Sleep deprivation has been associated with an increased risk of obesity in several studies. A new one, based on a large British survey, assessed whether that link could be due to over-eating by bleary-eyed people. But the data didn't support that hypothesis, so researchers will have to look harder to explain that link.
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Utah nurse Alex Wubbels was handcuffed while screaming, as she tried to do her job. At issue: whether a police officer could obtain a blood sample from her patient, who was hurt from a July 26 collision that involved a fatality.
Very few have heard about this. It's over 100 years old and explains why bread smells so good and turns brown. But baking also produces a few chemicals of concern – or are they? Here you get a chemistry lesson! Whether you want one or not.
Last week's FDA approval of a novel cancer treatment is nothing short of historic. Not only does it give long-overdue hope to patients suffering from pediatric leukemia, but it also opens up a world of new treatment possibilities for other forms of this horrific disease.
Bundled payment for health care is being presented as a fix to rising costs. What makes up the bundle of services provided, and can they really save us money? A new study in JAMA Surgery sheds some light.
If you're middle-aged and you usually walk slowly, consider this as you stroll: a new, large study found that those who felt they were "slow walkers" were nearly twice as likely to die from a heart-related cause as compared to those who said they walk briskly. It's an association, not a cause-and-effect finding. But it's worth a discussion with your doctor.
Rapid, accurate detection of a tuberculosis infection still remains a healthcare challenge. Developing an assay that's able to definitively diagnose TB, and one that's cheap, should be high on our priority list. Especially, as we annually see increases in TB's prevalence.
As the highest quality of care continues not to be the emphasis in the health care debate — let alone be on par with discussions around access – Canadian health systems remain in the spotlight. This time multiple hospitals in southern Ontario shut their doors to the sickest of babies.
It's not a new idea that one relatively easy way to eliminate calories is to refrain from adding sugar, whenever possible, to foods and drinks we consume. And trimming it from coffee consumption is an obvious place to start.
But once that choice is made, the next issue is: What's the best way to adapt to a reduced-sugar or sugar-free cup, to ensure that the change will become permanent? Eliminating the sweetener over time, or cutting it out "cold turkey" in one fell swoop?
Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company, goop, may think that the products it sells are helpful, but others disagree. The controversy has evolved into a formal complaint filed against goop. It's a move that starts the legal ball rolling down the firm's vaginal egg-lined path.
It's no secret that on a global scale smoking is one of the chief contributors to death and disability. Thankfully, e-cigarettes have provided many smokers an avenue in which to quit. Data from a recent study reveals that daily vaping is strongly correlated to the prevalence of smokers who quit.
Imagine a world where it's as easy to check for cancer as it is for high cholesterol. New research out of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine may lead to just that, through a new approach that identifies tumor specific DNA in the blood.
In preparation for motherhood, ACSH's Ana Dolaskie says she's grateful to have her mother by her side. But does mom always know best? Well, most of the time. But sometimes daughter knows best, and perhaps when it matters most.
Did you know we can characterize people at high risk for pubic hair grooming injuries? You know you're curious as to what medical science can tell you.
Airline pilots are tested, and increasingly drivers are tested as they age. But with physician shortages and an aging work force, are there rules for physicians when it comes to retirement?
Enough already! Please stop with the avocado stories. The darn things contain plenty of folic acid, which may or may not cause or prevent cancer, or keep your hair from turning gray, and may be contributing to the demise of the English language. And it's all about the biochemistry of endogenous formaldehyde. Prepare to be confused.
Given the political morass consuming all of the oxygen in the room on social media and every news outlet, a pivot to human and gorilla medical commonalities seemed a worthwhile departure.
Netflix has declined to carry the agriculture documentary called "Food Evolution", for reasons they refused to specify. Like all documentaries, it is clearly a passion project so when disappointments like that happen, passions run high as well, and lots of speculation occurs among the fans. Some believe it's a conspiracy against science, that Netflix is politically aligned with the groups who make their money scaring people about food. (1) Others give them a pass and say science documentaries are probably just not a draw for their audience.
Misinformed people will adjust their views when given correct information. What could be simpler? This study suggests that it is a bit more complicated, information is not always a 'corrective.'
When not one country in the world meets the “breastfeeding standards” set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), it might be time to question their value. Are they attainable — more importantly, should they be?
Orthorexia, or "clean eating" is as much a belief system as it is a dietary prescription. Believers eschew "normal" eating, thinking that only their particular restrictive versions of proper diets will provide optimal health. But the restrictions that such diets adhere to could be unhealthful, to say the least.
The spectrum of information that can be obtained by prenatal testing is wide and rapidly increasing. Many mutations, or "abnormalities," are inconsequential, while others are significant. Genetic counseling combined with noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) can be helpful.
Vaccination remains one of the most effective tools in protecting public health, and maintaining high immunization rates is essential to preventing the resurgence of preventable diseases. However, rampant anti-vaccine disinformation largely driven by politicians, grifters, and “influencers” on television and social media undermines public confidence in vaccination.
John Batchelor and I discussed the ongoing developments and challenges in addressing COVID-19. We emphasized the importance of staying up-to-date with vaccines, especially for older adults with pre-existing conditions, as I’ve always advised. We talked about the concept of a universal vaccine, which, though difficult to achieve, is actively being researched.
Infectious disease experts predict another coronavirus pandemic in the future, so we need to be prepared. That will require both basic research to devise improved vaccines, including "universal" ones that will provide immunity against new variants, and cooperation from vaccine manufacturers.
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