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Marathoners Face Greater Risk of Artery Stiffness
SATURDAY, March 13 -- If regular exercise such as jogging is good for the heart, then turbo-charged workouts like training for marathons must be even better, right? Not so fast, according to new research by Greek doctors who found that marathon...
There's More to Mona Lisa Than Her Smile
SATURDAY, March 13 -- Mona Lisa's smile remains one of art's great mysteries, and many credit it with the portrait's enduring appeal. But her expression can't explain everything, said Austrian neurologists who used computer-altered images to...
Eye Health and Safety Should Be Job One
SATURDAY, March 13 -- Job-related eye strain and injuries cost the American economy billions each year in lost productivity, but 90 percent of those problems could be prevented with simple measures, such as having workers wear properly designed and...
Are Stock Market Woes Bad for the Heart?
SATURDAY, March 13 -- When the stock market declines, do heart attacks go up? That's what Duke University Medical Center researchers are wondering based on an analysis of data collected during the current U.S. economic crisis. "During the period...
Air Pollution Slows Women's Marathon Times
SATURDAY, March 13 -- Running a marathon is challenging enough, but now new research shows that the performance of female marathoners can be hindered by a certain type of air pollution. Researchers analyzed marathon race results, weather data and...
MRIs May Detect Hidden Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients
FRIDAY, March 12 -- MRI scans are more likely to turn up undiagnosed tumors in the breasts of postmenopausal women who already had cancer in their other breast, researchers report. However, the scans are less likely to detect tumors in...
U.S. Minorities Especially Vulnerable to Kidney Failure
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Poor, minority adults with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease are far more likely to progress to kidney failure than are whites with the disease, a new U.S. study has found. The finding came from an analysis of data on...
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Acts of kindness spread rapidly, and it takes only a few people acting cooperatively to influence dozens of others, U.S. researchers report. They found that when study participants played a game in which they had an opportunity...
Plavix Less Effective in Some Patients
FRIDAY, March 12 -- The anti-clotting drug Plavix must now carry a "black box" warning on its label, alerting patients and doctors that some people don't metabolize the medication properly, U.S. health officials said Friday. Patients with a certain...
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Boston Scientific's Express LD Iliac Stent has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat iliac artery disease, the company said in a news release. A stent is a hollow tube that props open a blood vessel...
Start Metformin Early for Best Results
FRIDAY, March 12 -- If diabetics start the drug metformin early -- within three months of diagnosis -- it appears the drug will remain effective longer, a new study finds. "This study suggests that to gain full benefit from metformin, patients...
Happy From Your Vacation? It Won't Last
FRIDAY, March 12 -- No matter how cheerful you felt as you wiggled your toes in the sand on that secluded beach, no matter how thrilled you were to finally lay eyes on that Renaissance masterpiece, your vacation bliss won't last long. Sadly, new...
Bad Behavior in Youth Linked to Chronic Pain Later in Life
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Children with behavioral problems are at increased risk for chronic pain when they reach adulthood, new Scottish research has found. The study of nearly 20,000 people born in 1958 found that those with "severe behavior...
Knee Surgeon's Expectations May Differ From Yours
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Doctors and patients often have different expectations for knee and hip replacement surgery, and steps should be taken to close that gap, a new study shows. Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) researchers compared the...
Football Injuries More Likely on Certain Artificial Turf
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Pro football players are more likely to suffer certain types of knee and ankle injuries on an artificial turf called FieldTurf than on natural grass, a new study contends. Researchers analyzed data from the 2002-2008 National...
Daylight Savings: Not a Bright Time for All
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Most people will welcome the start of daylight savings time this Sunday because it starts to stay light longer, even if that means the early mornings will be dark once again. However, that shift may not be such a welcome change...
Adding Garlic Might Cut Cancer Risk
FRIDAY, March 12 -- A new type of urine test shows that eating plenty of garlic may lower levels of a cancer-causing process within the body. This process, called nitrosation, converts some substances found in foods or contaminated water into...
Clinical Trials Update: March 12, 2010
-- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com: Flu This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug for people who have influenza, including seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu. The...
Health Highlights: March 12, 2010
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Settlement in Ground Zero Lawsuit A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit by thousands of Ground Zero rescue and cleanup workers against New...
'Pill' Won't Shorten Your Life: Study
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Good news for women who have used birth control pills: A long-term study finds that those who took oral contraceptives at some point in their lives have a lower risk of death than women who never took the "Pill". "Many women,...
High-Impact Sports Might Not Harm Knee Replacements
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Patients who get a total knee replacement are usually advised to avoid high-impact sports to preserve their new body part. But a new study suggests sport participation is not only safe -- it may even help people gain better knee...
