Health Goes Strong

Help Fight Heart Disease by Going Red

rlflipse — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:38:40 +0000

The big red hearts in store windows are a sure sign that Valentine's Day is not far off. They are also a reminder that February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on the prevention of heart disease, the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Why Wear Red?

Is Your Doctor Too Fat?

Barbara Kantrowitz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:32:54 +0000

Is your doctor a heavy? That may not be good for your health. A recent study found that heavier doctors are less likely to talk about weight problems with their overweight and obese patients. That's bad because another recent survey found that most people underestimate their weight and overestimate their height.

The study of overweight doctors and their patients, published in the journal Obesity, found that physicians who were of normal weight had more confidence in their ability to provide diet and exercise counseling than doctors who were overweight or obese.

Research Offers Simple Way to Snack Less on Foods You Crave

rlflipse — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:34:38 +0000

If you crave certain foods and give in too easily to the urge to snack, do not despair. A new study offers valuable advice just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest snack day of the year!

Sex and Statins

Barbara Kantrowitz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:39:21 +0000

When statins were first introduced about a decade ago, they were widely hailed as miracle drugs that could stop heart disease. Since then, there has been considerable debate about who benefits most from these cholesterol-lowering drugs. A new study provides some answers to at least one of these questions about statins: the drugs appear to be just as effective in females as in males.

Music and Memory

ceperron — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:45:20 +0000

Music can boost your memory—small children learn that when they sing "ABCD" to a Mozart tune to memorize the alphabet. Past research has found that Alzheimer's patients have an easier time remembering new information when it's set to music (even more so than healthy adults do), and now there's another piece of research adding a piece to the puzzle of how music and memory interact.

Birth Month: What it Means for Your Health

ceperron — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:17:11 +0000

No, this isn't an astrology article. There are actual scientific studies that link birth month with various health conditions and personality traits. I'd heard before that birth month might be linked with rates of autism in children, but didn't realize that birth month has other implications until I read this fascinating LA Times article on the subject. Some examples:

Sex and Menopause: A Six Point Plan

ceperron — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:04:30 +0000

Most women notice a change in their sex drives, and maybe their sex lives, as they start to enter menopause. But just because these shifts are natural doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to make sex better, and maybe even your best yet.

Jaw Necrosis and Bone Drugs

ceperron — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:14:18 +0000

A rare but awful condition known as jaw necrosis, in which bone starts to die and which can lead to the loss of the jaw, has been linked with the osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates. These drugs are widely prescribed to women with low bone density scores, often beginning at midlife, and are also used intravenously on some cancer patients. The cancer patients are more likely to experience jaw necrosis than women taking the drugs orally for osteoporosis, but in rare instances the otherwise healthy women are affected.

Diet for a Healthy Heart is Good for the Brain

rlflipse — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:11:55 +0000

If it seems to you the foods that can help prevent heart disease grab all the headlines, your eyesight is fine! Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women alike in the U.S., so controlling it makes news. Keeping the brain sharp is also on people's minds, but it takes more than cross-word puzzles to do it. What you eat can also help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Adult Drug Abuse Dangers

ceperron — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:54:15 +0000

Think cocaine, speed and opiates are only for reckless youth? Not so, it seems. Nearly 10% of Americans in their 50s reported using a recreational drug, other than pot, some time in the past year, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. So a small but significant chunk of former flower children and groovy 70s kids didn't outgrow the desire to dabble (or more) in drugs.