As well as skeeving us all out, swingers — couples who regularly swap partners at organized parties or clubs — may have rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) that are higher than those in high-risk groups, like female prostitutes, a Dutch study found. Middle-aged swingers, over the age of 45, were particularly vulnerable to …
A lawsuit to get toys out of Happy Meals?
Less than two months after a California county voted to ban toys from children’s meals at fast food restaurants, the chain known for the Hamburgler and Ronald McDonald may face a lawsuit over the the trinkets it tosses into Happy Meals. Public health research and advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), sent
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Using stem cells to restore sight
Using stem cell therapy, a team of Italian researchers was able to restore sight for patients who had been blinded or suffered severely impaired vision after suffering a chemical burn. In a study of 106 patients treated between 1998 and 2007, researchers were able to extract adult stem cells from healthy eye tissue, grow additional stem
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Healthcare: U.S. spends more, but gets less
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund once again highlights the discrepancy between U.S. spending on healthcare and the quality of that care. The new analysis compares spending and health outcomes of seven industrialized nations: the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia. And the authors find that,
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ER Doctors Feel Pressure to Overtest
Fear of lawsuits often prompts emergency room doctors to order tests that they may feel are unnecessary, the Associated Press reports. In the fast paced environment of an emergency department, making quick decisions that can have life-altering implications is a standard aspect of treatment — and the pressure not to miss anything is …
Cancer risk not higher for babies whose moms live near cell towers
A new study published in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) adds to a growing body of research dedicated to understanding cancer risk potentially posed by cell phone use and proximity to cell phone towers. Researchers from Imperial College London set out to determine whether mothers whose children developed conditions such as
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When to Stop Breastfeeding
There are many good reasons for new mothers to breastfeed their infants —studies have shown that babies digest mother’s milk better than formula, and that breast milk can build up babies’ immune systems and protect them from infection, leading to better health overall. Breast milk is full of antibodies and other agents that …
Will new FDA regulations curb tobacco use?
Exactly one year after Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco, a new set of rules is taking effect to curb the use of deceptive marketing terms and limit children’s access to tobacco products. Among the new regulations that
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Negative effect of limiting surgical residents to 50 hours
A new study from Swiss researchers adds to the ongoing debate over the best method for maintaining the highest educational standards for medical residency programs while also ensuring optimal patient safety. While plenty of research has indicated that exhaustion among medical professionals can lead to more mistakes, critics of rules
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Can background music up the odds of getting a date?
According to a new study from French researchers, when romantic music is playing in the background, women may be more likely to agree to a date. To determine whether romantic music might actually help spark a romance, researchers from Université de Paris-Sud and Université de Bretagne-Sud recruited 87 women 18- to 20-year-old single
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Study: not all obese people face higher heart disease risk
A small proportion of obese people may not face a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease often associated with obesity, according to new research presented this past weekend at a meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego. In a long-term study that included more than 1,300 obese patients between the ages of 28 to 75, researchers
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Are Cartoon Characters Coaxing Kids to Eat Junk Food?
Is your kid on the Dora the Explorer diet? Children say food tastes better when a familiar cartoon character — like Dora or Scooby Doo — appears on its packaging, a new study finds. And most kids prefer snacks that have the …
Arsenic Poisons Millions in Bangladesh — But They’re Not the Only Ones
A cross-post from Time.com’s Ecocentric blog:
A new study published Saturday in the British medical journal the Lancet found that tens of millions of people in Bangladesh have been exposed to poisonous levels of arsenic from …