Genetics may explain why some people hate meat
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(CBS News) Love meat? Hate meat? The reason for your answer may come down to genes. In a new study, scientists investigated whether people with a stronger sensitivity to the smell of pork are more likely to be meat-eaters.
Flavor is a combination of factors including taste and smell. According to the study, some people have receptors that detect a steroid called androstenone, which is found in high concentrations in male pigs - and in turn pork. Most commercially raised animals in the U.S. are actually castrated to get rid of the smell, but previous research has found that people who have two copies of the gene that helps sense androstenone still smell the odor - and might have a mixed reaction to pork.
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Eye implants restore vision in two British patients
University of Oxford
(CBS News) Is there a cure for blindness near? Ask the scientists in the U.K. who have restored useful vision in two men who had previously been totally blind.
VIDEO: Man gets bionic eye implant
During clinical trials at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust in the U.K., doctors implanted small wireless devices in two British men who suffered from retinis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that leads to total blindness. The microchips, made by German company Retina Implant AG, contain 1,500 tiny electronic light detectors implanted below the retina, which allow the optic nerve to pick up electronic signals and help patients regain sight.
Continue »Study examines red wine's anti-aging ingredient
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(CBS News) Red wine has long been touted for its health benefits, including its anti-aging properties. But the question is how does it work? A new study provides insight into how the anti-aging ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, functions in the body.
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Red wine researcher Dr. Dipak K. Das published fake data: UConn
The study, published in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, tested the effects of resveratrol on mice. According to Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, resveratrol works by acting on the SIRT1 gene, a gene that is believed to control the function and longevity of cells. Deleting the SIRT1 gene from mice causes developmental defects, but for the latest study, Sinclair and colleagues were able to produce mice without the SIRT1 gene that were healthy enough to be studied.
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Study: Computer use and exercise boost memory
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(CBS News) Need a memory boost? A new study shows that combining moderate exercise with computer use decreases one's odds of memory loss.
Resistance training may stave off dementia symptoms in seniors, research shows
Eating blueberries and strawberries staves off memory decline, study suggests
PICTURES: 7 ways to protect your memory
Previous studies have shown that exercising your body and stimulating your mind help with memory - but the new study shows the benefits of the two when combined.
Continue »Mammograms help women in their 40s based on risk
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(CBS News) Routine mammograms have both benefits and potential harms for women in their forties. A new study weighs the two consequences - and finds that for certain women between the ages of 40 to 49 with risk factors for breast cancer, the benefits outweigh the potential harms.
Busted! 8 mammogram truths every woman must know
Mammograms may lead to breast cancer "overdiagnosis" for some women
Mammograms save fewer lives than many think, study shows
The study, published in the May 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at data from three national research groups: the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC), Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) and the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center.
Continue »Study: Pacifiers may encourage breastfeeding
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(CBS News) Pacifiers interfere with breastfeeding and make it less likely a baby will latch on to mom, conventional wisdom goes. But new research suggests the opposite is true. A recent study found that limiting the use of pacifiers in newborns actually increased their consumption of formula while they were in the hospital.
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Sesame Street should show breastfeeding, group petitions
Do hospital freebies discourage breast-feeding?
For the study, doctors from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), analyzed feeding data on over 2,200 infants whose pacifiers were restricted. Results showed that rates of exclusive breastfeeding decreased from 79 percent before the pacifiers were restricted to 68 percent once pacifiers were locked up with a special code only nurses knew . As for formula, the proportion of infants receiving supplemental formula increased from 18 percent to 28 percent after pacifiers were restricted.
U.S. obesity costs soar as nation packs on pounds
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(CBS News) Obesity is rising in America, that's no secret - but are people aware of the rising economic costs of those extra pounds? According to a new study from the Campaign to End Obesity, spending due to obesity is actually twice the amount previously estimated - and exceeds the costs of even smoking, Reuters reports.
PICTURES - Living large? 31 ginormous goods for plus-size people
What's more, those medical costs affect everyone, not just those who are obese. Higher health insurance premiums lead everyone to cover those extra medical costs. The U.S. spends an excess of $190 billion a year, the study found.
Parents pen "Avery's Bucket List" for dying baby girl
KHOU
Avery seemed perfectly healthy when she was born, but eventually Laura Canahuati noticed her daughter wasn't progressing normally. Avery was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, SMA Type 1, a disorder that destroys spinal neurons. Infants with SMA type I are born with very little muscle tone, weak muscles, and feeding and breathing problems. Avery has already lost the use of her legs, CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston reported. She is beginning to lose control of her arms, and may eventually lose the ability to breathe.
