Diabetics Can Have Sweets, But Only in Moderate Amounts
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April 25, 2005 |
Many diabetics are conditioned to see candy the way vampires view garlic. But patients with a sweet tooth shouldn't automatically shrink from candy, cake or cookies.
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Sleep Deprivation Reaches Epidemic Proportions
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April 18, 2005 |
Millions of Americans are getting fewer than the recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye they need each night, causing irritable behavior, concentration problems and daytime drowsiness.
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New Anti-Clotting Drugs Not Yet the 'Magic Bullet' |
April 11, 2005 |
Anti-coagulants are prescribed to millions of people to treat and prevent the life-threatening effects of a clot blocking a blood vessel.
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Know the Enemy: Protecting Against Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac |
April 4, 2005 |
Spring, the season of rebirth, is often associated with gardening and yard work: the appearance of flowers, vegetables, grass, shrubbery, and� poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.
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Controlling Sinus and Allergy Problems Cuts
Asthma Risk |
March 28, 2005 |
The arrival of allergy season may be a time to consider whether your sneezing and wheezing is becoming more serious than a temporary discomfort, caused by allergens in the air or on the ground.
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Shin Splints Come From Too Much Exercise, Too Soon |
March 21, 2005 |
Vows to exercise spring eternal this time of year, as many people set out to shed the extra pounds they gained during winter.
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Has Tamoxifen Been Usurped As The Breast Cancer Drug? |
March 14, 2005 |
Tamoxifen's long reign as the queen of breast-cancer treatments is being challenged by three heiress presumptives -- drugs known as aromatase inhibitors.
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Virtual Reality Eases the Experience of Dentistry, Burns, Even Cancer Care |
March 7, 2005 |
Minnesota dentist Dr. Kimberly Harms admits that, like many of her patients, she's "chicken" when it comes to getting her own teeth drilled and filled.
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All About Grapefruit, the ‘Two-Faced’ Citrus Fruit |
February 28, 2005 |
One day in 1989 a Canadian medical scientist, a former world-class runner, was noodling around in his laboratory when he made a stunning accidental discovery, one that is still reverberating today in the world of pharmacology.
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Facing Up to the Menace of Hypertension
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February 21, 2005 |
�Blood pressure�—arguably the two most important words in medicine.
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Pacemaker's Valuable Uses Extending Beyond the Heart |
February 14, 2005 |
Nearly a half-century old, the cardiac pacemaker just keeps on ticking, pepping up desultory hearts quietly and efficiently.
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C-Section or Vaginal Birth: Does One Preclude the Other? |
February 7, 2005 |
Having a baby is always full of fateful decisions. One is whether to have an elective cesarean section.
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For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Therapy Is Far From a Sure Bet |
January 31, 2005 |
As we entered 2005, the good news about age-related macular degeneration was that researchers were still attempting to find a successful treatment for this condition that's the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly.
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Despite Increased Health Risks, HRT May Still Be Useful |
January 24, 2005 |
Few bubbles burst with such apparent finality as long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) did in the summer of 2002. After many years of study and analysis, researchers determined that HRT, at the very least, increased a post-menopausal woman's risk for a variety of ailments, including heart disease.
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Hidden Brain Damage Linked to Migraine Attacks |
January 17, 2005 |
The more we learn about migraine headaches, the less we seem to know. The fact that there are improved medicines for treating the pain of migraine or preventing attacks would seem to be comforting. Yet, a series of small studies has led to a bubbling debate over whether migraine may be considerably more than a significantly painful experience, at least for some patients.
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Minimally Invasive Surgery Driven by Consumer Demand |
January 10, 2005 |
Not so long ago, a torn ligament in the knee, or even a frayed cartilage, was a nightmare scenario for a patient, fraught with the prospect of open surgery, followed by painful recovery and rehab lasting many months. Knees were generally never the same afterward.
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Too Much on New Year's Eve? The Only Hangover Cure is Time |
January 3, 2005 |
Now that New Year's Eve has come and gone, did the seductive social draw of drinking and celebrating overwhelm your good sense?
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Despite Possible Vaccine, Don't Say Goodbye to the Pap Test Yet |
December 27, 2004 |
The day of the Pap test may be drawing to a close�but not quite yet.
