Archive: General Health
Cat catches swine flu
Does the swine flu pandemic pose a threat to your pet? Yes, according to a report out today from the American Veterinary Medical Association. A cat in Iowa has tested positive for the H1N1 virus, state officials confirmed this morning, "marking the first time a cat has been diagnosed with...
By Rob Stein | November 4, 2009; 12:25 PM ET | Comments (21)
Sneezes spread paranoia
During these days of swine flu fears, common sneezes and coughs are spreading more than just colds and the flu. They're spreading paranoia, according to new research. University of Michigan psychologist Spike Lee and colleagues decided to test whether people's fears of sneezes and coughs spilled over into other areas....
By Rob Stein | November 4, 2009; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spreading swine flu
People may be able to spread swine flu even after their symptoms have subsided, according to new research. A study of Air Force cadets who came down with the flu this summer found that a significant proportion of them were still "shedding" virus more than 24 hours after their fever...
By Rob Stein | October 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Getting Guys to Wash Their Hands
We all know that one of the simplest, best ways to stay healthy is to wash our hands a lot, especially these days during the swine flu pandemic. Some new research out Thursday offers clues to what gets people to actually do it. And guess what? Shame appears to be...
By Rob Stein | October 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
My Son Ate Raw Hamburger: Now What?
A few weeks ago, my family and I were at a fair. My son went off to get some lunch and came back with a half-eaten burger, of which he kindly offered me a bite. I took one look and recoiled: The meat inside was bright pink, clearly not cooked...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Preventing Falls Among the Elderly
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) (Getty Images) Senator Byrd, meet Mary Tinetti. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), 91, reportedly lost his balance and fell down in his home Tuesday morning. It happens all the time to older people, for whom falling down can pose serious health issues. But falling down isn't...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 23, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
What Do You Eat When You've Got the Flu?
Are you a "feed a fever, starve a cold" person? Or do you "feed a cold, starve a fever"? In reality, you shouldn't starve either a cold or a fever. To the extent that you can, you should try to keep eating (and drinking) nutritious foods and beverages while you're...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Mail-Order Pharmacy Woes
Even as more and more of us are forced by our health-insurance plans to fill prescriptions through the mail, a new survey finds many consumers have gone without medications because of delays. And that's not the only problem the survey turned up. The Alexandria-based National Community Pharmacists' Association (NCPA) --...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Gene Therapy For Colorblindness?
Scientists say they have used gene therapy to enable colorblind monkeys to see red and green, possibly opening the door to curing colorblindness in people. Jay Neitz of the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues injected gene-carrying viruses into the retinas of two male squirrel monkeys, which are...
By Rob Stein | September 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Showered with Pathogens?
Many of us are likely getting a snootful of pathogens when we step into the shower. Norman Pace, a renowned microbiologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder (and recipient of a 2001 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant"), and his team of researchers weren't finding much to get jazzed about as...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 14, 2009; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
In Praise of Thunder Thighs
All my life I've bemoaned the (large) size of my thighs. But new research has given me reason to appreciate my big legs: According to a study published last week in the on-line journal bmj.com, men and women with small thighs face a higher risk of having heart disease and...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Prostate Cancer Caused By a Virus?
Researchers reporting online in yesterday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences think prostate cancer may be related to a virus. Scientists at Columbia University and the University of Utah have determined that a virus that's already known to cause certain other cancers in animals is present in human prostate...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Beware the CT Scan?
There's more evidence out today that CT scans and other medical procedures that expose patients to radiation may be putting many Americans at risk. While CT scans and other procedures are very useful for accurately diagnosing a variety of medical conditions, a growing body of evidence has been raising concerns...
By Rob Stein | August 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
U.S. Lifespan Hits Record High
Americans are living longer than ever, according to new government statistics. The National Center for Health Statistics released its annual report on deaths and life expectancy yesterday, with the latest data for 2007 showing that overall the average U.S. lifespan had hit a record high of 77.9 years. That's up...
