Soda Bans Appear to Find Their Target Alice G. Walton
So-called “soda bans” may actually help those who need it most.
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Amusement Ride Injuries Rise in Summer Months Charlotte LoBuono
Summertime means vacation and trips to the amusement park. But before you strap yourself and your kids in, consider the safety issues.
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Just One Sugary Drink A Day Increases Diabetes Risk SignificantlyAlice G. Walton
Oh come on! How much can one little sugary drink a day up your risk for diabetes? Pretty significantly.
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Substance in Red Meat Linked to Heart DiseaseCharlotte LoBuono
TMAO, a substance found in abundance in the guts of meat eaters, has artery-clogging effects. But is meat the problem?
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Companies Help Workers Lose Weight on the JobBeth Fontenot, MS, RD, LDN
Companies seeking to cut healthcare costs might want to consider offering financial incentives for weight loss.
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A Shift Away from Fast FoodBeth Fontenot, MS, RD, LDN
Americans are eating less fast food. You can guess what group eats the most.
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FDA to Weigh in on Genetically Modified MosquitoesNeil Wagner
There were 27 cases of dengue in 2009. Genetic modification may stop mosquitoes' transmission of this deadly virus. What else will it do?
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Obese and Overweight Children Face Serious Health Risks Esther Entin, M.D.
You wouldn't let your child play near the street unsupervised; don't let him or her eat unsupervised either.
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Finding the Sweet Spot: Milk Intake, Vitamin D and IronEsther Entin, M.D.
Cow's milk offers vitamin D but also contributes to low iron. New research offers a guideline.
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Reframing the Debate: Gun Violence As a Public Health IssueCharlotte LoBuono
Successful public health campaigns are models for how to make guns safer and reduce their allure.
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Endocrine Disruptor Compounds: What We Know; What We SuspectEsther Entin, M.D.
You can't see, smell or taste these environmental toxins. But even lose doses can cause cancer.
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Safety Seats? It Depends on How You Use ThemNeil Wagner
Strap your kid in and they're safe, right? Wrong. And for kids aged 4 to 8, seatbelts alone won't do it.
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Genetically Modified Food: An Overview and HistoryNeil Wagner
In the U.S. genetically modified foods are patented and immune from scientific investigation. No wonder some feel there's a danger.
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Ratcheting up Herbicide Use Encourages Resistant WeedsNeil Wagner
Genetically modified crops help potent herbicides succeed. But now super weeds are taking over.
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The Health Effects of CaffeineCharlotte LoBuono
Coffee, or more generally, caffeine, offers many protective effects; except when it comes to fertility.
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Big Beverage vs. A Big Health ProblemHarry A. Levy, M.D., M.P.H.
Is the move to restrict serving sizes of soda in NYC a bad idea or a bold way to begin tackling obesity?
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New and Controversial Recommendations on PSA TestsNeil Wagner
For most men the risks connected with PSA tests for prostate cancer outweigh the benefits.
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The Happiness DilemmaAlice G. Walton
The pursuit of happiness is not as simple as we might think. What you focus on can make a big difference to your health.
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Tracking Disease Clusters in the US: Elusive PreyAlice G. Walton
Disease clusters were made famous by Erin Brockovich, but they are harder to pinpoint than you might think.
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Less Frequent Pap Testing RecommendedSusan H. Scher, MD
Pap tests save lives, but new guidelines urge women to be tested less often. It's safer.
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Why We Overeat and What We Can Do About ItAlice G. Walton
Eating should be simple: Eat when you are hungry, then stop. If only food weren't so pleasurable.
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A Closer Look at Over-the-Counter PainkillersAlice G. Walton
Turning to acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin now and then is fine, but long-term use can damage organs.
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Figuring The Cost-Benefit Ratio of VaccinesAlice G. Walton
Parents in some communities have decided that the risks of vaccines are greater than the benefits. Not true.
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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (If You Keep Your Head about You)Alice G. Walton
Why are the holidays responsible for so many accidents and ER visits? We count the ways and offer help.
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Navigating the Road to HealthAlice G. Walton
Don't confuse real health science with sound-bytes, or healthy lifestyles with a health obsession.
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Evaluating Healthcare in AmericaAlice G. Walton
A score of 64 out of 100 is not a good grade. It's also not good healthcare.
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Vitamin and Mineral Supplements: Risks As Well As BenefitsNeil Wagner
Some studies of supplements actually found they increase the risk of death. But it may depend on how you crunch the numbers.
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All Work and No PlayEsther Entin, M.D.
The time kids spend just playing is declining. Well-meaning parents are partly to blame.
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Antibiotic Resistance and The Case for Organic Meat and PoultryNeil Wagner
Organic meat and poultry could help combat much of the antibiotic resistance we see today.
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Doctor-Patient Confidentiality: How Do We Define It and When Should We Waive It?Jessica Wilen Berg, J.D., M.P.H.
When is your health information confidential and when isn't it?
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Coffee May Reduce the Risk of Cancer - But It Depends on the CancerAlice G. Walton
Coffee reduces the risk for cancers — some cancers, anyway. But is coffee always good for you?
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Some Long-Held Links between Genes and Diseases Called Into QuestionAlice G. Walton
Some of the connections between genes and disease that we accept as fact may not be so strong after all.