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GERD, By Any Other Name, Is Still a Troublesome Condition |
December 20, 2004 |
It was once known as acid indigestion, or heartburn or upset stomach. It was remedied by a couple of Tums—or maybe just a small glass of ginger ale.
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Steroid Dangers May Outweigh Performance Boost |
December 13, 2004 |
As major league baseball owners and players' union leaders struggle with an escalating scandal involving performance-enhancing steroids, scientists are exploring the potential dangers these drugs may hold.
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Tele-health Care Goes Wireless for Home Monitoring |
December 6, 2004 |
In the beginning, personal wellness monitoring meant the bathroom scale and the mercury thermometer. Then they went electronic, and home blood-pressure devices became common.
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Keeping Those Holiday Blues at Bay |
November 29, 2004 |
" 'Tis the season to be jolly." "Make the yuletide bright." "From now on, your troubles will be out of sight."
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Chocolate is Awfully Handy, and It's Much More Than Candy |
November 22, 2004 |
There's something about chocolate, something beyond tactile taste that is indefinable, ineffable, and inexpressible.
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Multi-tasking: A Drug's Original Use Only the Starting Point |
November 15, 2004 |
To paraphrase Forrest Gump: �Sometimes, medicine is like a box of chocolates � you never know what you're going to get.�
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It's Not Just Baby Fat: Teen Obesity Linked to Serious Disease |
November 7, 2004 |
Large numbers of teenagers may be setting themselves up for early heart disease because of a condition that was scarcely known when their parents were young. And heart disease is only one of the potential problems they may have prematurely from this condition.
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Treatments Start to Work as Fibromyalgia's Mystery Vanishes |
November 1, 2004 |
Once considered by traditional medical practitioners as a phantom illness, fibromyalgia is not only acceptable as a diagnosable illness, it is also one that researchers are finding more complicated as new information emerges.
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More Evidence Fatty Acids Need a Balancing Act |
October 25, 2004 |
Whether you've been counting carbs, calories or fat grams, you can help your body by paying attention to what are known as fatty acids — specifically, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These essential chemicals can't be manufactured by the human body, so they must be obtained from dietary sources or supplements.
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Don't Be Too Quick with Antiobiotics for Your Child's Earache |
October 18, 2004 |
Your toddler's been up half the night, crying and pulling on his ear, and by now you know the routine. Call the doctor, get an antibiotic prescription, go to the pharmacy and get him on the road to recovery from that ear infection.
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New HRT Report Recommends Limited Estrogen Use |
October 11, 2004 |
While it doesn't dispute the major findings that some forms of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for post-menopausal women can be dangerous, a report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that some variations of short-term use can be effective and safe.
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The Key to Physical Fitness: Stamina and Attitude |
October 4, 2004 |
Even though they may spend years as couch potatoes, many Americans expect to regain their former fitness levels as soon as they start a rigorous exercise or physical activity regimen.
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If You Had it As a Child, You Might Get it Again... |
September 27, 2004 |
Like the sequel to a bad movie, some medical conditions can show up years after an initial infection or injury. Many of them are every bit as bad—or worse—the second time around.
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Even with Antibiotics, Strep Infection is Still Dangerous |
September 20, 2004 |
Streptococcus, or �strep� as it's more commonly known, is one of the most familiar medical terms in America. In fact, it's so widely known that some physicians fear the public isn't giving it the attention it deserves.
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As Common Cold Season Approaches, the Old Standbys Still Work |
September 13, 2004 |
Determined this cold season to nip your sneezing, runny nose and scratchy throat in the bud before those nasty respiratory symptoms sideline you?
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Is America's No. 1 Killer Cancer Under-Publicized and Under-Funded? |
September 6, 2004 |
More people in the United States die from lung cancer each year than die of breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer combined.
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Breast Cancer Detection Advances Pose New Questions |
August 30, 2004 |
Compelling evidence that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound can detect even the smallest tumors has many women wondering if the screening mammograms their doctors recommend still represent their best option for finding breast malignancies at an early stage.
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How to Quit Smoking? There’s No Single Way |
August 16, 2004 |
In the never-ending quest to help Americans stop smoking, experts are honing in on customized programs for groups of people with common problems or similar lifestyles.
