Study: Banning fast food ads could slash obesity rate

A study funded in part by the federal government found a ban on fast-food ads aimed at children could slash the national obesity rate by 18%. "We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause," said a study author. More...

U.S. adults have lower LDL cholesterol, higher triglycerides

Researchers say that while U.S. adults have reduced their levels of bad LDL cholesterol since 1980, their levels of harmful triglycerides have almost quintupled. The gains may be due to increased awareness about heart disease, healthier diets and the use of statins, while the elevated triglyceride levels may be attributed to the growing obesity epidemic, researchers said. More..

Family history carries breast cancer risk without gene mutations

A study of 1,500 women with a family history of breast cancer who tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations found the women still had a fourfold increased risk of developing breast cancer. The women did not have an increased risk for ovarian cancer, the study found. More...

Group therapy improves survival for breast cancer patients

A study including 227 women with breast cancer found that those who took part in one year of psychological group therapy were 56% less likely to die of breast cancer and 45% less likely to experience recurrence than patients who did not undergo therapy. Researchers said stress reduction may have boosted the women's immune function and contributed to the improved survival. More...

Too little sleep linked to higher risk of heart disease

Researchers studied 1,225 seniors with a history of hypertension and found a 33% higher incidence of cardiovascular events among people who got less than seven and a half hours of sleep each night and had elevated overnight blood pressure, compared with those who slept longer. More...