By Rob Stein | August 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Crocs in the Pool
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) No, not crocodiles. I'm talking about Crocs, the funky foam footwear that was fashionable a couple of years ago and now remains so mostly among little kids...who are apparently wearing their Crocs into swimming pools. On purpose. With their parents' permission. The summer swim...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
The Health Hazards of Pessimism
Can your attitude affect your health? Yes, according to a new study. Optimism appears to be good for your health and pessimism seems to be bad, the study found. In the largest study of its kind, Hilary Tindle of the University of Pittsburgh and her colleagues studied 97,253 postmenopausal women...
By Rob Stein | August 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
The Truth about Blue M&Ms
Surely you've read the headlines: "Blue M&Ms 'Mend Spinal Injuries'" "Blue M&Ms May Reduce Spinal Injuries" "Can Blue M&Ms Cure Paralysis?" (The Washington Post) Most of us hardly need an excuse to eat M&Ms, blue or otherwise. But mending or reducing spinal injuries and curing paralysis should not be among...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Alternative Medicine Spending Soars
The amount of money that Americans are shelling out for herbal supplements, meditation, acupuncture and other forms of "alternative" medical care is continuing to skyrocket, according to a new government data out today. Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on "complementary and alternative" or CAM therapies in 2007, according to the...
By Rob Stein | July 30, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (10)
FDA Rules Mercury Amalgam Fillings Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited final regulation on the use of mercury amalgam for dental fillings issued Tuesday deems the material safe, while at the same time moving the material from the Class I (low risk) medical-device category to Class II (moderate risk). This allows for tighter control...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 29, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (15)
CDC: Childhood Obesity Epidemic Slowing
The epidemic of obesity among American children appears to be slowing, federal health officials are reporting today. An analysis of data collected nationally about low-income preschool-aged children ages two to four years old found the prevalence of obesity increased from 12.4 percent in 1998 to 14.5 percent in 2003, but...
By Rob Stein | July 23, 2009; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (1)
Cure For Childhood Insomnia?
Here's yet another reason to encourage your kids to put away the video games and get outside for some real physical activity: It will help them fall asleep more easily and sleep better, according to new research out today. In fact, every hour on the couch translates to about three...
By Rob Stein | July 23, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cash-Strapped Adults Curb Smoking, Drinking
The current economic slump may have caused many of us to drop our gym memberships and made it more challenging for us to eat healthfully. But the impact on our health may not be all bad: According to a recent Pew survey, young adults are skimping on cigarettes and alcohol...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Beware Antibiotics for Ear Infections
Here's something to keep in mind the next time your child has an ear infection and you're tempted to ask the doctor for some antibiotics: A new study found that kids who took antibiotics to treat acute ear infections appeared to be more likely to end up having more ear...
By Rob Stein | July 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Sickening Sand
When I go to the beach, I worry about sunburns, riptides and how I look in my bathing suit. Now, I guess I also have to worry about getting sick. A study published online last month but only now making the news suggests that people who play in the sand...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cutting Calories Might Extend Life -- For Monkeys, At Least
Cutting way back on calories may make for longer life. So suggests a study of rhesus monkeys published today in the journal Science. The new research shows that fewer rhesus monkeys who ate a calorie-restricted diet had died in a 20-year period than those whose diets weren't restricted (only 50...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 10, 2009; 12:17 PM ET | Comments (5)
Celiac Disease Increases Sharply
Celiac disease, an immune system disorder that causes people to react to gluten in their diet, has increased dramatically in the past half-century, according to new research. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. People with Celiac disease get severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and other...
By Rob Stein | July 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Is IQ Linked to Longevity?
Contrary to previous research, a new study out today finds that people with lower IQs are not necessarily more likely to die prematurely. Previous studies have found low IQ to be associated with a greater risk of dying young. To try to examine that more closely, Tomas Hemmingsson of the...
