Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk

Swedish studies add heart failure to the list of cardiac problems linked to overweight and obesity. That report gave results of two studies, one of 36,873 Swedish women and one of 43,487 Swedish men, who were followed for six years and tracked for body-mass index (BMI) and the incidence of heart failure. Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 and 30, and obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher. By that definition, 34 percent of the women in the study were overweight and 11 percent were obese, while 46 percent of the men were overweight and 10 percent were obese. More...

Study: Nearly 20% of American children are obese

Almost one in five of all American 4-year-olds are obese, and some 31% of American Indian children and more than 20% of black and Hispanic children are obese, a study found. Researchers said the high rate of obesity was a concern for such a young population. More...

Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk

Data from a study that followed some 37,000 men for 16 years showed obese adults had a 29% higher risk of periodontal disease than those at normal weight. The researchers also said men with a waist of 40 inches or more had a 19% higher risk of gum disease. A second study by the team found men and women with an elevated waist-to-hip ratio were almost six more likely to have gum disease than those without an elevated waist-to-hip ratio. More....

Multivitamin tests show varying levels of ingredients

A report from ConsumerLab.com found that more than 30% of multivitamins tested had significantly more or less of an ingredient than claimed. Some had ingredient levels that exceeded tolerable upper limits for health safety, the report found. The tests also found that some of the multivitamins were contaminated with lead. More...

Study: Children get too few fruits, veggies

Researchers found that children consume an average of two cups of fruits, vegetables or juices per day, which is at the bottom of the recommended range. French fries account for about 25% of vegetable consumption, while juices make up 40% of fruit intake. More...

Study: Obesity can take 10 years off a person's life

British researchers analyzed 57 studies that followed almost 1 million people for an average of 10 to 15 years and found death rates were lowest for those with a body-mass index of 23 to 24. Those with a BMI of 30 to 35 lost about three years of life, and people with a BMI above 40 lost about 10 years from their expected life spans. More...

Studies question risks, benefits of PSA screening

A 10-year U.S. study of 77,000 men found a higher number of deaths among men assigned to annual prostate-specific antigen screening compared to controls, though researchers said more work was needed to determine if the difference was due to chance. A second study in Europe of 182,000 men found PSA screening reduced the risk of death by 20%. One U.S. researcher said the aggressive treatment of prostate tumors that often grow very slowly can be of little benefit but could harm men by causing impotence, incontinence and even death. More...

Red meat consumption tied to shorter life span

A U.S. National Cancer Institute study found men and women who ate the highest amount of red meat had an increased risk of dying from any cause -- 31% and 36%, respectively -- compared with people who ate the least amount of red meat. Researchers also found that 11% of men's lives and 16% of women's lives could be saved by reducing meat consumption to the amount eaten by the bottom 20% in the study. More...

Study: Americans fear diabetes, but don't fight it

The majority of Americans fear developing diabetes, a survey found. But many don't talk to their doctors or change unhealthy behaviors that could lead to the disease. More...

CDC: American salt consumption dangerously high

Americans are at greater risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes because they consume twice the recommended amount of salt, according to CDC researchers. The study found that almost 70% of adults are in high-risk groups that would benefit from reduced salt intake. More...

Physicians see major rise in kidney stones in children

U.S. physicians are seeing more pediatric patients with painful kidney stones, usually an adult problem. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is seeing almost five children a week with kidney stones, up from about 10 a year in 2005. Doctors say the increase may be linked to children's love of salty foods. More...

Task force calls for teens to be screened for depression

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending routine screening of all American teenagers for depression. The panel says nearly 2 million teens suffer from depression and most are undiagnosed and untreated. More...

Study finds one-third of EMS stethoscopes infected with MRSA

A new study found that 16 of the 50 stethoscopes used by emergency medical service providers who visited a New Jersey hospital over a 24-hour period were contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The finding shows that MRSA can be acquired even before patients reach the hospital, the study author said. More....

Sweetened beverages linked to increased heart risks in women

Data on 88,520 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study showed those who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day increased their heart disease risk by about 35%. Artificially sweetened drinks did not appear to increase heart disease risk, the study found. More....

Survey finds preventive health care for teens lacking

A U.S. survey that included almost 8,500 youngsters ages 10 to 17 found only 38% had seen a health care provider for a preventive health visit in the past year. The data also showed only 10% of youngsters were counseled by health care professionals on all six preventive health issues included in the survey: dental care, healthy eating, regular exercise, wearing a seat belt, wearing a bicycle helmet and exposure to secondhand smoke. More...

