Health News

Testosterone Does Not Necessarily Wane With Age

Date: Jun-25-2012
For many men, testosterone levels drop as they get older, but new research presented at a conference this week suggests this is not necessarily a consequence of age itself, but more to do with behavior, such as smoking, and changes in health, such as obesity and depression. In men, the hormone testosterone is made in the testicles and controls the development of their sexual characteristics. It influences wellbeing, sexual function and fertility and also helps maintain a healthy body composition, develop muscle bulk, sufficient levels of red blood cells, and protect bone density...

Keeping Fit May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Date: Jun-25-2012
Women who keep fit with regular exercise, even mild physical activity, may reduce their risk of developing breast cancer, even after the menopause, but not if they also put on a lot of weight, according to a new study from the US. The researchers found that the greatest effect was in women who exercised recreationally 10 to 19 hours a week: this appeared to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by around 30%. However, they also found that substantial weight gain can negate this benefit...

Self-Harming And Suicide In Young People - The Impact Of Social Networking Sites

Date: Jun-25-2012
Worldwide, suicide is the most prevalent cause of death in female teenagers, and the third most common cause of death in male adolescents, after road traffic accidents and violence. In a study published in The Lancet, researchers examine existing research in order to look at the associations between self-harm and suicide in young people...

Exercise Counteracts Compensatory Weight Gain After Liposuction

Date: Jun-25-2012
People who undergo abdominal liposuction may experience a compensatory increase in visceral fat, which in turn may raise their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. However, physical activity may prevent this compensatory weight gain, the researchers added. Visceral fat Visceral fat, also known as organ fat, abdominal fat or intra-abdominal fat lies deep inside the abdominal cavity, in between the organs, such as the kidneys, intestines, liver, stomach, etc...

New Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines

Date: Jun-25-2012
A lung screening and surveillance task force, established by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and led by medical professionals from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), is strongly recommending new guidelines for lung cancer screening. The guidelines were published in the online edition of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (JTCVS). Recent research has shown low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is beneficial in reducing deaths from lung cancer...

Overall Post-Meal Blood Sugar Levels Reduced By Snacking On Raisins

Date: Jun-25-2012
New research debuted at the American Diabetes Association's 72nd Annual Scientific Session suggests eating raisins three times a day may significantly lower postprandial (post-meal) glucose levels when compared to common alternative snacks of equal caloric value. The study was conducted at the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Center (L-MARC) by lead researcher, Harold Bays, MD, medical director and president of L-MARC. The study was conducted among 46 men and women who had not previously been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, but who had mild elevations in glucose levels...

New Model To Understand The Supertasting Phenomenon

Date: Jun-25-2012
Supertasting describes the ability to strongly detect food flavors such as bitter and sweet, and it can affect a person's food preferences. For example, supertasters are often averse to green vegetables because their bitter taste is amplified. Supertasters may also prefer foods lower in sugar and fat. Approximately one out of four people is a supertaster, and a supertaster's avoidance of sweet and fatty foods may have protective cardiovascular effects...

Study Finds Declining Testosterone Levels In Men Not Part Of Normal Aging

Date: Jun-25-2012
A new study finds that a drop in testosterone levels over time is more likely to result from a man's behavioral and health changes than by aging. The study results will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. "Declining testosterone levels are not an inevitable part of the aging process, as many people think," said study co-author Gary Wittert, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, Australia. "Testosterone changes are largely explained by smoking behavior and changes in health status, particularly obesity and depression...

Stopping And Starting Cancer Cell Cycle Weakens And Defeats Multiple Myeloma

Date: Jun-25-2012
Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have devised an innovative boxer-like strategy, based on the serial use of two anti-cancer drugs, to deliver a one-two punch to first weaken the defenses of multiple myeloma and then deliver the final knock-out punch to win the fight. The study, published online by the journal Blood, is the first to show that precise timing of therapies that target a cancer cell's cycle - the life phases leading to its division and replication - disables key survival genes, resulting in cell death...

Reduced Weight And Waist Size With Long-Term Testosterone Treatment For Men

Date: Jun-25-2012
In testosterone-deficient men, major weight loss was an added benefit of testosterone replacement therapy for most of the patients who participated in a new study. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. "The substantial weight loss found in our study - an average of 36 pounds - was a surprise," said the study's lead author, Farid Saad, PhD, of Berlin-headquartered Bayer Pharma...