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Chemotherapy without hair loss? Cooling cap in works
(CBS News) Hair loss is one of the most visible effects of chemotherapy. But chemotherapy without losing one's hair may soon be possible. Scientists have developed a hood that cools the scalp during chemotherapy, reducing the circulation of blood - and, accordingly, the poisons from chemotherapy. As a result, hair roots survive.
The study is currently being carried out at the Jerusalem hospital in Hamburg, Germany.
Dr. Kay Friedrich of the hospital says, "It is an illusion that the whole hair can be preserved. About 10 to 30 percent of the hair gets lost. But the better the starting conditions are, full and strong hair, the less you see the loss of the hair."
What do patients think?
One says, "It's unpleasant, it does not feel good. But it serves a good purpose."
Click the above video to watch how the cap works.
Women lag behind men in life expectancy gains
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(CBS News) Women may tend to live longer than men but they lag behind them when it comes to gains in life expectancy, according to a new nationwide study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
The study analyzed county-by-county data from 1989 to 2009. In that time period, life expectancy for men improved by an average of 4.6 years - but for women, it improved by only 2.7 years.
Continue »Bird flu studies to stay private for now: WHO
Health workers slaughter chickens at a wholesale poultry market in Hong Kong Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, after a chicken carcass there was found to be infected with bird flu.
/ AP Photo/Kin Cheung(CBS) Bird flu research has sparked controversy in recent months, as experts debated whether to publish two studies that would provide anyone with the information to experiment with the mutant virus, H5N1. The biggest risk is that the virus could, if put in the wrong hands, turn into a human pandemic.
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The World Health Organization said Friday that it will extend a moratorium on the research and delay publication of studies so far. The WHO previously called for a 60-day moratorium on research in January, noting the potential negative consequences of the research despite its importance, HealthPop reported.
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The "5 S's" to comfort infants after vaccines
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Vaccinations are a necessary but stressful event for infants and their parents alike. Infants are bound to experience pain and some suffering in the process, but a new study shows that some methods of comfort work better than others. The study, published in the April 16 online edition of Pediatrics, looked at more than 200 infants during their 2- and 4-month well-child visits. The infants received comfort measures including pacifiers and distraction, as well as the "5 S's" plan.
The "5 S's" plan was developed 10 years ago by Dr. Harvey Karp, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
Using a pain-scoring tool, the researchers found that babies in the "5 S's" group experienced significantly less pain and crying compared with the other group. What are the 5 S's? Keep clicking to find out...
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Study: "Choking game" leads to more risky habits
istockphoto
(CBS News) Strangling oneself or one another for the sake of achieving a "high" remains a popular activity among kids these days. According to the latest study of the "choking game," which has been around for decades, 6 percent of eighth graders have played the game - and of those who have played the game, 64 percent played more than once, and almost 27 percent of participants have played the game more than 5 times.
PICTURES: Dangerous "games" that may harm kids and teens
Popular "cinnamon challenge" has potential to be deadly
The "game" cuts off blood and oxygen to the brain, using a belt, rope, or other item. The result of this risky behavior is a temporary euphoric feeling. The study, published in the April 16 edition of Pediatrics, examined whether playing the game could lead to even more risky behaviors.
Some seizures caused by not coping with stress
istockphoto
(CBS News) Seizures are the only visible symptom of epilepsy - but that doesn't mean all seizures indicate epilepsy, a new study shows. Many patients are admitted to hospitals for seizures that look like epilepsy but are actually triggered by stress and poor coping skills, researchers found.
Epilepsy surgery shown effective for many hard-to-control cases
FDA approves clobazam (Onfi) for epilepsy
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These seizures, called psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), are often found in patients such as returning war veterans, mothers in child custody battles, and overworked professionals.
Continue »Study: Homophobia may reveal same-sex attraction
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"In many cases these are people who are at war with themselves and they are turning this internal conflict outward," study co-author Dr. Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, said in a university written statement.
In four separate experiments conducted in the U.S. and in Germany, each involving an average of 160 college students, researchers attempted to measure any differences between what people say about their sexual orientation and how they actually react. Their findings are published in the April issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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Same-sex marriage boosts gay men's health, study suggests
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