Adult Smoking Rates Differ Among Occupations Sept. 29, 2011 — Education, occupation, and socioeconomic status are major factors affecting cigarette smoking rates among working adults, according to a new CDC report. The CDC reports that the smoking rate of working adults is 19.6%, but that number jumps to 28.4% for those with less than a [...]

The Truth About Sugar Recently, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres declared that she was going on a sugar cleanse, purging her diet of all refined sugars to boost her well-being. While naturally occurring sugars, such as the kind found in sugar snap peas, were still OK to eat, no one was going to catch Ellen [...]

The X Factor: Why Women May Be Healthier Than Men Sept. 28, 2011 — “X” may really mark the spot when it comes to why women live about five to 10 years longer than men and are less likely to develop certain diseases. Specifically, it’s the X chromosome and the microRNA — or tiny strains [...]

Shorter Course of Radiation May Treat Prostate Cancer Sept. 27, 2011 — A shorter, cheaper, and more convenient five-week course of radiation appears to work just as well as the traditional seven-and-one-half week schedule for men with prostate cancer. In a study of 303 men, cancer recurred in about 15% of those given both the [...]

Many Skip Doses of Rx Drugs to Save Money Sept. 27, 2011 — Robert Schwartz, MD, recently got an email from a patient he was treating for high blood pressure. In the email, the patient told Schwartz that at $130 month, the cost of his prescription blood pressure drug was too steep. Schwartz, a professor [...]

Childless Men May Have Higher Heart Risk Sept. 26, 2011 — Men who remain childless throughout their lives may be more likely to die from heart disease and stroke than men who become fathers, a new study suggests. Researchers followed more than 135,000 older men for a decade in an effort to examine the impact [...]

Heart Rehab Programs May Help Some Stroke Patients Sept. 23, 2011 — People who have had heart attacks or certain types of heart surgery often participate in structured rehab programs that focus on improving diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. Now new research shows that people who have had mini or mild strokes may also [...]

Why We Yawn Sept. 23, 2011– Why do we yawn? All humans yawn. So do most vertebrate animals. Surely it serves some useful function. But what that might be has puzzled scientists throughout the ages. Now a series of experiments suggests a surprising reason for yawning. It cools the brain, says Andrew C. Gallup, PhD, [...]

One Thing Red Wine Can’t Do Sept. 23, 2011 — Red wine (in moderation) is as good for your health as it is to your palate. At least that’s what we’re consistently told. Red wine and heart health have long been linked, with studies suggesting a glass or two a day lowers heart disease risk. [...]

Virus Theory for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Discredited Sept. 22, 2011 — Researchers are disputing a 2009 study that found a virus in the blood of people with chronic fatigue syndrome, which some hoped might have pointed to a cause of the disease. The researchers, who were trying to confirm the 2009 study results, say they [...]