This past Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a new policy statement on choking prevention for children, recommending, among other things, changes in government oversight of food choking hazards, and asking food manufacturers to consider redesigning potentially dangerous food products, such as hot dogs and hard …
Medicine
A way to keep brain tumors from coming back?
Glioblastoma brain tumors are notoriously difficult to fight: though they can be battled back with radiation and chemotherapy, within time they eventually manage to grow again. Yet, according to initial results of a study in mice, a technique that effectively starves the tumor of the blood supply it needs to regrow could eventually offer
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Rx for docs: just say no, but nicely
A doctor’s job is to provide patients with expert medical opinion and the best possible care. Yet many patients have their own ideas about the kind of clinical care they want — be it a particular test, treatment or medication. So, what happens when the two opinions don’t necessarily coincide?
Acupuncture for prenatal depression, menstrual cramps?
Acupuncture may be an effective way to treat depression during pregnancy, and to reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, according to new research into the health benefits of the ancient Chinese practice. One study, from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, found that women confronting depression during pregnancy
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Which prostate surgery is best? Depends on the surgeon
The current standard of surgery for prostate cancer patients is what is known as open radical prostatectomy, which involves a surgeon accessing and removing the cancerous prostate gland by making a standard surgical incision. Yet, in recent years, a less invasive approach, known as laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, which often uses
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Report: High blood pressure is dangerously neglected
A comprehensive report from the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that treating and preventing high blood pressure—which causes nearly half of all cases of heart failure each year in the U.S.—needs to be a higher public health priority. The report highlights some grim figures: roughly one in three American adults has high
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Don’t put burning candles in your ears, FDA says
As the L.A. Times health blog reports, the Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning advising consumers not to use “ear candles”—fabric that is soaked in either paraffin or beeswax, set on fire and deliberately placed in the ear. These candles, which allow wax to drip into the ear canal (if you don’t set your hair on fire
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Glaxo to make zinc-free denture cream
In light of recent stories of zinc-poisoning among users of several denture creams, and a subsequent wave of lawsuits, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, the producer of Poligrip products, announced that it will remove zinc from its denture creams, the Associated Press reports. In the meantime, Glaxo issued a press release emphasizing
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Do flexible work conditions make healthier employees?
Much time and effort has been dedicated to researching the mental health benefits of flexible work environments, but can the ability to leave work early to watch your son’s soccer game, or arrive at the office a bit later in the morning in order to see to some personal errands, have broader physical health benefits beyond making you feel
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Over-the-counter wrinkle cream works as well as prescription
The New Scientist reports that the over-the-counter anti-wrinkle cream regimen Olay Pro-X is just as successful at reducing signs of aging as the leading prescription medication tretinoin, according to a study from Proctor & Gamble, the manufacturer of Olay products. The study, which was designed with the help of a University of
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Grandparent childcare: a risk for childhood obesity?
Grandparents are supposed to spoil their grandchildren, right? All of those extra treats and indulgences that Mom and Dad would say no to are often fair game when they’re coming from Nana or Grampy. Yet, while that may be a harmless occasional policy, when Granny and Pops are full-time childcare providers, it can be a recipe for
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More young women in deadly drunk-driving crashes
Closing the societal gender gap is a noble goal, but there is at least one area where women shouldn’t be striving to outdo men: drunk driving. While, in keeping with historic trends, overall men are still more likely to get into deadly alcohol-related accidents than women, a new study published in the journal Injury Prevention suggests
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Ibuprofen associated with reduced Parkinson’s risk
Correction appended.*
People who regularly take ibuprofen (Advil) may have a lower risk for developing Parkinson’s disease, according to new research that will be presented in April at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto. In a six-year study of more than 130,000 people, researchers from the Harvard School of
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