Norovirus Outbreak Traced to Reusable Grocery Bag May 9, 2012 — A new study shows just how easy it is to catch norovirus, the fast-spreading stomach bug that’s famous for causing misery on cruise ships. The study tracked a 2010 outbreak of norovirus among young soccer players in Oregon. Seven out of 17 players who [...]

Antibiotics in Environment Fuel Drug Resistance? May 8, 2012 — Antibiotics found in river sediment, farmed soil, and other sources are polluting the environment and contributing to the rising rates of antibiotic resistance, a new report suggests. Antibiotic resistance occurs when a bacteria grows immune to the effect of an antibiotic or class of antibiotics. [...]

Longer Commutes Can Put Us on Road to Poor Health May 8, 2012 — A long commute may pave the way to poor health, a new study shows. The study found that people who commuted more than 15 miles to work each day were more likely to be obese and to carry a lot of [...]

Nutrition Challenges When You’re Older or Sick Like many things in life as we get older, eating can be a challenge. The sense of taste, like the other senses, diminishes as we age. Appetite and taste can also be affected by medications. In addition, dental problems can make it difficult or painful to chew food. [...]

Nutrition and Aging: 7 Signs of Inadequate Nutrition Getting adequate nutrition may be trickier for older adults. Because seniors tend to be less active than younger people, they need fewer calories. Yet research shows that older people may need more of certain key nutrients, such as B vitamins and calcium. Unfortunately, nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition [...]

Infertility Treatments May Raise Birth Defect Risk May 5, 2012 — Babies born after the use of certain infertility treatments have a higher risk of birth defects than babies born to couples with no history of infertility, a large new study shows. But experts say it’s still not clear whether fertility treatments or the underlying [...]

Black Pepper May Help Fight Fat May 4, 2012 — The same ingredient in black pepper that makes you sneeze may help keep you slim. A preliminary new study suggests that the pungent component in black pepper known as piperine fights fat by blocking the formation of new fat cells. If further studies confirm these [...]

Avengers Stars’ Workouts The Avengers are superheroes, but the actors who play them are not. So how did they achieve their amazing onscreen physiques? Through intense workouts, not special effects. To learn what they went through to tone their muscles, WebMD talked to trainers Bobby Strom and Brad Bose, who prepped Scarlett Johansson and Robert [...]

New Guidelines for Kidney Disease Due to Lupus May 3, 2012 — When lupus attacks the kidneys, the damage can be life-threatening. Now, updated guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology are aimed at identifying kidney involvement in lupus early and treating it aggressively to stop this damage in its tracks. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), [...]

U.S. Ranks 131st in Preterm Births May 2, 2012 — Preterm birth rates are higher in the United States than in 130 other countries, including many poorer nations, according to a new report from the March of Dimes Foundation, the World Health Organization, and other leading health agencies. The report, which provides the first-ever estimates [...]