By Rob Stein | July 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Acetaminophen Worries
The Food and Drug Administration is pondering what to do about the wildly popular painkiller in Tylenol, Excedrin, Vicodin, Percocet and many other commonly used drugs to treat aches and pains and alleviate fevers. That's after an FDA panel called for sweeping changes yesterday at the conclusion of a a...
By Rob Stein | July 1, 2009; 09:01 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Best Part of the Mediterrannean Diet
For years, we've been hearing that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest way to eat. People who to consume diets that are rich in whole grains, olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, cheese and moderate amounts of wine seem to live longer, healthier lives. But is there...
By Rob Stein | June 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Why Are Teen Births Rising?
The recent increase in teen births appears to be primarily the result of a decrease in contraceptive use, especially condoms, according to new research out today. After declining for 14 years, the teen birth rate increased in 2006 and then again in 2007, causing alarm that one of the nation's...
By Rob Stein | June 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (35)
Watch Out For That Monitor!
You've heard about all the health problems that can be caused by spending too many hours glued to your computer. Your back may ache from sitting in the wrong position. Your eyes can get bleary from staring at the screen all day. And you can get tendinitis or carpal tunnel...
By Rob Stein | June 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
What Not to Do with a Dead Bat
(AP Photo/Mike Groll) One thing you definitely should not do if you find a dead bat is to put it in a jar and take it to your kids' school. Yet that's exactly what one Montana parent decided to do last fall when the family cat brought home a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 1, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Mysterious Missing Fingerprints
Here's something that sounds like it could come straight out of a James Bond movie: A man trying to get through customs in New York was detained for hours because his fingerprints disappeared. In a letter published online yesterday by the Annals of Oncology, Eng-Huat Tan of the National Cancer...
By Rob Stein | May 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sour Economy Hits Health
There's more evidence out this week that the recession is having an impact on people's health. Two new surveys from major doctors' groups indicate that people are cutting back on things that will help keep them healthy and putting off seeing a doctor if they do get sick. In March,...
By Rob Stein | May 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Life's Big Questions: What Should My Stool Look Like?
In ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical system, one seeks to balance one's doshas, or basic life energies, to achieve physical and psychological health. A good way to determine whether those doshas -- known as vata, pitta and kapha -- are out of balance is to look carefully at what you...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Learning to Love the Female Condom
When it comes to creating condoms, the folks who make 'em for men have it easy. Male condoms are the essence of simplicity and require little in the way of engineering -- or imagination. By contrast, when the people at The Female Health Company in Chicago set out to make...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Is That Right? Juicy Juice for Brain Development
The other day I blogged about the FDA's nabbing General Mills for inappropriately printing specific health claims (the kind reserved for drugs) on Cheerios boxes. I'm not the only observer who felt that, while the FDA was certainly within its rights to call out the cereal maker for not playing...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
The FDA, Making the World Safe -- From Cheerios
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Of the countless things the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could be doing to help make the nation's food supply safer, here's one issue the agency recently chose to focus on. The FDA a week ago issued a warning to the folks who make...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Here Comes the Sun. And the Sunscreen.
If I were really rich, I would fund huge, well-designed studies, free of ideological or academic bias and commercial concerns, that would get to the bottom of the big health issues of the day. One of the first research projects I'd tackle would tell us once and for all how...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 12, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Plus-Size Clothes, continued...
If it were up to readers of The Checkup, stores would offer plenty of flattering clothes in larger sizes so plus-size teens could step out in style. The poll in last week's blog had 93 percent of 1,175 voters weighing in in favor of making such clothing available for young...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (30)
Nourishing Gifts for Mom
Sunday is Mother's Day. (You knew that, right?) Many of us will likely bestow cards and flowers on our moms to show our gratitude and love. But if your mother is into health and nutrition, you might want to get creative and cater to those interests. It's not too late...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Older Moms Linked to Longer Lives
If a woman in your family gave birth naturally relatively late in life, that may bode well for longevity running in the family, according to new research. Previous studies have found that women who remain fertile into their 40s and 50s tend to live longer than other women. The new...
