Could drinking one or more artificially sweetened, carbonated diet sodas a day boost a woman's odds of premature delivery? A new study from Denmark suggests such a link. The researchers looked at the soft drink habits of nearly 60,000 Danish women enrolled in a national study there from 1996 to 2002. The investigators found a link between the intake of diet carbonated drinks and, to a lesser extent, diet noncarbonated drinks and delivering a baby early. The study is published … [Read more...]
Some minority groups hit hard by childhood obesity
While some research suggests that the incidence of childhood obesity may be leveling off, a new study finds that for certain racial groups the rates may actually be getting higher. The study, to be published in the September issue of Pediatrics, finds that black, Hispanic and American Indian girls have two to three times higher odds of having a high body-mass index (BMI) compared to white girls. What's more, although rates of obesity peaked for Hispanic girls in 2005, they have kept … [Read more...]
Sorting when early memory loss signals big threat
WASHINGTON – Doctors can't tell if Leif Utoft Bollesen's mild memory loss will remain an annoyance or worsen, but experimental checks of the Minnesota man's aging brain may offer clues. About 1 million people a year begin a mental slide called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, with forgetfulness that's somewhere between healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Now this gray zone is undergoing an evolution, with growing study of techniques to help predict which MCI patients may be on a path to … [Read more...]
Mental health experts ask: Will anyone be normal?
An updated edition of a mental health bible for doctors may include diagnoses for "disorders" such as toddler tantrums and binge eating, experts say, and could mean that soon no-one will be classed as normal. Leading mental health experts gave a briefing on Tuesday to warn that a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is being revised now for publication in 2013, could devalue the seriousness of mental illness and label almost everyone as … [Read more...]
Life extending drug may also combat obesity
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...]
Race may affect type 2 diabetes screening results
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...]
Female Viagra doesn’t improve sexual desire
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...]
Childhood obesity linked to family violence
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...]
Anytime Fitness Media Challenge 2010
When I first heard about this challenge, I didn’t know what to expect. What I did know is that I needed a good swift kick in the butt to get me back into shape. I thought, or assumed, that whatever I was doing was enough. I knew better, but I managed to convince myself that where I was at health-wise was fine. As a former personal trainer, however, I knew deep down that I should be doing more. After moving back from Hawai’i late last year, I knew that my physical activity would be lacking … [Read more...]
More teens use rhythm method as birth control
By Mike Stobbe A growing number of teen girls say they use the rhythm method for birth control, and more teens also think it’s OK for an unmarried female to have a baby, according to a government survey released Wednesday. The report may help explain why the teen pregnancy rate is no longer dropping like it was. Overall, teenage use of birth control and teen attitudes toward pregnancy have remained about the same since a similar survey was done in 2002. But there were some notable … [Read more...]
