Overdoses of prescription painkillers have become one of the leading causes of death among women. More women now die from overdoses of prescription pills like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet than from cervical cancer, homicide, or street drugs such as heroin and cocaine, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. “We need to better understand how […]
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The species of bacteria that dominate our guts may strongly affect whether we’re thin or fat. Researchers at Washington University collected samples of gut bacteria from pairs of twins in which one was obese and the other thin. Then they transplanted the bacteria into mice. The mice that received the bacteria from the obese twins became obese; the mice that […]
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Visiting your doctor for an annual physical examination might actually have a negative impact on your health, WebMD.com reports. Danish researchers analyzed studies involving 183,000 patients and found that those who received regular checkups were no less likely to die of cancer or heart disease than those who only saw the doctor when they had symptoms. People who skipped their […]
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Secrets of supermarket meat and fish: Testing the food you buy Investigators went undercover to test the supermarket meat and fish. Their studies uncovered lots of disturbing food fraud. As it turns out, that supermarket meat and fish might not be so healthy to consume after all. Over 150 pieces of fish were tested to see if what consumers were […]
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Diet pop might not have the sugar and calories found in normal sodas, however individuals who drink it every day frequently wind up with fatter stomachs. A study in the Diary of the American Geriatrics Society followed 749 individuals over the age of 65 for nine years, and found that regular diet soda consumers picked up about three times as […]
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America is now in an Obesity Epidemic with 70% of Americans overweight or obese. This according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention state the 40% of adults and 20% of adolescents are obese. In the US obesity is a major health issue – increased risk of certain cancers, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke and an early mortality. Obesity […]
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Antarctica’s native insect, the Antarctic Midge is a flightless insect that can survive nine months frozen at temps of at least negative 15 degrees Celsius. It loses about 70% of its body fluids and can live for about a month without oxygen. The midge survives because of its combination of rapid cold hardening and warm temperatures in its underground habitat. […]
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We’re more reliant than ever on prescription medications. Should we be worried? Looking at the numbers alone, the U.S. runs almost entirely on Prozac and heart pills. They’re among the most prescribed medications, according to our national annual checkup from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which this year included a special report highlighting the ever growing […]
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Working while everyone else is sleeping takes a serious toll on a person’s health. Clocking in to work nights or irregular and rotating shifts is associated with more stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as being sedentary and following an unhealthy diet, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health issues, new research reveals. Scientists found that […]
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