A McNugget Martini?

Two innovative self-described drinking buddies from Los Angeles introduced the world to a novel hybrid cocktail and dollar menu by creating the McNuggetini, the New York Times reports. The drink, which combines a McDonald’s chocolate shake with vanilla vodka, barbecue sauce around the rim and a McNugget as garnish, is not the duo’s only foray [...]

Banning flowers in the hospital?

In the last decade or so, there has been a steadily growing trend in U.K. hospitals of banning bedside flowers. Citing the inconvenience of caring for the blooms, the potential hazard of water dripping onto electronic equipment, and the potential “risk of infection” posed by the stagnant water in vases, medical facilities from Dorset in [...]

U.S life expectancy reaches high of 77.9 years

Data released this month by the Centers for Disease Control shows that average U.S life expectancy at birth has reached an all-time high of 77.9 years. The latest information from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that, from 2006 to 2007 average life expectancy increased by more than two months.

Little fingers are more sensitive

Smaller fingers may create a more precise sense of touch, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience. Anecdotally, researchers have observed that women tend to have a finer sense of touch than men, but until now it wasn’t very clear why. This new research suggests that it may just have [...]

NYC condom wrapper competition

In an effort to promote condom use, New York City health officials are opening up package design of the NYC Condom to creative Big Apple residents. Health officials say that the debut of the NYC Condom on Valentine’s Day 2007 drove a jump in condom distribution—half a year after the New York City subway-inspired wrappers [...]

For some women, antidepressants may increase stroke risk

A new study of post-menopausal women between the ages of 50 to 79 found that, those taking antidepressants had a slightly higher risk for stroke than those not taking the medications. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed more than 136,000 women for about six years, and found that women taking both [...]

H1N1 vaccine for infants recalled

Sanofi-Aventis, a manufacturer of the swine flu vaccine, voluntarily recalled 800,000 doses intended for infants after tests revealed that the vaccine lost potency with time. The vaccine, distributed in pre-filled syringes and intended for children between the ages of 6 months and nearly three years, was recalled after tests showed that, while the vaccine was [...]

Coffee and tea may lower diabetes risk

People who drink three or four cups of coffee per day have an approximately 25% lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who drink two cups or fewer, according to an analysis of previous research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed data from 18 different studies involving more than [...]

Faulty filter at Miami hotel leads to illness, death

A high end boutique hotel in Miami was forced to move some 300 guests after several were sickened—and one died—from infection with the bacteria Legionella, the cause of Legionnaire’s disease, the New York Times reports. Since October, three hotel guests fell ill and one died from Legionnaires, a severe form of pneumonia that generally hits [...]

More teens are smoking pot

While use of drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine has declined among U.S. teens, more adolescents are smoking marijuana, according to the results of an annual survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed some 47,000 eighth-graders, high school sophomores and high school seniors, and found that [...]