Screening often fails to find early ovarian cancer

Yearly ultrasound and CA 125 blood tests fail to diagnose most early cases of ovarian cancer, researchers reported. Their study of nearly 35,000 women found the screening identified 60 of 89 diagnosed cancers but 72% of those detected were already at an advanced stage. The data, which is consistent with other study results, showed the screenings also led to unnecessary biopsies and other surgical procedures. More...

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...

Study ties sodium and potassium to heart health

Ingesting too much sodium and not enough potassium might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study based on a long-term analysis by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The findings also suggest increasing potassium intake and lowering salt consumption could reverse the risk. More...

Doctors explain side effects to avoid giving antibiotics

Physicians are explaining potential side effects to patients as an effective argument against prescribing antibiotics for ailments that most likely won't respond to the drugs. Recent research, including a CDC study that found 1 in 1,000 people taking antibiotics ended up in the emergency room, is giving doctors the data they need to educate patients. More...

Counseling, support help prevent postnatal depression

Professional counseling can reduce postnatal depression rates in women by 40%, and support from other mothers can reduce a woman's risk of postnatal depression by half, study results show. Researchers say the barriers to care remain high, including a lack of awareness about the condition, a tendency to minimize symptoms or a fear or being labeled mentally ill. More...

Severity of first heart attacks decreasing in U.S.

U.S. researchers say better prevention efforts and therapies are making first heart attacks less severe and less fatal for men and women across racial groups. The lead author said patients and providers must work to maintain the gains, especially in light of increasing rates of obesity. More...

Some experts say nutrition improves during recession

As more people save money by eating at home, they are cutting back on sodium and upping their intake of produce and whole grains, nutrition experts say. They also note that restaurant chefs are improving the nutrition profile of many of their offerings. More...

Mass. gives companies incentives for wellness programs

Massachusetts is giving seed money to employers for programs that help workers watch their diet and exercise more. Some employees say company initiatives, such as nutrition training and pilates classes, help provide the time and accountability necessary to make real changes. More...

Omega-6 fatty acids can protect heart

Omega-6 fatty acids, found in some vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, can lead to a lower incidence of heart disease, a science advisory from the American Heart Association says. People should get 5% to 10% of their calories from omega-6 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated. More...

Cutting calories may boost memory in older adults

A study of older, overweight German adults found that cutting calories by 30% helped boost memory and thinking skills. Researchers say reducing calories lowers insulin resistance and inflammation, which may be linked to age-related cognitive decline. The study found people who lost the most weight by cutting calories also had the biggest boost in cognitive ability. More...

FDA warns of heart risks tied to "natural" dietary pills

The FDA warned that some dietary supplements claiming to be "natural" weight-loss pills illegally contain harmful ingredients or prescription drugs that do not have U.S. approval. The agency cautioned consumers that the supplements may cause hypertension, seizures, strokes or heart attacks and said it is working to withdraw such products from the market. More...

More Americans living with multiple chronic medical conditions

The latest U.S. health data show 44% of Americans had at least one chronic medical condition in 2005, up from 41% in 1996. The percentage of those with three or more chronic conditions jumped from 13% to 22% for people ages 45 to 64 and up to 45% for those 65 to 79, during that time period. Increases in obesity and sedentary lifestyles may have led to more people developing two major chronic conditions -- diabetes and high blood pressure. More...

Will Americans put on "recession pounds"?

With numerous studies linking obesity and unhealthy eating habits to low incomes, health professionals worry that the current recession will spur weight gain. Experts are concerned people will cut back on healthy but relatively expensive items, such as fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and instead purchase cheaper foods high in sugar and saturated fats. More...

Memphis hospital, churches join to promote healthy living

Memphis churches are increasing access to health care by partnering with Baptist Memorial Health Care to put on health fairs. Baptist also holds an annual Healthy Church Challenge, in which teams compete to have the largest total weight loss. More...

Shining the Spotlight on Trans Fats

For years, only true diet detectives knew whether a particular food contained trans fat. This phantom fat—the worst fat for the heart, blood vessels, and rest of the body—was found in thousands of foods. But only people who knew that the code phrases "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" and "vegetable shortening" meant that trans fat lurked in the food were aware of its presence. More...