Monthly Archives: January 2015

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reports, “Electronic cigarettes should be subject to the same taxes, marketing restrictions and limitations on public use as traditional tobacco products, according to new guidance” issued in a joint policy statement from the … Continue reading →

The PBS “The Rundown” blog reported that research published in Health Behavior and Policy Review suggests that optimists may be more likely than pessimists “to be in good cardiovascular health.”

There’s an interesting interview on the Disneyland measles outbreak you might find interesting. The text is below. The audio can be heard here.

Looks like the editors of USA Today agree with my view on the anti-vaccine zealots. You can read their opinion here or below.

The Disneyland measles outbreaks has not affected most of the anti-vaccine zealots–after all, they’ve long since abandoned reason. However, parents who have had sincere questions about vaccines and now beginning to reassess their positions.

As the measles outbreak that started at Disneyland grew to at least 70 cases this last week, much of the attention has focused on how the vast majority of patients were not vaccinated for the highly contagious disease. But some medical … Continue reading →

A measles outbreak at Disneyland has raised new concerns about vaccinations, anti-vaccine zealots, and parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids. 

The Chicago Tribune reports that around the US, “patients are bidding adieu to crowded, germy waiting rooms, opting to video chat with a doctor on their phone, tablet or computer within minutes of making the request.”

NBC Nightly News reported that research published in “the Journal of the American Heart Association says avocados can actually lower cholesterol within weeks and have good plaque busting properties.”

TIME reports that infectious disease experts say mandatory flu immunizations “could significantly diminish the chance of a widespread outbreak, a phenomenon known as herd immunity.”

The New York Times reports that a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that “New York State’s requirement that children be vaccinated before attending public school does not violate their constitutional rights” … Continue reading →

Ashwagandha is an herb taken to reduce stress and anxiety, but finding a good product may itself be stressful: ConsumerLab.com recently found that only 25% of the ashwagandha supplements it selected for testing passed its review.

US media sources cover the release of the list of best diets for 2015 as ranked by US News & World Report.

The NPR “Shots” blog reported that researchers are developing “organs-on-a-chip” that “are designed to test drugs and help understand the basics of how organs function when they are healthy and when they are diseased.”

TIME reports that research “published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics suggests the primary cause of the increase of autism spectrum disorder is actually due to changes in how the disease is diagnosed.”

In a 1,000-word article, the Wall Street Journal reports that more people are seeking to use hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for autism and other conditions for which the therapy is not approved to treat.

The Washington Post “Post Nation” blog reports that according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, “music training not only helps children develop fine motor skills, but aids emotional and behavioral … Continue reading →

Reuters reports that a JAMA Psychiatry study researchers found that US teens say they have easy access to guns even if they have a risk of suicide or known mental health problems.

TIME reports that research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that “young women who follow six healthy activities can all but heart-attack-proof themselves.”

Politico Pro reported that “after a century of little change,” US “medical schools are starting to upend their curricula to close the gap between what future” physicians “are taught and what skills they’ll need to succeed in a transformed health … Continue reading →

The Hill reports that the FDA is “warning consumers to stay away from ‘miracle’ weight loss products” when aiming to lose weight.

The Atlantic reported that a study conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco suggests that “OB/GYNs across the country are concerned that the Catholic ban on tubal ligations … poses a ‘risk of harm’ to women by violating … Continue reading →

Forget “Grain Brain” and “Wheat Belly.” The Huffington Post reports that research published online in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that “eating whole grains improves health and may even help you live longer.”

The New York Times reports that research published in Pediatrics indicated that “among a group of patients ages 11 to 22, those with a concussion who were prescribed strict rest for five days by staff members of an emergency department … Continue reading →

Bloomberg News reports that research published in Pediatrics indicated that kids “who slept in the same room as small screens such as smartphones got almost 21 fewer minutes of shuteye a night than those who didn’t.”

Long-time friends know of my admiration for my Dad’s military record – most of which he kept hidden from his four boys. Now Veteran Tributes! has posted a wonderful tribute of him. You can read it here.

The Washington Post “Post Everything” blog reported that so far, no one “has found a consistent way for most obesity sufferers to lose their extra weight and keep it off long-term without surgery, leaving the world with an obesity bill … Continue reading →

Rebecca Jarvis reported on ABC World News that while generic drugs “make up nearly eight in ten prescriptions in the United States and typically cost about 80 to 85 percent less than the original medicines,” prices of these drugs are … Continue reading →

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reported that “at some fast-food chains, calorie counts have gone down over 18 years; at others, they’ve gone up,” according to research published in the CDC’s journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

A survey from Consumer Reports of 27 weight-loss “supplements that had been recalled by the FDA, but were still on the market,” revealed that one-third of users “didn’t lose any weight.”