FREE MEDICAL FACTS

Sugary foods linked to pancreatic cancer risk

2010-06-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

People with diets high in sweets and other foods that cause rapid blood-sugar spikes may have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who eat less of those foods, a new study suggests. In a study of nearly 1,000 Italian adults with and without pancreatic cancer, researchers found that those whose diets were high in so-called "glycemic index" showed a greater risk of the cancer than participants whose diets were relatively low-glycemic index. More...

IVF Babies and Major Birth Defects

2010-06-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Slightly more than 4% of babies born via assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) may have major birth defects, such as heart and urogenital tract malformations, according to a new study. But U.S. experts are quick to point out that these risks are not much different from what would be expected in the general population. And the risks are much lower than what has been found in some other studies of babies born as a result of fertility treatments. More...

Vitamin B6 may play anti-cancer role

2010-06-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

A new study suggests vitamin B6 may play a role in preventing cancer. A study in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association found adults with higher levels of vitamin B6 in their blood were half as likely to develop lung cancer as those with low B6 levels. The study included almost 400,000 adults from 10 European countries who were either current smokers, former smokers or had never smoked. Researchers looked at the differences in vitamin B6 levels between those who developed lung cancer after five years and those who did not. More...

Obese have worse sexual health despite less sex

2010-06-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Obese women have four times as many unplanned pregnancies as healthy-weight women despite having less sex, and obese men are more likely to have sexual diseases despite fewer partners, scientists said on Wednesday. More...

Why Patients Aren’t Getting the Shingles Vaccine

2010-06-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Shingles and its painful complication, called postherpetic neuralgia, result from reactivation of the chicken pox virus, which remains in the body after a childhood bout and is usually dormant in the adult. Up to a third of all adults who have had chicken pox will eventually develop one or both of these conditions, becoming debilitated for anywhere from a week to several years. More...

Secondhand Smoke and Mental Health

2010-06-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Smokers are known to suffer from high rates of depression and other mental health problems, and now a study reports that even people exposed to secondhand smoke are at significantly increased risk — and more likely to be hospitalized for mental illness. More...

Amgen Drug Approved to Fight Osteoporosis

2010-06-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the sale of Amgen’s osteoporosis drug Prolia to help prevent fractures in postmenopausal women. Last week, the medicine received European approval. More...

U.S. cigarette brands tops in cancer causing chemicals

2010-06-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Smokers of U.S. brand cigarettes may get more bang for their buck in the worst way according to a small study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers found U.S. made cigarettes contain more cancer-causing chemicals than some cigarettes brands made elsewhere around the world. More...

Vitamin E linked to less of the skin disease eczema

2010-05-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

Kids who eat lots of foods containing vitamin E may have a lower risk of the itchy skin condition called eczema, a new study in Japanese youngsters shows. At the same time, foods rich in vitamin A don't seem to protect against allergies, despite earlier studies suggesting they do. More...

Brain Cells May Serve as Clot-Busters

2010-05-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Researchers report that they've discovered how tiny blood vessels remove blood clots from the brain in mice -- a finding that could help scientists gain a better understanding of how to treat people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and stroke. More...

Tanning-bed use triples melanoma risk

2010-05-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

People who regularly use tanning beds may double or even triple their risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to a new study. The study found that people who have ever tanned indoors have about a 75 percent higher risk of melanoma, on average, than people who have never tried it. More...

Questions for Makers on Defects in Drugs

2010-05-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

For consumers who turned to drugstore house brands after the recall last month of liquid children’s Tylenol and other medicines made by a unit of Johnson & Johnson, there is yet more unsettling news. More...

Asthma Sufferers Should Avoid High-Fat Diet

2010-05-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

High-fat diets are bad for the arteries and the waistline, but new research shows it is also bad for those suffering with asthma. Food that are heavy and high in fat have a double whammy effect on asthmatics by causing inflammation of the airway and inhibiting their response to albuterol, a common asthma medication. More...

Belly fat linked to dementia

2010-05-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Belly fat is known to increase the risk for heart disease, and now scientists say it might also increase the risk of dementia. Among 733 middle-aged participants, more fat around the abdomen was associated with less total brain volume. More...

Quickly Evolving Bacteria Improve Digestive Health

2010-05-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

When the forces of evolution took over an experimental strain of bacteria, it derailed an experiment Duke and NC State researchers thought they were conducting, but led to something much more profound instead. More....

Migraine: Many Options To Prevent And Treat

2010-05-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

A migraine is not your average headache. The pain of a migraine may feel dull, deep, intense or throbbing. That pain often sends migraine sufferers in search of a dark, quiet place to lie down. Untreated, migraines can last from four to 72 hours. More....

Cancer, Alzheimer's less likely in combination

2010-05-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

It may seem a small consolation from either point of view, but a new study has affirmed that patients with cancer are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and patients with Alzheimer's disease are less likely to get cancer. More...

Dark Chocolate Protect Against Stroke

2010-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

New research on mice suggests that a compound found in dark chocolate and tea may protect against brain injury from a stroke. You can read about the study led by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. More...

10 No-Cost Strategies to Fight Depression

2010-05-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

With the economy stuck in neutral, people have more reasons to be depressed—and less money to treat their depression—than in the past.The cost of medication and talk therapy add up even if you have health insurance—and more than 46 million people in the U.S. (and counting) do not.If you’re depressed, and especially if you have bipolar disorder, lifestyle changes and other do-it-yourself strategies are not a substitute for professional help. More...

Designer Drug Kills Cancer

2010-05-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

About 1.6 million people will get a cancer diagnosis this year. The majority of them will be subjected to chemo and radiation -- a brutal approach that might or might not work. Doctors are trying to take the guesswork out of cancer by tailoring treatment to each patient, more....

Liver Transplant Center Impacts Patient Outcomes

2010-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

For patients in need of a liver transplant, their choice of a transplant center can make a noteworthy difference in their outcomes, according to a Mayo Clinic study presented at the American Transplant Congress under way May 1-5 in San Diego. More...

Foods That Fight Alzheimer's Disease

2010-04-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

A low-fat diet with a lot of salad dressing, nuts, poultry, and certain fruits and vegetables may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Researchers say evidence is mounting on which foods may prevent Alzheimer's disease. But because foods are not eaten in isolation and may work together to prevent disease, more information is needed on dietary patterns that reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. More...

Smokers show lower risk of pregnancy complication

2010-04-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

A new study adds to evidence that women who smoke during pregnancy have a lower risk of a complication called preeclampsia -- in findings that may help shed light on how the condition arises.The results, researchers say, do not in any way detract from the importance of women quitting the cigarette habit, ideally before they try to become pregnant. More...

Abortion

2010-04-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

A non-surgical, or medical, abortion can be done within 7 weeks from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. A combination of prescription hormone medicines are used. The doctor may give you the medicines while you are in the medical office, after performing a physical exam and asking questions about your medical history. A surgical abortion uses a vacuum to remove the fetus and related material. This is usually done after 6 weeks of pregnancy. Medicine (sedative) may be given to cause sleepiness. The doctor may numb the cervix so you have little pain during the procedure. More...

Painkiller May Fight Colon Cancer

2010-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Adding to previous research suggesting that painkillers can reduce the risk for colon cancer, researchers report that an investigational form of the drug naproxen blocks a molecular process that leads to the disease. Commonly known by such brand names as Aleve, Anaprox and Naprosyn, the standard form of naproxen is a generic pain medication. More...