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Statins Seek Expanded Territory in Heart Attack Prevention |
August 9, 2004 |
Heart attack prevention has just taken another step with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's go-ahead for one of the nation's best-selling cholesterol-lowering drugs to be used by people whose cholesterol levels are not elevated.
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New Treatments Make Prostate Cancer Patients’ Future Brighter |
August 2, 2004 |
According to the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health, advances in diagnosing and treating the disease are tied to a dramatically improved overall prognosis for prostate cancer patients. Survival rates for patients at all stages of the disease are now nearing 97 percent.
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West Nile Virus Heads Southwest, with a Few Cases in the East and Midwest |
July 19, 2004 |
As if the usual seasonal afflictions like heatstroke and bee stings aren’t worrisome enough, now there’s West Nile virus to contend with. According to some experts, it looks like the Southwestern states may be particularly hard hit this year.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Takes it Out of You in More Ways Than One |
June 21, 2004 |
The myths and misunderstandings about Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) are among the most difficult aspects of this serious and often lifelong disorder for mental health professionals to manage.
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ADHD: Serious, Persistent,
But Treatable In Children
and Adults |
June 14, 2004 |
The myths and misunderstandings about Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder (ADHD) are among the most difficult aspects of this
serious and often lifelong disorder for mental health professionals
to manage.
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Does the Medicare Discount
Drug Card Save You any Money? |
June 7, 2004 |
It's the burning question on every senior citizen's lips: Should
I sign up for a Medicare drug discount card?
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How Well does Angioplasty
Work? |
May 31, 2004 |
Heart specialists perform an estimated 1.2 million angioplasty
procedures each year, according to the Society for Cardiovascular
Angiography and Interventions. But are they all necessary? Learn
more, in this week's feature story.
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New Parkinson’s Drug
Brings New Measure of Control |
May 24, 2004 |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval to the
drug Apokyn (apomorphine) last month. This brings yet another
source of relief to those who suffer from the debilitating malady
known as Parkinson’s disease. Apokyn treats periods of
immobility that affect some people with Parkinson's disease.
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Searching for the "Perfect"
Sleep Aid |
May 17, 2004 |
Approximately 70 million Americans have some form of sleep
disorder, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But some
critics argue that drug makers have largely created the market
for sleep aids, and that people don't need medication to overcome
insomnia. Learn more, in this week's feature story.
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Gearing Up for Flu Season
2004-2005 |
May 10, 2004 |
With the 2003-2004 flu season fading into the rear view mirror,
health officials have already begun making preparations for
the upcoming season. One thing seems almost certain: Many more
people than ever before will be lining up to get vaccinated.
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Understanding Asthma’s
"Roots" May Help in Treatment |
May 3, 2004 |
Immunologist are increasingly coming to understand asthma as
a genetic disorder - at least, in its beginnings. Learn more,
in this week's feature story.
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New Test Will Help Determine
When Antibiotics Are Needed |
April 19, 2004 |
One of the most pressing problems in infection care is the
overuse of antibiotics. The misuse of antibiotics isn't intentional,
but rather a response to not knowing the source of infections.
Now, a simple blood test can help determine which patients require
antibiotics.
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Scientists Zeroing in on
"Inherited" Cancers |
April 12, 2004 |
Cancer experts believe that between 5 percent and 10 percent
of cancers are the results of single genes that have gone awry
that get transmitted across generations. These "susceptibility
genes" put a person at substantially greater risk of developing
cancer in specific organs.
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Researchers Identify Four
Different Kinds of Asthma |
April 5, 2004 |
Scientists have found that symptoms among people with asthma
depend upon when they were diagnosed with the condition and
whether they have white blood cells called eosinophils in their
bloodstream. With these new classifications, doctors hope to
develop more effective asthma medications.
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U.S. Begins to Test First
New TB Vaccine in 60 Years |
March 29, 2004 |
During the 1940s scientists discovered a vaccine for tuberculosis
(TB), a dangerous infection. Although the number of TB cases
dropped rapidly in the 1940s and 1950s after the introduction
of the TB vaccine, the number of TB cases in the United States
began to rise again during the mid-1980s. Today, TB is a leading
killer of young adults worldwide.