By Rob Stein | May 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Proton-Pump Inhibitors and Plavix Don't Mix
Research presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Scientific Sessions in Las Vegas adds to the evidence that proton-pump inhibitors (a class of heartburn-fighting drugs better known as PPIs) interfere with the anti-clotting drug Plavix, making it less effective in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 6, 2009; 06:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Inept Health Reporting? Blame the PR People!
We rank-and-file journalists are a beleaguered bunch these days. So it's nice when someone -- anyone -- leaps to our defense. But a new study exploring the role of institutional press releases in shaping media coverage of health studies, though it seems at first to exonerate journalists for sloppy news...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Do Plus-Size Clothes for Teens Endorse Obesity?
The news that Target and Forever 21 are launching lines of plus-size clothes for teens has ruffled some emotions. Some argue that providing Size 30 or 2XL clothing for young women is akin to telling them it's fine to be fat. Others say young women of all sizes and shapes...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
Keeping One Eye on Food-Borne Illness
Let's take a break from worrying about swine flu -- and worry about food safety instead. First, for the record: Pork apparently remains safe to eat. Here's this from the World Health Organization's swine flu information sheet: Is it safe to eat pork and pork products? Yes. Swine influenza has...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
How Are You Preparing for Swine Flu?
By Justin Jouvenal Swine flu has yet to show up in the D.C. area, but hospitals and government officials are gearing up for the possibility. Maryland has opened a swine flu command center in Baltimore, Children's National Medical Center is closely monitoring reports of outbreaks, and Howard University Hospital officials...
By Amy Adkins | April 27, 2009; 01:42 PM ET | Comments (19)
For Kids with Eczema, a Simple Solution
Relief may be as close as the laundry room for kids who suffer from the painful and itchy skin condition known as atopic dermatitis or eczema. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found that the best treatment for the chronic skin condition, which affects an estimated 17...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
On Keeping Size 10s When You're Now a 14
Stacy London says her show aims to help people "find perfection in their imperfection." (By Brian Doben -- TLC) Are you a skinny-clothes keeper or a skinny-clothes giver-away? Many people tend to keep old clothes that fit smaller versions of themselves on hand, hoping that one day they will...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Do All Yogis Vote Alike?
A Midnight Yoga class at D.C.'s Flow Fitness. (Mark Finkenstaedt For The Washington Post) As devoted as I am to my yoga practice, I try not to talk (or write) about it all the time, mostly because I'm not sure anyone's all that interested in hearing about my yogic...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Let's Talk Health-Care Reform
For a health blog, we haven't talked much here about health-care reform. It's a huge, divisive and emotional issue -- in other words, perfect blog fodder. It's clear that health-care costs are out of control and threatening to undermine the entire economy. It's heartbreaking to hear about people losing their...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (37)
Does Facebook Lead to Bad Grades?
Spending too much time on Facebook may help a college student's social life but it may not be so great for their grades, according to a new study presented today. Aryn Karpinski of Ohio State University surveyed 219 Ohio State students in 2008, including 102 undergraduates and 117 graduate students....
By Rob Stein | April 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
What to Eat in the Company Caf
It's noon. You're starving, but you didn't pack a lunch, and you don't have time to leave the building for a meal. That's when the company's in-house cafeteria beckons. As today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column demonstrates, you've got to make the most of every meal if you want...
By Nancy Szokan | April 14, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
A Most Unusual Lunch: Placenta
I received an attention-grabbing e-mail the other day -- one that took me a while to, er, digest. It came from a lively online Web site called MomLogic, where people write all kinds of parenting tips and information. This particular bit of information was about one mother's experience eating the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Common Asthma Treatment Ineffective
Contrary to what doctors and patients have long believed, taking heartburn medicine does not help reduce coughing, wheezing and breathlessness among people who have asthma, according to new research out today . More than 22 million Americans have asthma, and many also have acid reflux, which is a condition that...
