Study: brown rice linked with lower risk of type 2 diabetes

For most people around the world, it’s a staple food. In the U.S., rice is becoming increasingly popular as well — since the 1930s, Americans’ rice consumption has grown threefold to about 21 lbs. per person a year. So it bears asking whether rice is a healthy dietary choice. A new study led by researchers [...]

Emergency contraception — up to 5 days later?

Later this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to convene an advisory committee on reproductive health drugs to determine whether a new emergency contraception pill — that can work up to 5 days after intercourse — should be approved for the U.S. market. Yet the new drug, ulipristal acetate, which is manufactured [...]

Assisted reproduction increases congenital defect risk

In new research presented today at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Sweden, French geneticist Dr. Géraldine Viot of Maternité Port Royal hospital in Paris, highlights the elevated risk for congenital defects for children born using assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and stresses the need for physicians to inform would-be parents [...]

Parental controls: getting children to watch less TV

To get your kids to watch less television, a study suggests a simple solution for parents: set firm rules and stick with them. In a study of the screen-gazing habits of 7,415 9-to-15-year-olds — which included watching TV and playing video and computer games — researchers found that children who strongly agreed with the statement [...]

Childhood obesity: moms’ work schedule a factor?

New research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and highlighted by Reuters suggests that the increasing prevalence of moms holding down full-time jobs may be a contributing factor in the childhood obesity epidemic. In an effort to determine what factors may be driving childhood obesity, researchers from University College London analyzed data for more [...]

Girls with high meat diets may get their periods younger

In a study of more than 3,000 12-year-old girls, a team of U.K. researchers found that eating large quantities of meat in early childhood was associated with a greater likelihood of beginning menstruation younger, the BBC reports. In fact, girls who ate the highest amount of meat — more than 8 portions per day by age [...]

Widely used cancer drug may cause kidney damage

A new analysis published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology finds that a drug commonly used for cancer treatment may cause kidney damage in some patients. The drug, bevacizumab, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating glioblastoma brain tumors, metastasized breast cancer and other forms of cancer. Yet [...]

Do men suffer more than women after breakups?

While women are often characterized as the more emotionally sensitive of the sexes, new research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior suggests that, when it comes to the heartache following a failed romance, men may actually suffer more than women. The research, conducted by sociologists at Wake Forest University and Florida State [...]

Doctors should ask patients about texting-while-driving

Doctors should talk to patients about the risks of distracted driving, just as they discuss the dangers of smoking and unprotected sex, writes Dr. Amy N. Ship, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in the June 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. As more states pass laws banning talking on [...]

When too much screen time can be a pain

For some teens, more time spent in front of the TV or computer screen may mean a greater likelihood for recurring headache and backache, according to new research published this week in the journal BMC Public Health. For the study, a team of researchers from Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden analyzed TV, computer and [...]