchers report. Dark, Leafy Greens Help Shield Eyes from Cataracts New research provides further evidence that substances in kale, spinach and other green vegetables help protect aging eyes from cataracts. SIDS Risk Linked to Lack of Experience With Tummy-Sleeping Babies who never sleep on their stomachs don't learn behaviors that may lessen their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found. Treatment Fixes Spinal Injuries in Dogs A technique that helps heal spinal injuries in dogs may lead the way to future methods of preventing paralysis in humans who've suffered spinal damage. Child Obesity Affects School Performance Obese children often suffer from undetected sleep disorders which could be affecting their performance at school, researchers have warned. New Method Helps Map Women's Happiness Having sex is the high point of most women's' days, while commuting is the low point. And most women like being with their kids less than they will admit, according to a recent study published Misaligned Knees May Speed Up Osteoarthritisiness Leg alignment may influence the benefits of weight loss for people with knee osteoarthritis, says a study in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Citrus Shows Promise For Certain Childhood Cancers Orange juice and cancer don't mix. In fact, the popular citrus drink could become a cocktail to prevent or stop the deadly disease in humans. Magnesium Maintains Memory Along with its many other functions in the body, magnesium may also help maintain learning and memory in middle age and beyond, according to a study in the Dec. 2 issue of Neuron. Red Meat Ups Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Eating a relatively large amount of red meat every day appears to increase the risk of inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, new study findings suggest. Multiple Births a Health Risk Women pregnant with twins, triplets or quadruplets are at greater risk of serious health complications than are women carrying just one fetus, according to a Canadian study published. Poor Childhood Nutrition Tied to Behavior Problems Nutritional deficiencies early in life may predispose children to behavioral problems into their teenage years, new research suggests. Cannabis Increases Risk of Psychosis Teenagers and young adults who frequently use cannabis are increasing their risk of suffering from psychotic symptoms such as bizarre behavior and delusions later in life, Dutch scientists said. Psychological Stress and Disease Increasing scientific evidence suggests that prolonged psychological stress takes its toll on the body. Scientists report that stress may exact its toll, at least in part, by affecting molecules believed to play a key role in cellular aging and, possibly, disease development. Another Reason For Men To Prevent Diabetes Low testosterone production appears to be a common complication of type 2 diabetes in men, affecting 1 out of 3 diabetic patients, a new study has shown.