NIH study: Calories, not content, determine weight loss

A two-year NIH study found that cutting calories, through diet and exercise, is the key to achieving weight loss, rather than any particular diet approach, such as low-fat or low-carb. The lead researcher said restricting calories can allow for more food choices and less monotony in a diet, but the trick is finding a healthy balance of foods and sticking with the plan. More...

Study: Early menopause doubles risk of stroke

Women who go through menopause before age 42 have a doubled risk of ischemic stroke, researchers reported. They said between 4% and 5% of all strokes in women could be attributed to early menopause. The link between early menopause and stroke is not clear but may be due to lower estrogen levels associated with menopause, the lead researcher said. More...

About 25% of Americans get food poisoning every year

Up to 1 in 4 people in the U.S. suffer from food poisoning each year, although few of these cases are linked to major outbreaks such as the recent salmonella-peanut scare, according to the CDC. More...

"Silent strokes" more common than thought in middle-age adults

A five-year study found so-called silent strokes, which often have no symptoms, may be at least five times more common than regular strokes for people under age 65. The research, part of the Framingham Heart Study, also showed silent strokes were not uncommon in people younger than 50. More...

Young adults not getting healthier, federal report shows

By most measures, young adults are no healthier than they were 15 years ago, and in the case of obesity, they are less healthy. A National Center for Health Statistics report shows that about one-third of adults 18 to 29 are obese, one-third are overweight, 30% don't have health insurance, and among men almost one-third smoke and a quarter binge-drink. More...

Newborn screening now mandated across the U.S.

A March of Dimes report said all 50 states and the District of Columbia now have laws or regulations requiring newborns be screened for at least 21 disorders. That is an improvement over just four years ago, the report said, when only one in three U.S. infants were born in states that mandated testing. More...

Majority of patients hospitalized with CAD at guideline-recommended LDL targets

"There have been modest improvements in LDL-cholesterol levels over time," lead investigator Dr Gregg Fonarow (University of California Los Angeles Medical Center) told heartwire. "One of the major findings of this study that should serve as a wake-up call for anyone interested in reducing death and disability due to cardiovascular disease is that nearly 75% of patients having first ACS events had LDL levels below 130 mg/dL, and nearly 50% had LDL levels below 100 mg/dL." More...

2 cans of soda daily raise kidney disease risk in women

A study of more than 9,000 U.S. adults found women who drank two or more cans of soda per day were 1.86 times more likely to have excess levels of the protein albumin in their urine, indicating early kidney damage. The study found no increased risk for men or for anyone who opted for diet soda. Researchers said they were not sure why women had a higher risk of albuminuria. More...

Physicians worry free antibiotics will boost demand

Physicians worry that supermarket pharmacy programs offering free antibiotics could result in more pressure from patients to prescribe the medications even if they are not necessary. Store executives say it is a way to entice customers in a down economy. Overuse of antibiotics is believed to result in more cases of resistant bacteria. More...

Data show 13% of U.S. adults 20 or older have diabetes

The most recent analysis of U.S. diabetes data found nearly 13% of adults age 20 and older have the disease, and 40% of them are not diagnosed. Rates of diagnosed diabetes jumped from 5.1% in the period between 1988 and 1994 to 7.7% from 2005 to 2006, with notable increases found among blacks. More...

Economy takes its toll on Americans' mental health

Mental health experts say requests for therapy have soared, more Americans are reporting high levels of stress, and domestic-violence and suicide hotlines are getting more calls, all due in part to job layoffs and financial worries tied to the economy. More...

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies. More...

Eating Right Can Save The Planet

In his new book, Food Matters, The New York Times food columnist writes about the environmental impact of industrial farming — and how individuals can make a difference by cutting down on the amount of animal products they consume. More...

Study: Ritalin causes brain changes similar to cocaine's effects

U.S. scientists working on mice reported that Novartis AG's Ritalin, a medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, produced changes in the brain's reward center that resembled the effects of cocaine dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the research, which comes after several human studies showed that stimulant drugs such as Ritalin are safe when used to treat ADHD. Nonmedical applications may result in addiction, the institute's director said. More..

Study: Most children who take vitamins don't need to

A survey of parents showed one-third of U.S. adolescents take vitamins even though most don't need to. The study also found that children in poor health, who could most benefit from vitamins, were least likely to get them. Health experts said that taking vitamins will not make up for having a poor diet but said that a vitamin D supplement may be beneficial for children who don't drink enough milk. More...