By Rob Stein | April 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
What Do You Want From Your Health Blog?
What to blog about for tomorrow? There's the disturbing report that 1 out of every 5 American 4-year-olds is obese. Or the news that having a big belly may increase odds of suffering from Restless Legs Syndrome. Perhaps a commentary on today's fascinating article about the trend among food manufacturers...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
A Warning on 4,800-Calorie Burger? Lighten Up!
Josh Kowalczyk, an intern with the West Michigan Whitecaps, holds the massive, 4800-calorie burger. (AP Photo/The Grand Rapids Press, Rex Larsen) A Michigan minor-league baseball team's scheme to sell a big honkin' burger totaling 4,800 calories as a concession-stand promotion has drawn the ire of a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
One Miracle Berry That Lives Up to Hype
I've just had the sweetest, most delightful afternoon snack. First, I ate two slices of lemon. Then a spoonful of sour cream. And a drop of hot sauce, followed by a taste of unsweetened cocoa. Finally, the piece de resistance: a hunk of red bell pepper. The lemon and pepper...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 31, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Celebrity Bike-Ride Shoulder Injuries
It's likely that lots of people injured their shoulders while riding bikes (more precisely, when falling off bikes) last week; shoulder crackups are among the most common bicycle-related injuries. But the two whose accidents made news are Lance Armstrong and Matt Lauer. Armstrong and Lauer suffered two different shoulder injuries...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Seeing Clearly Now, With Two Pairs of Specs
As I type this blog I am wearing new glasses designed to help me see when I am reading a book, papers at my desk or items on my computer screen. (Important business -- not just Facebook!) Jennifer wearing her new distance glasses. (Photo by Jennifer Huget)I got them on...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
A Conversation about Constipation
Let's chat about constipation. That invitation alone ought to provide a certain relief to some of the estimated 4 million Americans who suffer from recurrent constipation. After all, for such a common problem, it's not one we discuss much. As they say, misery loves company.... I got to thinking about...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
A New Wind A-Blowin' for Medical Marijuana?
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters Wednesday that federal law-enforcement officials will no longer go after providers of marijuana that's used for medicinal purposes in the 13 states in which medical marijuana is legal unless that service is just a front for unlawful activities. That announcement will no doubt...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (29)
Would a Ski Helmet Have Saved Natasha Richardson?
We're all so sad today about actress Natasha Richardson's untimely death following what appeared to be a minor ski accident. My thoughts are with her family, especially her husband and their two teenage sons. Richardson in May 2008. (AP)A New York medical examiner has now determined that Richardson died from...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 19, 2009; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (23)
Should You Take Aspirin Daily?
Millions of men and women take an aspirin every day to protect themselves against heart attacks and strokes. But should they? There are some important new guidelines out that are designed to help make that decision, which is more complicated than many probably think. For years, doctors have been recommending...
By Rob Stein | March 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Down with Diets!
My first diet was the Scarsdale one. I thought my thighs were too big, and I thought maybe that little book, with each day's food allowance clearly spelled out, would help make them smaller. I gave up soon. I hated the foods Scarsdale prescribed, and after a week the thought...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
Pancreatic Cancer News You Can't Use
A new study in the Journal of the American Cancer Institute shows that people with certain blood types may be more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly of all malignancies. Specifically, folks with type O blood face the lowest risk for pancreatic cancer, while those with...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
A Wake-Up Call for Insomniacs
How'd you sleep last night? If your answer is "Hardly at all," you're like an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population. Insomnia -- the inability to fall, or stay, asleep at night -- is a serious problem, one that's been tied to cardiovascular disease and depression. It causes daytime...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Maintaining Good Health -- for Yourself, or for Loved Ones?