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Children and Environmental Chemicals: A Call for Better RegulationEsther Entin, M.D.
Children are small and low to the ground, leaving them more exposed to environmental toxins.
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Are Airport Scanners Safe?Neil Wagner
Are the full-body scanners at the airport safe? Well, it all depends.
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Nature and Nurture: Social Environments Influence Genetic Blueprints Esther Entin, M.D.
A study of children two and under shows just how much being poor restricts kids' genetic potential.
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The Best of 2010: Health Tips to Take With Us Into 2011Alice G. Walton
Planning for a healthier 2011? We pull together some of the top health news stories of this past year.
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FDA Verdict on Patient Radiation Overdoses: Operator Error Neil Wagner
CT scans are a boon to diagnosis, but some may expose patients to way too much radiation.
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Snakebite! What to Do If You're Bitten and How Treatments WorkThomas C. Arnold, M.D., and Robert A. Barish, M.D., M.B.A.
Snake bites are rare, but some bites are lethal. Know what to look for and do -- and how to avoid bites completely.
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Exceptional Human LongevityRobert J. Pignolo, M.D., Ph.D.
Who are the oldest old – those 100 years of age and older? And what can these centenarians tell us about aging?
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The Money Pit: Health Insurance Executives' PayNeil Wagner
Health insurance executives are paid millions to ensure stock prices stay high. Patient care is not a concern.
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Controversial Autism-MMR Vaccine Study Retracted by Journal: Why Did This Happen - and Can We Forget?Alice G. Walton
Retractions don't happen often in science, but they are part of the process. Changing the public's perceptions is another matter.
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Prescribing Medication Safely for ChildrenEsther Entin, M.D.
Warnings about the effects of prescription drugs on children are often not reported accurately...
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Unnecessary CT Scans and Excessive Radiation Raise Cancer RiskNeil Wagner
CT scans have benefits, but they also have some very real cancer risks.
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Why Does Health Care Cost So Much?Maxwell J. Mehlman, J.D.
Americans' health care costs more than anywhere else in the world. Why?
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Infections in Long-Term Care Facilities: Prevention, Diagnosis, and ManagementLona Mody, M.D., M.Sc.
Millions of infections occur in nursing homes each year, costing billions of dollars.
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Vaccines: Protecting Individuals, Communities and the World Esther Entin, M.D.
Always check with your child's physician before delaying an immunization.
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What's Good Health Information?Leslie Carr and Tom Gilbert
Becoming an informed consumer of health information is as important to your health as any exercise, drug or health plan.
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Understanding Scientific StudiesTom Gilbert
It is important to know if the information you are gathering on the Web is from a credible source.
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Carbon Monoxide PoisoningStephen R. Thom, M.D., Ph.D.
The Fight Against DiabetesSheryl Merkin, M.S., F.N.P., C.D.E., Sharon Movsas, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. and Joel Zonszein, M.D., C.D.E.
A lack of insulin or an inability to respond to insulin is known as "insulin resistance."
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Influenza and Pandemic Influenza: A PrimerWalter A. Orenstein, M.D.
Consumer-Driven Health Care: Ethical and Legal Pitfalls
With health care costs continuing to grow at a much higher rate than inflation, some policy makers have seized upon yet another technique they hope will restrain spending — "consumer-driven health care" in the form of "health savings accounts.
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Suicide Assessment, Intervention and PreventionMorton M. Silverman, M.D.
Road Traffic Injuries: Can We Stop A Global Epidemic?Lauren P. Giles, B.A.; Elisabeth S. Hayes, M.B.A.; and Mark L. Rosenberg, M.D., M.P.P.
The causes of RTIs have been established: excessive speed, consumption of drugs and alcohol, failure to use seatbelts and poor road design.
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Getting the Lead Out - The News About an Old ProblemSassan Farjami, M.D., Ogleh Nesheiwat, M.D., Carol Karmen, M.D., and Robert G. Lerner, M.D.
Sleep disturbances, restlessness, lethargy, memory loss and irritability can be signs of lead poisoning.
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Public Health and Bioterrorism: Learning the Lessons of the Anthrax AttacksRichard E. Dixon, M.D., and David J. Sencer, M.D., M.P.H.
Burns: From Treatment to PreventionMartin J. Carey, M.D.
Water heaters should be set below 120oF (49oC) to avoid scald injuries.
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Giant Cell ArteritisPeter Barland, M.D.
Always taper off steroid medications slowly, otherwise you risk upsetting the body's natural hormone production.
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To Sydney and BeyondMartin J. Carey, M.D.
If you are short of breath in the days following a long airplane trip, see a doctor ASAP.
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Bioterrorism — Are We Prepared?Martin J. Carey, M.D.
For most of us, bioterrorism seems out there with alien invaders as something likely to occur on television but not in real life.
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Drowning and Near-Drowning: Prevention and TreatmentDipak Chandy, M.D.
If swimming or boating, avoid all drugs and alcohol.
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The Human Genome Project: What It Means for YouJames R. Lupski, M.D., Ph.D.
A mutation can be caused by a change in a whole chromosome or involve just one base pair of a specific gene.
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