Some medical diagnoses are like fad diets. Everyone you know has chronic Lyme disease or gluten intolerance, if not out-and-out celiac disease (whether a medical test confirms it or not). But many are just junk medicine, just as many fad diets are junk nutrition.
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Does your blood type – specifically, your Rh factor (positive or negative) – matter in your daily life? Not in the slightest. But when pregnant your Rh status can matter, especially if it's negative.
While bariatric surgery is the most effective means of dealing with extreme obesity, subjects must still exercise some degree of dietary discipline to obtain the most benefit. A new analysis finds that the degree of early weight loss predicts long-term success, and both are linked to decreases in energy intake.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily people can be manipulated into worrying about nothing simply because the "nothing" is portrayed as (but really isn't) scary, while at the same time pay no attention to a "something" because it is portrayed as healthy (which is just as wrong).
A new, headlines-grabbing study reports that CTE, a type of irreversible and degenerative brain damage, was found in the tissue of 110 of 111 late NFL players tested. Does this mean all pro players will eventually be diagnosed with CTE? No, not exactly. But this news does mean that the league's long-term health has been thrown for a big loss.
A new therapy involving a medication requires the approval of the FDA. Not so for a new surgical technique or device. For my surgical brethren, we need a good idea and our “can do” attitude takes over, and we try out a new technique, instrument or operation, studies can wait.
New mothers learn how to protect their new arrivals from sudden infant death syndrome. But when it actually comes to implementing those safety practices while in a sleepy stupor, that's when dangers arise. So researchers developed a "mobile health program" delivering safety reminders – when they needed to be seen – which helped moms keep their newborns safer.
Sometimes health advice is just too good to be true, like these beauties: "Eat pomegranates to prevent cancer" ... and "Organic food will make your kids smarter." But as for "Use sunscreen to treat an autoimmune disease" ... what? That's not possible, right? Well, the truth is that last one, as crazy as it sounds, just might be real.
An interesting finding, that a sunscreen chemical may be useful in treating multiple sclerosis, gave us an unexpected treat: an opportunity to pound the chemical-scares industry. The sunscreen ingredient, homosalate, like just about every other chemical in the world, has been called an "endocrine disruptor" by groups like EWG. Too bad the paper that's cited as proof shows that it's not one at all.
Here's some advice for you ambitious urban cowboys out there: Wash your hands after you touch your chickens. Cook your eggs thoroughly. And be on the lookout for predators.
Apricot seeds are all over the internet - marketed as cancer fighters. But the seeds contain a chemical compound that, when ingested in high quantities (and by high we mean several seeds), can cause cyanide poisoning.
Given modern medical advances extending survival rates for chronic diseases, while at the same time overall life expectancy continues to lengthen, companies are diving into niche markets. Take, for example, Hormel — makers of Dinty Moore stews and Spam – which has come up with a meal line specifically targeted to cancer patients.
"Fake news" has become a meme — and it's all over the Internet. For example, take a look at a site that claims to provide real evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic in humans. Not only does it cite old data, it has picked a study whose authors don't agree with them. Can you get much more fake than that?
Dicamba is big news in 2017. It's easy to blame agriculture companies but what about farmers who used dicamba with their resistant plants knowing it drifts?
People commit suicide for various reasons: Depression, loneliness, mental illness, drug addiction, relationship trouble, financial hardship, and bullying have all been implicated. Determining the predominant causes of suicide in each age and ethnic demographic would be a major step toward reversing this troubling trend.
Copper isn't just a pretty metal. It plays a part in minting coins (although in ways you wouldn't expect), can substitute for iron in the blood of some creatures, and is responsible for the changing color of the Statue of Liberty. And some artists pee on it. Seriously.
Did you even get sick from eating tuna? If so, you may have assumed that it happened because you ate it rare. But that's probably not the case. A particular food poisoning from tuna (and certain other fish) can occur even when the fish is well-cooked. And it's not only food poisoning. It's also an allergic reaction.
Genetically engineered bacteria can not only degrade plastic waste, but they can convert it into valuable industrial chemicals. There are still unknowns -- for example, how to do this at scale and how it will be regulated.
New research on a Zika vaccine is as promising as it gets. A recent study highlights the first live-attenuated vaccine that provides great protection and could result in a quick and effective vaccine that will be available soon to the people who most need it.
Emmy-winning TV anchor Ernie Anastos kicks off his new show with this "Doctors on Call" segment. Urologic oncologist Dr. David Samadi & Dr. Jamie Wells, our Director of Medicine, answer the public's questions.
If doctors are to return to their roots as health makers, then they need to take control of their schedules.
As if coral reefs worldwide aren't in bad enough shape, the last thing we need is something that intentionally kills them. But "cyanide fishing" – an illegal method to stun and catch tropical fish for aquariums – persists, especially in Southeast Asia. However, using some analytical chemistry we're one step closer to stopping this practice.
Oscar Wilde believed “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” After viewing the accompanying video animation of the anatomical relationships of Pectoralis Major and Minor created by Dr. Raf Ratinam, we became truly inspired.
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes another growing season. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower calorie intake; reduce risks for heart disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes; and protect against certain cancers.
With all these benefits, why do some consumers choose to avoid produce? Approximately three-quarters of people in the U.S. don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
English researchers have "found a new group of cells in the retina that directly affect the biological clock." It's a finding that could lead to eye medication to improve sleep patterns, providing solutions for jet-lag sufferers and drowsy, night-shift workers alike.
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