A collection of studies published Wednesday in the journal Sleep tackled some important questions: What are the health effects of not getting enough sleep? How does sleep deprivation affect teens? Does insomnia have long-term consequences?
Medicine
As Flu Season Approaches, Some Health-Care Workers Say ‘No’ to the Flu Shot
As summer comes to a close and the influenza virus starts calling open season on our immune systems, one would hope that health-care workers have gotten their CDC-prescribed yearly flu shot by now — especially given their high rates of job-related exposure to infectious disease and their easy access to the vaccine. Guess again.
The Daily Dose: Throat Cancer, ‘Disgusting Human Babies’ and 90210 Day
Wall Street star Michael Douglas announced this week that he is one week into an eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiation for a Stage 4 tumor at the base of his tongue. The tumor was discovered about three weeks ago …
Hope for BRCA Carriers in Ovary and Breast Removal
The surgical removal of ovaries or breasts significantly improves the longevity of women who are most at risk for breast and ovarian cancer, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Itchy Bites: The Least of the Bed Bug Epidemic’s Threats
The bed bug — the reviled, bloodsucking ectoparasite (Cimex lectularius) that feeds silently on human beings during the night — has made a thunderous comeback in the U.S., everywhere from New York City to Cincinnati to Denver.
Understanding the High C-section Rate in the US
The percentage of babies born by Cesarean section remains high, with one in three first-time moms giving birth via the surgical method according to the latest government study.
Scientists belonging to the Consortium on Safe Labor, a research project supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human …
Timing of Birth Linked to Cerebral Palsy
There may be one more reason for expectant moms to think twice before scheduling an elective Cesarean delivery to minimize the time they are pregnant. Researchers report that early or late delivery can increase the chances that a newborn develops cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a movement disorder that doctors believe …
Can Eating Vegetables Prevent Lung Cancer?
If you smoke, you know you’re putting yourself at increased risk of lung cancer. But if you boost the variety of fruits and vegetables that you eat, you may be able to lower those odds a bit.
Scientists in Europe report in the American Association for Cancer Research’s journal that smokers who consumed the greatest variety of fruits …
U.S. Birth Rate Hits a New Record Low
America’s birth rate was lower in 2009 than at any other time in the past century, the AP reports — and many experts feel that the economic downturn is to blame.
In 2009, the total number of births across the country fell for the second year in a row — from 4,247,000 in 2008 to 4,136,000, according to provisional data released …
Death Stats For Flu Can Be Misleading, CDC Report Shows
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are revising their estimates of the number of people who die each year from flu. We need good death estimates before we can judge how well our infection-control policies are really working, researchers say — but, according to a new report released this week, earlier flu stats have …
Why Do So Many Alzheimer’s Drugs Fail in Clinical Trials?
Semagacestat, tramiprosate, tarenflurbil, latrepirdine: These names may not mean a lot to you, but all four of them were high-profile would-be Alzheimer’s drugs that — in the last two to three years — have failed the last phase of clinical trials. They made it through the safety stages okay. They just didn’t work well enough; they …
In the Common Cold, Scientists Find New Hope for Cancer Treatment
New research on viruses may translate into new therapies to beat cancer, scientists say.
Molecular biologists at the Salk Institute have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows adenoviruses — culprits behind the common cold as well as other illnesses — to beat the body’s immune system. Since adenoviruses and tumor …
YouTube Videos Promote Smoking, Study Finds
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Cigarette ads that would not be allowed on television are now popping up on YouTube, according to a new study this week in the journal Tobacco Control.
Researchers from New Zealand searched the popular post-your-own-video site for references to five major cigarette brands — …