By Rachael Rettner The compound resveratrol, which is present in red wine and gained fame for its supposed life-extending properties, might also help combat obesity. The results show lemurs, members of the primate family, gained less weight during their seasonal fattening period when they consumed daily resveratrol supplements. The drug also boosted the primates’ metabolism and appeared to cause the animals to cut back their food at mealtime, factors that could have contributed to the … [Read more...]

Despite its endorsement last year by the American Diabetes Association as an effective way to diagnose type 2 diabetes, new research out of Singapore suggests that the hemoglobin A1c blood test may not accurately identify the disease among elderly Asians. The American Diabetes Association’s current recommendation is that this particular test -- not previously considered to be a gold standard screening method -- works well when physicians rely on a cutoff reading of 6.5 percent or more to … [Read more...]

Austin Times Wire Services After much review and public controversy, the FDA met this week and determined that flibanserin, a new medication that was hoped to be an effective treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, did not significantly improve symptoms of the disorder, and ruled against approving the medication. Female sexual arousal disorder, also known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder, (HSDD) is a relatively new diagnosis. It was historically known as frigidity, and more … [Read more...]

The young children of moms abused by their partners are at increased risk of being obese, a new study from Massachusetts finds. The more often the abuse occurs, the higher the risk that pre-school children, especially girls, will be obese and, as a result, at increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses later in life, the study team notes. “It’s always sobering to see the vast impact that adversities in early life can have on long term health outcomes,” lead … [Read more...]