Watching the recent videotape of former President George H.W. Bush choking up as he talked about his wife Barbara's heart surgery made me tear up. (Skip ahead to minute 1:21 to see Mr. Bush's remarks.) The husband's raw emotion made me wonder what he would have done if things hadn't...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Five Facts about Aortic Valve Surgery
Former First Lady Barbara Bush had it the other day. And actor/comedian Robin Williams is about to have it, too. "It" is aortic valve surgery, a procedure in which one of the four valves that regulate the passage of blood in and out of the heart is replaced. Here are...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
How We Eat When Times are Tough
When the economy's on the fritz, people spend less on food, most experts agree. But just how they go about cutting back isn't clear; nor is the impact of the economy on diet and nutrition. Canned vegetables, unlike these carrots, are generally cheaper than fresh produce. (Julia Ewan -- The...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Doodle? Do, to Improve Concentration
Do you want to get the very most out of reading this blog? How about doodling while you read it? A Jennifer Huget original. A small study in the upcoming issue of the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology suggests that, while many of us assume doodling reveals a certain inattentiveness, it...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Barbie, Mom and Body Image
In Barbie's 50 years as the doll America loves to hate, there's been lots of hand-wringing over the fashion icon's role in shaping girls' self-image. Do those big breasts, wasp waist and mile-long legs make us gals feel so inadequate that we fall into punishing dietary habits and other self-destructive...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 3, 2009; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (12)
Young People Felled by Flu
Those of us trying to make sense of the recent flu-related deaths of two Maryland teens have to face the reality that life can be terribly unfair. While we know that the very young and the very old, those with chronic illnesses or underlying health conditions and those with compromised...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Health News on the Web: Where Do You Get Yours?
My day started the way every weekday starts: Cup of coffee in hand, I sat down in front of my computer (having eaten a nutritious breakfast, natch!) and began checking the morning's health news. I started, of course, with The Washington Post, reading anything reported there, by Post staffers or...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (23)
Which Diet Works?
Anyone who has battled their waistline has asked the same question: Which diet works best? Low-carb? Low-fat? High-protein? A new government-sponsored study out today finally tries to offer a definitive answer. The study, published in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and sponsored by the National Institutes...
By Rob Stein | February 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Is Less More for Heart Attack Patients?
There's new evidence out today that more is not always better when it comes to treating heart attack patients. About 1 million Americans each year suffer heart attacks, which occur when arteries supplying blood to the heart get blocked. Those who get to the hospital right away can often be...
By Rob Stein | February 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Keeping the Big Boss Healthy -- at a Cost
Maybe it's because I've never been an "executive" myself, but there's something rankling about these executive health centers that have been popping up in the D.C. area and across the country in the past 20 years or so. The rationale for these centers is that busy executives purportedly need access...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Sexually Transmitted Disease in America
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday released a report on the state of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in 2007. It paints a pretty grim picture. Consider: There are about 19 million cases a year; half of them among people ages 15 to 24. And that figure only...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 14, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sleep and the Common Cold
Intuition suggests that you're more likely to succumb to a cold if you're tired. But direct evidence of a relationship between cold-catching and sleep has been elusive. A new study published in the January 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine helps to pin down that link. Researchers led...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Health Hoaxes, Revisited
Several readers took me to task for last Monday's posting about the American Council on Science and Health's list of what the group called the top 10 health "hoaxes" of 2008. Though the blog focused on the fact that we in the media sometimes have insufficient regard for the quality...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 12, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Group Names Top Health Hoaxes of 2008
Remember the commotion last year about radioactive granite in our kitchen counters? That story's just one of 10 health stories from 2008 identified as "hoaxes" by the American Council on Science and Health, a nonprofit group of scientists and physicians that advocates a common-sense approach to maintaining good health. ACSH...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 5, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
A New Reason to Catch More ZZZs?
