Two studies out this week about sexuality and youth underscore a point once made by Dr. Joseph Hagan, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a practicing pediatrician. Talking about when he would recommend that parents broach the uncomfortable, yet inevitable, subject of sex with their kids. Early, he [...]
All Slim Fast canned beverages were recalled at the end of last week, following the discovery of contamination with the microorganism Bacillus cereus. The bacteria, which was discovered during quality testing, can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Unilever, the manufacturer of Slim Fast, alerted the Food and Drug Administration and voluntarily issued the recall on [...]
Between 1991 and 2004, deaths due to opioid overdose more than doubled in Ontario, an alarming trend that corresponds with an increase in prescriptions for oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer derived from extracts of opium. What’s more, the introduction of oxycontin—a long-acting form of oxycodone—in 2000, was associated with a five-fold increase in opioid-related deaths, [...]
As cell phones are growing more prevalent—an estimated 270 million Americans now have one—concerns about the health risks of the mobile devices are increasing as well. As Bryan Walsh reported for TIME earlier this year, the growing trend of cell phone use—or, cast in a different light, of holding tiny emitters of low-level radiation up [...]
As most parents know, as adorable as they are, sometimes kids can also be very frustrating. So, when those trying parenting moments arise, what distinguishes the moms who lose their cool from those who stay in control? According to research published in the journal Psychological Science, it may come down to working memory. In a [...]
For obese men who suffer from sleep apnea, losing weight may be an effective cure, according to research published in the British Medical Journal. Sleep apnea—or when you temporarily stop breathing while asleep—is a condition that, when left untreated, can increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, and in serious cases, even death. Individuals [...]
For many smokers, that first cigarette of the day is all part of the morning routine. But, new research suggests that smokers who light up first thing in the morning may have a disproportionate risk for developing lung cancer. According to a small study published in the December issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers [...]
Given the online forum of Facebook to create whatever public persona you’d like, it would seem logical that people might portray an idealized version of themselves—putting up their most attractive photos, editing down their thoughts to the most clever and pithy before posting them in a status update, carefully choosing favorite books and movies to [...]
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix, produced by GlaxoSmithKline, offers protection against the two major cancer-causing strains of HPV, (HPV-16 and HPV-18) for more than 6 years, according to research published online today in the British medical journal the Lancet. The analysis, led by Dr. Cosette Wheeler from the University of New Mexico, included more [...]
If current obesity trends continue, life expectancy gains due to decreases in smoking could potentially be canceled out in the future, according to research published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. By analyzing data from several national health surveys including tens of thousands of respondents, researchers Susan Stewart, David Cutler and Dr. [...]
