Excessive weight gain is never a good idea for health. Now, new research supports the notion that putting on pounds raises cancer risks for middle-aged women. The study, which tracked more than 137,000 Norwegian women for 18 years, found that the odds of developing certain cancers rose as waistlines expanded. The take-home message: “maintaining stable… read on >
All Lifestyle:
Early Life Trauma May Affect an Adult Man’s Sperm
There’s preliminary research suggesting that abuse or neglect in childhood might have an effect on the quality of a man’s sperm. The study was small and can’t prove cause and effect. But researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston say it points to a way in which stress early in a man’s life… read on >
A Lonely Heart Poses a Big Health Risk
People with heart failure who are socially isolated are more likely to be hospitalized or die prematurely than those who feel connected to others, new research suggests. The study authors said screening heart failure patients to identify those who lack social support might help to improve outcomes. Previous studies have shown that social isolation may… read on >
Toxins in BBQ Fumes May Be Absorbed Through the Skin
When you fire up the grill for your Memorial Day cookout, beware: Those tantalizing aromas hold an underestimated health risk. Grilling meats at a high temperature can produce cancer-causing compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). You can be exposed to significant PAH levels simply by breathing in the sweet scent of barbecue. A new study… read on >
Small World? Not With One-Quarter Obese by 2045
If current trends continue, nearly one-quarter of the world’s population will be obese by 2045. And one in eight people will have type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. Alongside those bulging waistlines, global rates of type 2 diabetes will jump from 9 percent to 12 percent over the next 27 years, placing an even greater… read on >
‘Pizza Challenge’ Suggests Food Is Just More Tempting to Some
For some people who struggle with weight gain, their body’s responses to delicious food may be working against them. In a new study, obese people who had trouble keeping weight loss at bay salivated more and had a steeper increase in their heart rate when presented with a tempting pizza, compared to folks without such… read on >
Commuters: Pedal Your Way to Better Heart Health
Ditching the car and biking or walking to work just might cut your risk of developing heart disease and even dying from it. So says a new British study that finds a person’s risk of heart disease or stroke falls 11 percent and their risk of dying from these diseases falls by 30 percent, just… read on >
Most Hospitals Aren’t Ready for Mass Tragedies, ER Docs Say
Nine out of 10 ER doctors say their hospitals aren’t fully prepared for major disasters or mass tragedies. The finding, from a new poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), comes as the U.S. Congress considers major disaster preparedness legislation. ACEP questioned 1,328 emergency room doctors between April 25 and May 6 and… read on >
How Exercise Helps Your Heart
You already know that exercise is good for your health and your heart, both to prevent heart disease and, for those who already have a heart-related condition, to make managing it easier. But you might be even more motivated to work out if you better understand exactly how exercise helps. Studies have found two important… read on >
Screening May Miss Signs of Autism, Especially in Girls: Study
An important checklist used to screen for autism can miss subtle clues in some children, delaying their eventual diagnosis. Researchers found that the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, or M-CHAT, can fail to detect developmental delays that are tell-tale signs of autism in 18-month-olds, according to findings published in the June issue of the… read on >