Okay, so Christmas Eve may not be the time to be lecturing people about getting enough sleep -- at least, not people with little kids anxious to see what Santa brought them. But a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association adds to the growing body of evidence...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Six Holiday Myths Debunked
As the holidays approach, two doctors have decided to burst some popular holiday bubbles. No, they're not here to tell us there's no Santa Claus. But they are contradicting some long-held notions. Aaron Carroll and Rachel Vreeman of the Indiana University School of Medicine decided to review the medical literature...
By Rob Stein | December 19, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Asthma, Bowel Cleansers -- And What You Should Know
Two pieces of news from the FDA -- on common bowel cleansers and popular asthma drugs -- are sure to puzzle some readers. How can we be sure that the drugs we take are safe? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday ordered that a black-box warning -- the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 12, 2008; 10:33 AM ET | Comments (0)
States of Good Health
Most of us probably don't consult the United Health Foundation when it comes to choosing a place to live. But maybe we should. The 19th annual "America's Health Rankings: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities" released Wednesday by the UHF in partnership with the American Public Health...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 5, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Great American Smokeout Makes the Most of Mondays
Tomorrow's Great American Smokeout will differ from the 32 previous annual Smokeouts in one big way: It comes with a built-in strategy for staying smoke-free once the day is done. Millions of American smokers have taken part in the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout, which encourages those who want...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 19, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Caffeine, Your Baby, and You
Yesterday's Health section featured a refreshing article by a 6-months-pregnant woman grappling with the baffling array of dietary decisions a good mom's supposed to make in these nutrition-conscious days. Writer Moira E. McLaughlin discussed her dismay at having to do without beer ("Ah, delicious summer brews! Sweet Octoberfests! Thick winter...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 5, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
'Falling Back' May Protect Your Heart
When you turn your clocks back this weekend for the end of daylight saving time, you might also be protecting your heart, according to new research. Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute and Rickard Ljung of the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden took advantage of that country's...
By Rob Stein | October 30, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Adventures in Tooth Whitening
Perhaps I'm just feeling my middle age, but -- even though I know better -- all those ads for tooth-whitening products are starting to work their magic on me. Recently, one came via e-mail, promising that my teeth could be made 7 shades whiter in 7 hours. Yikes: That sounded...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 27, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
'Stayin' Alive'? What Are My Other Choices?
Whenever it's deemed necessary to revive the 1970's aura, someone drags out the Bee Gees' 1977 disco hit "Stayin' Alive." Just a few notes and you're thinking men in white pantsuits and gold chains, right? Now the song itself may be in for a revival -- as a potential means...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
New Cancer Culprit: Incense?
Snuff the incense, dude. It might give you, like, cancer. A study to appear in the October 1 issue of the journal Cancer looked at the incidence of respiratory-tract cancers among 61,320 Chinese residents of Singapore, where incense-burning is a big part of daily life. Those who used the most...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 29, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Study Pokes Holes in Nut Ban
In medicine as in politics, sometimes an idea gets repeated so often it takes on the aura of fact. So it's been with the advice offered for more than 50 years to people diagnosed with diverticulosis, the development of pockets in the lining of the colon, or its relative, diverticulitis,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 27, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Flu Stories
How worried are you about a pandemic flu? Scientists consider the threat of a world-wide influenza epidemic to be a matter of "when," not "if." A deadly strain of avian flu is thought to be the most likely culprit as it continues to pop up in undeveloped countries around the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
The Ear Infection/Fat Connection
Yesterday The Checkup looked at research suggesting that MSG can make you fat. Today's culprit? Ear infections. On rare occasion, science moves forward in big, decisive steps. But more often it's a piling up of small, even obscure-seeming discoveries that may help us better understand how our bodies work --...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Kidney Stones? Lay Off the Iced Tea
Bad news for iced-tea lovers who also happen to be kidney-stone prone. The refreshing beverage, which I favor because it's tasty even without sweetener, contains high concentrations of oxalate. Turns out oxalate's a key culprit in creating kidney stones. And if you've ever passed one of those, you know it's...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 15, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
ER Docs Warn: Don't Text While Rollerblading
As is reported in today's Health section, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has issued a warning about the dangers of text-messaging (communicating by writing and receiving messages composed on cellphone keypads) while engaged in other activities, from driving or crossing the street to Rollerblading or cooking. While nobody's...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 5, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spitz, Jenner Share Health Histories on TV. (P.S.: They're Still Kind of Cute.)