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Most People with Diabetes
Do Not Make Recommended Lifestyle Changes |
March 15, 2004 |
For some people, being diagnosed with diabetes is a wake-up
call that encourages to eat healthier, lose weight, and exercise
regularly. But a recent study has found that most people diagnosed
with diabetes don't take crucial steps to make positive changes
that could reduce the risk for complications of diabetes. Learn
more in this week’s Health News.
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For Teens, It's Often Not
Just Rewards |
March 8, 2004 |
Teenage behavior can leave parents shaking their heads and
wondering what could possibly be motivating their adolescent's
actions. It turns out it actually takes quite a bit to motivate
a teen, because the reward center in an adolescent's brain isn't
fully developed and isn't as responsive as the reward center
in adults. Learn more in this week’s Health News.
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Researchers Identify Four
Different Kinds of Asthma |
March 1, 2004 |
Scientists have found that symptoms among people with asthma
depend upon when they were diagnosed with the condition and
whether they have white blood cells called eosinophils in their
bloodstream. With these new classifications, doctors hope to
develop more effective asthma medications. Learn more in this
week’s Health News.
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Preventing a Pandemic:
Understanding Avian Influenza |
February 22, 2004 |
A particularly dangerous strain of avian influenza—a
virus that affects mainly birds and ducks—has been found
in several Asian countries this winter. Health officials are
concerned that the virus could spread to people, whose immune
system would be susceptible to a new form of the flu. Read this
Health News to learn more about avian influenza and how you
can protect you and your family.
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Drug-resistant Salmonella
Bacterial Infection is on the Rise |
February 16, 2004 |
A powerful strain of Salmonella, a common bacteria, has become
resistant to antibacterial medications during the past five
years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Learn how antibiotics work – and how you can prevent bacterial
infection – in this week’s Health News.
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Women: Breaking Up Is Hard
for Your Heart … and Your Mental Health |
February 9, 2004 |
A recent study found that women take longer to recover from
a breakup than men. Researchers also discovered that men were
less anxious and depressed when they were living with their
partner; women had better mental health when married. Find out
more about this study – and how you can tell whether you
might be depressed after a breakup – in this week’s
Health News.
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FDA Bans Ephedra: Dietary
Supplement Carries Significant Health Risks |
February 2, 2004 |
Following a lengthy review period, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has banned the sale of ephedra, an herbal dietary supplement
mostly used for weight loss. Researchers at the FDA found that
people who took ephedra could develop high blood pressure, heart
palpitations, and strokes. Read more about ephedra—and
how you can keep safe—in this week’s Health News.
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Mad Cow Disease Detected
in U.S.; Security Measures in Place to Ensure Food Safety |
January 25, 2004 |
A Holstein cow was found to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), better known as mad cow disease, last month. Eating meat
of a cow infected with BSE can cause a rare disease in humans;
although Europeans developed this disorder, no one in the United
States has. After confirming the case of BSE, federal officials
took important steps to ensure food safety. Read more about
BSE, and how you can protect you and your family from mad cow
disease, in this week’s Health News.
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Bullies Enjoy Popularity
at School; Victims of Bullying Experience Depression and Anxiety
Study |
January 19, 2004 |
Did you know that kids who have been bullied have the highest
levels of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness of all
students? Kids considered bullies, on the other hand, were
“psychologically stronger” than their classmates
and enjoyed the highest social status in school. Learn what
to do about bullying in this article.
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Sledding Safety: Preventing
Injury in the Snow |
January 12, 2004 |
After a snowfall, many children spend long hours sledding down
hills in the neighborhood. And while speeding through the snow
is great fun, it can also be dangerous. Every year, thousands
of kids - mostly 14 and younger - end up in the emergency room
with serious sledding-related injuries. But with a little preparation,
the right equipment, and proper clothing, sledding can be both
fun and safe.
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Fighting an Epidemic: Doctors
Are Urged to Screen Adults for Obesity |
January 5, 2004 |
To help reduce the number of people
who are overweight, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has
recommended that all adults should be screened for obesity. People
who are overweight should be given information and counseling
about diet exercise, and losing weight. Learn why obesity is so
dangerous for your health in this week’s Health News.
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