Baby boomers fear cancer, should fear obesity
Baby boomers are becoming more obese, and most don't exercise enough
/ istockphoto(CBS/AP) Baby boomers fear dying from cancer, or losing their memory from Alzheimer's as they age. What they should be worrying about is their growing waist lines, as the generation's obesity problem can cause serious health risks and take a toll on the U.S. healthcare system in the not-so-distant future.
Continue »Passsive smoking tied to hearing loss in teens
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(CBS) Some earbud-addicted teens listen to music so loud it seems smoke might come out of their ears. But new research suggests that many cases of hearing loss are the result of smoke that goes into their bodies.
We're talking passive smoking or secondhand smoke, a.k.a. SHS.
SHS has been linked to myriad health problems in kids, including behavioral problems and lung and ear infections. And now researchers have linked SHS to a reduction in adolescents' ability to hear both high and low frequencies.
Continue »7 things that raise risk for Alzheimer's disease
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(CBS/AP) The leading form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease remains as incurable as it is deadly. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about a mind-robbing ailment that affects 35 million people around the world.
New research suggests that millions of cases could be avoided simply by making simple changes in lifestyle.
PICTURES: Alzheimer's disease: 7 things that raise your risk
Continue »Kids safer when grandparents drive, study shows
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(CBS/AP) Dr. Fred Henretig said, "I found myself being very nervous on the occasions that we drove our granddaughter around." Then the grandparent and emergency medicine doctor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia "wondered if anyone had ever looked at this before."
Prompted by his experiences when his grandchild was born three years ago, Dr. Henretig led a study of children's injury rates in car crashes. And the study showed that kids are safer in cars when grandma or grandpa is behind wheel - and not mom or dad.
Continue »Could big fork be key to small waistline?
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(CBS) Could big cutlery be the key to controlling your weight? A provocative new study shows that restaurant-goers eat less when they tuck into generous portions using a plus-sized fork.
Continue »Simple eye test could spot Alzheimer's early on
Alzheimer's researcher Shaun Frost photographs woman's retina as part of study into early detection of Alzheimer's disease.
/ AP(CBS/AP) Could a simple eye test could be the key to early diagnosis of Alzhiemer's disease? Preliminary research presented at an international conference on Alzheimer's in France suggests that it just might.
PICTURES - Alzheimer's: 13 facts you need to know
The test involves photographing blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Most eye doctors have the cameras needed to take the images, although the test requires the use of a special computer program, said the preliminary study's lead author, Shaun Frost of Australia's national science agency, CSIRO.
Secondhand smoke linked to kids' behavior
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(CBS) Lung cancer? Heart disease? Yellow teeth? A new study suggests smokers may have a new reason to quit. Their habit might be causing their kids to develop behavioral problems.
Continue »HIV drug studies tout prevention, thrill experts
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(CBS/AP) Two studies reported HIV pills could stop the spread of the disease in straight couples. Now, AIDS experts around the world are reacting with excitement over the groundbreaking findings.
"This is really a game changer," said Dr. Jared Baeten, a University of Washington researcher who led one of the studies.
Continue »Can stinky feet prevent malaria infections?
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(CBS/AP) Throw your stinky socks in the washer? Not so fast.
Scientists think they've found a use for smelly feet - fighting deadly malaria. And now funds are pouring in to put their work into action.
How did foot odor become a prime candidate for preventing a potentially lethal infectious disease?
Cancer kills more men than women: Report
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(CBS) Cancer kills.
Each year, nearly 570,000 Americans die from cancer, while another 1.5 million are diagnosed with a form of the disease. Now, a study by the National Cancer Institute suggests one group may be at a much greater risk to die from cancer - men.
Scientists say pills prevent HIV transmission
Truvada was one of the drugs found to significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV among straight couples
/ Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CBS/AP) "This is a good day for HIV prevention."
That's what Dr. Lynn Paxton, HIV research coordinator for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said about promising new findings from two studies that report daily medication prevented HIV infection in straight African men and women.
Continue »Is the "July effect" killing hospital patients?
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(CBS) It's summertime, and the living is easy - unless you need treatment from a teaching hospital. Then you might be lucky just to get out.
A new study reports that more patients receive worse-quality care or die at teaching hospitals during July because experienced residents shuffle off to greener pastures, leaving untrained "newbies" to take their spots and learn the ropes.
PICTURES: 12 ways you risk killing yourself this summer
Continue »High-sodium, low-potassium risky combo for heart
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That's the finding from the first federal study to research the relationship among salt, potassium, and heart disease deaths.
"If you have too much sodium and too little potassium, it's worse than either one on its own," said Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City's health commissioner in a commentary published with the study in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.
Continue »16-pound baby, nicknamed 'Moose,' born in Texas
JaMichael Brown weighed in at 16-pounds, 1-ounce
/ KYTXHe's already earned the nickname "The Moose."
Treatment-resistant gonorrhea strain identified
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(CBS) Scientists announced the discovery of a new gonorrhea strain in Japan, raising concern among health officials worldwide. The new strain, dubbed H041, is resistant to the only kinds of antibiotics that treat the common sexually transmitted disease.
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