Mark Spitz (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni) The mere thought of Mark Spitz sends me right back to 7th grade, when I cut pictures of the great Olympic swimmer out of The Washington Post and glued them to the brown-paper-bag cover of my geography book. I hung in my bedroom a life-size...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 1, 2008; 12:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Oops! Be Gone, Tattoo.
More women are getting tattoos these days, but more are also apparently coming to the conclusion that their decision to get their boyfriend's name, a rose or some other image inked into their skin was a mistake. A new survey finds that women are more likely than men to get...
By Rob Stein | July 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Simple Steps for Post-50 Health
Every day, the news is full of advice, much of it contradictory, about how to stay healthy as you age. It's hard to keep track of all that information, and it's even harder to sort the solid advice from the less-solid stuff gleaned from the latest study du jour. Here's...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Optimism May Help Heart Health
I'm wary of the notion that a positive mental attitude can help people survive medical crises, mostly because I've known some incredibly upbeat people who have died of cancer. A good outlook and cheerful demeanor can't hurt, I suppose, but the pressure on sick people to maintain those attitudes seems...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 16, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Yoga as Bunion Buster?
A friend, knowing that I teach yoga and write about health, e-mailed me the other day with this question: "Somebody told me that there is a yoga exercise that will actually reverse the progress of a bunion. You put the affected foot up against a slant board and stretch out...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 4, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
My Real Age? 41.7!
These days I appreciate anything that makes me feel younger. (Yes, that was me in CVS recently, shopping for hair dye to cover my grey.) So I really got a boost when I found out that the folks at RealAge.com think I'm a mere 41.7 years old -- about six...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 2, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Victoria's Eye-Popping Secret
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is launching an EyeSmart campaign today to raise public awareness about eye injuries and teach people how to avoid them. Interesting tidbit: Contrary to popular belief, most eye injuries occur at home, not in the workplace or at high-risk places like construction sites. And those...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 1, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Heart Health, With Apologies to George Carlin
I was wondering why political commentator Tim Russert's death from a heart attack spurred so much media chatter about cardiovascular health while comedian George Carlin's heart-failure death soon after did not. Maybe everybody already had said everything they had to say on the subject, I figured. Then I came across...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 27, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
YouTube Put to Good Use
In my household, YouTube is mainly a means of catching up with the latest pre-adolescent hilarities and marveling at really cool musical feats. But a group of neuroscientists affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco has harnessed the ubiquitous power of the popular online video-sharing site to spread information...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 18, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
On Living Longer
Every year when the federal government releases its new life-expectancy data, I like to take a minute to think about what all those numbers really mean. As was widely reported yesterday, overall life expectancy rose in 2006 to a record high of 78.1 years. That means that a baby born...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 13, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
How Will You Die?
What do you worry is going to kill you? Breast cancer? A heart attack? A car crash? We get bombarded with all sorts of things to fret about: One day something in our water bottles may cause cancer. The next day the stress from our jobs is going to give...
By Rob Stein | June 12, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Antibiotics Before You Brush?
So I was looking for a good health story to blog about when I came across a report from the Reuters news service -- on which I often rely and which I always have trusted -- that seemed to suggest that a new study showed toothbrushing releases potentially dangerous bacteria...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 11, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Man, Is It Ever Hot!
I was at an outdoor event for much of the weekend, and, boy, was it beastly out there. My family and I drank liters and liters of bottled water, and we took frequent refuge in the shady interior of our 1978 VW bus. But still there were moments when I...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 10, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
