Study proves "beer goggles" do exist
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(CBS News) We often joke that alcohol can make a person look more attractive. But do these rumored "beer goggles" exist?
According to a new study published on April 4 in Addiction, alcohol can make the heart grow fonder - or at least make people look more attractive.
Lewis Halsey, a senior lecturer in comparative and eco physiology at the University of Roehampton in London, and his colleagues wanted to find out if perception of face symmetry change with alcohol consumption. Previous studies have shown facial symmetry to be a factor in judging attractiveness.
New cause for male pattern baldness discovered
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(CBS News) Men who lament the fact that they no longer have hair on their head may have some good news. Researchers have discovered a new potential cause that may help them get to the root of male pattern baldness.
A study published in the March 21 issue of Science Translational Medicine, found men who had a high level of a protein called prostaglandin D2 on their scalps were more likely to be bald. This protein and others like it have been known to block hair growth.
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Studies: Daily aspirin protects against cancer
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(CBS News) Many doctors recommend that patients take a daily dose of aspirin to reduce their risk for a future heart attack or stroke. Now three new studies suggest taking the cheap powdery pill every day can also reduce a person's risk for cancer, or prevent the disease from getting worse in patients who already have it.
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The studies, all led by Professor Peter M. Rothwell, a professor of clinical neurology at the University of Oxford in the U.K. are published in the March 20 issue of The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology.
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New prostate cancer study fuels PSA test debate
(CBS News) Should men get routinely screened for prostate cancer? The question has been debated since a panel of medical experts said last year that annual screening might do more harm than good for some men. A new study may cloud the debate even further.
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The study found men who were routinely screened with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests were 30 percent less likely to die from prostate cancer. That's about one fewer death from the disease per 1055 men. However the study also found that prostate cancer screening had no effect on men's "all-cause mortality," which means they're still just as likely to die at the same age from another cause without the tests.
Continue »Study: Men's sperm count cut by fatty food diet
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(CBS News) Add a low sperm count to the long list of health problems caused by eating fatty foods. A new study has found that men who eat a high fat diet that's especially heavy in saturated fats may have more than a 40 percent lower sperm count than men who eat healthier.
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For the study, researchers surveyed 99 men about their diet habits and analyzed their sperm samples between December 2006 and August 2010. Based on their survey responses, the researchers put the men into three groups ranked in order of how much fat they consumed, and then looked how diet impacted "total sperm count" and "sperm concentration." Total sperm count refers to the total number of sperm in the ejaculate, while "sperm concentration" is the amount of sperm per milliliter.
Continue »Circumcision tied to lower prostate cancer risk
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(CBS News) To circumcise or not to circumcise? New research suggests circumcision may protect against prostate cancer, adding a new reported benefit to the procedure. Circumcision can help prevent inflammation and infection, including sexually transmitted infections that may cause prostate cancer, the study found.
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For the study, researchers tested about 3,400 men and found that men who had been circumcised before their first sexual intercourse were 15 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than uncircumcised men.
Continue »Sleep quality improves as adults age: Study
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(CBS News) There's good news for the young, sleep-deprived folks of the world: it gets better as you grow older. According to a new study, people in their 80s get a great night's rest.
PICTURES: Sleepy states: 15 most fatiguedResearchers surveyed 156,000 Americans about their sleep quality and found octogenarians reported the fewest complaints, and sleep quality appeared to improve as adults aged.
Continue »Pharma phonies? Prescription drugs that lead double lives
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We usually view side effects as a bad thing, but sometimes they point the way to a whole new use for a drug.
"We think of drugs as being specific to a task," says Dr. Jeremy Greene, Harvard University medical historian. In fact, he says, "drugs are very complex objects."
As research and development costs have climbed, drug companies are more interested than ever in finding ways to repurpose their products. Often they seek to simply market an existing drug for a new condition, but in some cases they give the drug a whole new name and face. From our friends at Health.com, here are eight drugs that lead double lives...
The first on the list? Prozac, which is also sold as Sarafem.
More from Health.com: Pharmaceuticals and fat - 13 drugs that can cause weight gain
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HealthPop: Bummers, babies and birth control
On this week's HealthPop video:
- Does work get you down? You're not alone. But a new study says people who work more than 11 hours per day are much more likely to be depressed. Wait until you hear the reasons why...you might be even more depressed.
- Why are scientists at the University of North Carolina zapping rat sperm with ultrasound?
- And introducing a new HealthPop segment: "What the Health?"
See for yourself, from CBSNews.com's Nick Dietz, in the latest HealthPop video.
HPV vaccine now recommended for all boys: CDC
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(CBS) The HPV vaccine should be given to all males between the ages of 11 and 21, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said in its 2012 recommendations, that the human papillomavirus vaccine should be "routine" for all boys aged 11 to 12 years old and it also recommends "catch-up" vaccinations for males ages 13 to 21.
Continue »Scientists zap rats' sperm counts with ultrasound
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(CBS) Is a new method of male birth control on the way? It's not a pill or surgery, but can provide months of pregnancy protection, according to a new study.
PICTURES: Fertility killers: 11 things that sock it to sperm
What is it? A method that uses ultrasound to zaps male's sperm. And it might give men the first new birth control option since condoms and vasectomy were introduced more than 100 years ago, the study authors said.
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HealthPop video: Narcissism, pessimism and pain
(CBS) On this week's HealthPop video:
- Men who are really really into themselves face greater health risks - what about women?
- Too much lead exposure causes lead poisoning, which is toxic to organs, including the heart and kidneys. But can lead exposure over a long period of time turn you into a Debbie Downer?
- A study has pitted the sexes against each other when it comes to pain thresholds. Who hurts more, men or women?
Find out all the answers from CBSNews.com's Nick Dietz in the latest HealthPop Video.
16 million Americans have HPV in their mouth
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(CBS/AP) At least 50 percent of sexually active Americans will have genital HPV in their lives, according to government estimates. A new study suggests a lot of them might also have human papilloma virus in their mouths.
The study - which was the first nationwide estimate of how many people in the U.S. have oral human papilloma virus - found that 7 percent of Americans aged 14 to 69 are infected. That's 16 million people.
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Narcissism puts men's health at risk
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(CBS) Do you really love yourself? If you're a man, you could be risking your health, according to a new study.
The study found narcissism - particularly in men - is tied to unhealthy stress on the body.
Narcissism is characterized as having an inflated self-esteem, little empathy, and a sense of entitlement.
Continue »Can crossword puzzles ward off Alzheimer's?
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(CBS) Doctors always talk about the importance of daily exercise to stay healthy and ward off disease, but when it comes to fitness, are you doing enough to work out your brain?
PICTURES: Alzheimer's disease: 7 things that raise your risk
A new study suggests you better. The study found people who who kept their brains active most of their lives by reading, writing, completing crossword puzzles, or playing challenging games were a lot less likely to develop brain plaques that are tied to Alzheimer's disease.
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