Brazilian bikinis burgeon to fit the fat

Tall and tan and young and … chunky? The Girl From Ipanema has put on a few pounds, and for many sunbathers on Brazil’s beaches the country’s iconic itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini just doesn’t suffice anymore. A growing number of bikini manufacturers have woken up to Brazil’s thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding [...]

IV Acetaminophen linked to more child overdoses

Following the U.S. Food Drug Administration’s approval last year of an intravenous formulation of acetaminophen for fever and pain in a hospital setting, researchers warn that use of the preparation could lead to serious overdoses, particularly among the youngest patients. The problem: There is confusion over measurement guidelines — milligrams vs. milliliters, to be specific [...]

Facebook could be a source of depression

According to a new study conducted by sociologists Hui-Tzu Grace Chou and Nicholas Edge at Utah Valley University, research showed a correlation between a Facebook user’s disposition about their life and the amount of time spent on the social network. Approximately 425 students were asked to identify how much they agreed or disagreed with statements [...]

Large study links depression and low levels of vitamin D

A study published by a joint venture of the University of Texas Southwest’s Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas has linked low levels of vitamin D to depression, according to the Mother Nature Network. The study appears in the latest edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. What are the specifics of this study? Researchers [...]

Babies may be getting bigger, but questions remain

The weights and lengths of babies born in southwestern Ohio have been growing in recent decades, a new study found, but no link to obesity later in childhood was seen. The new research, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, used data going back to 1929 to track babies’ sizes at birth and beyond, and found [...]

Some depressed people do worse on medications

According to a new look at past antidepressant trials, up to a fifth of patients on Cymbalta and similar medications may actually do worse than those given drug-free placebo pills.  Researchers found that patients’ symptoms over the first couple months of antidepressant use separated them into “responders,” who got progressively better, and “non-responders,” who didn’t [...]

High-Fiber diet may help thwart colon cancer

Eating a high-fiber diet may reduce your risk of colorectal cancer, especially if the fiber is from cereal and whole grains, according to a new review.  British and Dutch researchers analyzed 25 studies that included a total of nearly 2 million people. Compared with the lowest levels of fiber consumption, each 10 gram per day [...]

Low-Incomes seniors at greater risk for heart failure

Seniors with low incomes are more likely to develop heart failure than those with higher incomes, even if they have Medicare coverage and are college-educated, a new study finds.  “As far as the risk of developing heart failure is concerned, lower education may not matter if a person is able to maintain a high income [...]

Texas board mulls stem cell therapy used on Perry

The experimental stem cell procedure that Texas Gov. Rick Perry underwent this summer could be restricted or even blocked under new rules being considered Friday by the state’s Medical Board.  Some top scientists are questioning the safety and wisdom of the procedure, and doctors say it may run up against federal rules. It also carries [...]

CDC Panel votes to extend HPV Vaccine to young boys

  All males starting at age 11 should receive the HPV vaccine Gardasil to protect themselves against sexually transmitted forms of human papillomavirus, the cause of most cervical and anal cancers as well as most mouth and throat cancers, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee voted today. Thirteen members of the committee [...]