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 to do with their
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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 on Lifestyle
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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 selective
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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Some Asian-American women at higher risk for diabetes during pregnancy
Chinese-American and Korean-American women have far higher risks of developing diabetes during pregnancy compared with African American and white women, according to a study published in the December issue of the journal Ethnicity and Disease. The research, funded by the American Diabetes Association, expands on previous findings
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Problematic prescriptions: mistakes too common, researchers say
Nearly one in ten prescriptions written at hospitals may contain errors, according to research conducted by the U.K.’s General Medical Council (GMC). In a study of nearly 125,000 prescriptions written over seven days at 19 different hospitals throughout northwest England, researchers found that more than 11,000—or nearly 9%—contained
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Need to sober up? Coffee won’t help
Despite the widely held belief that coffee can help speed the sobering process, in a new study of mice, researchers confirm what many physicians have already known—drinking coffee when you’re inebriated doesn’t make you sober, it just makes you drunk and awake. And that is an extraordinarily dangerous combination, researchers say,
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Alcohol may increase risk of breast cancer recurrence
For breast cancer survivors, regular consumption of alcohol may increase the risk for a recurrence of the disease, according to research presented this week at a conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Houston. In a study of nearly 1,900 women who had initially been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer between
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A way to rewrite memories of fear?
Recalling a frightening moment or event can be unsettling as your body revisits the sense of danger and panic you first experienced, and the frequent recurrence of these recollections can even lay a foundation for anxiety disorders. Yet, according to new research from the department of psychology at New York University, there may
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