Health Tip: Symptoms of Ketoacidosis
-- Ketoacidosis occurs when diabetic people develop dangerously high levels of ketones, which are produced when stored fat is burned for energy. Ketoacidosis, a sign that diabetes is uncontrolled, requires immediate medical attention. The American...
Papaya Could Be a Cancer Fighter
FRIDAY, March 10 -- An extract from dried papaya slows the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory, researchers report. It's not clear if it will have the same effect on cancer in people, however. University of Florida researcher Dr. Nam Dang and...
Health Tip: Having an Epidural
-- An epidural is an injected anesthetic often used during labor and delivery to ease the pain of childbirth. The Nemours Foundation mentions these possible risks of an epidural: Increased difficulty pushing during labor (although a doctor can...
Obesity, Drinking a Double Threat to the Liver
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Obesity plus daily drinking boosts the risk of liver disease in men and women, researchers report in two new studies. In one study, scientists at the University of Oxford examined the medical records of 1.2 million middle-aged...
Variable Blood Pressure a New Stroke Risk Factor?
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Challenging established medical wisdom about blood pressure and stroke, new British research suggests that extremely variable blood pressure, and not just high blood pressure, can greatly increase a person's risk of...
Heat Therapy Helps Treat U.S. Soldiers' Infections
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Heat therapy is effective for treating lesions caused by a parasitic skin infection that afflicts U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new study shows. Since U.S. operations began in those countries, more than 1,300...
Medicine's Future Could Lie in Each Patient's Genome
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Two separate scientific teams announced this week that they had successfully sequenced individual genomes to pinpoint precise genetic causes of illness -- breakthroughs that open the door to a future of individualized,...
U.S. Chalks Up Victories in War on Cancer
THURSDAY, March 11 -- The decrease in cancer deaths in the United States since 1990 is the result of reduced tobacco use, increased cancer screening and improvements in treatment, according to an American Cancer Society study. Researchers analyzed...
Driving With Early Alzheimer's May Be Ill-Advised
FRIDAY, March 12 -- Elderly people with failing memories often keep driving, but a study of Alzheimer's patients suggests the risk of getting lost -- even on familiar streets -- may be greater than once thought. Even with early dementia, there may...
Body's Response to Foods' Smell, Taste Could Be Diabetes Risk Factor
THURSDAY, March 11 -- A mutation that affects how the body responds when a person smells or tastes food may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes in some people, U.S. researchers report. "Our study showed there is a novel genetic...
Long-Term Use of Osteoporosis Drugs Linked to Fractures
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Long-term use of oral drugs prescribed to keep osteoporosis at bay may be associated with unusual fractures of the thigh bone, two new studies suggest. The research is not the first to link the drugs, known as bisphosphonates,...
Scientists Find Stem Cells in Hair That Can Become Skin
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Scientists have found a type of stem cell tucked away in hair follicles that is capable of morphing into all three types of skin cells. "They are saying they have found the earliest stem cell, in the hair follicles, which...
Inhalant Abuse a Deadly Middle-School Concern
THURSDAY, March 11 -- More 12-year-olds have used inhalants to get high than marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, a new report finds. These potentially deadly inhalants include aerosol computer cleaners, glue, hair sprays, paint solvents...
Mind Reading Moves Closer to Reality
THURSDAY, March 11 -- Mind reading may have taken a step away from the realm of science fiction, thanks to a new study in which researchers taught a computer to spot specific memories as a person was having them. To be sure, science is a long way...
Pre-Season Test Spots Baseball Pitchers at Risk of Injury
THURSDAY, March 11 -- As another baseball season nears, researchers report that preseason measurements of rotator cuff strength can help team doctors spot those pitchers at high risk of developing a shoulder injury during play. "We found certain...
Young Kids to Benefit From Broader Pneumococcal Vaccine
THURSDAY, March 11 -- The recent approval of a new, more broadly effective pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) for young children could greatly reduce the prevalence of pneumococcal disease in that age group, a new government report suggests. On Feb. 24,...
Health Highlights: March 11, 2010
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: More Food Products Added to Recall List About 1.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products and 115,700 pounds...
Health Tip: Risk Factors for Melanoma
-- Melanoma is an often deadly form of skin cancer. Protecting yourself from sun damage can help protect your skin. The American Academy of Dermatology offers this list of common risk factors for melanoma: Having fair skin or skin that is...
THURSDAY, March 11 -- A knee replacement can help improve an elderly person's balance, according to a new study. Balance problems and increased risk for falls are common among seniors with severe knee osteoarthritis, the result of worn cartilage....
