Booster Shots
ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD
Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic drinks -- what two students have to say

Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic drinks -- what two students have to say

Four Loko and other caffeinated alcohol drinks may worry some doctors, parents, officials and others not referred to in the media as "young adults." But the "young adults" themselves are intrigued.

More...
Yoga may be better at reducing anxiety and lifting mood than other forms of exercise, study finds

Yoga may be better at reducing anxiety and lifting mood than other forms of exercise, study finds

Yoga has many proven health benefits, but does it stand up to other forms of exercise? Researchers pitted it against a walking routine and found that those who practiced yoga showed greater improvements in mood and anxiety.

More...

Happiness may depend, in part, on focus

Happiness may depend, in part, on focus

Being happy apparently requires significant concentration skills. The authors of a study on happiness found that while daydreaming -- or mind-wandering or spacing out -- is a robust human characteristic, it's not good for happiness. Instead, staying firmly in the moment is linked to emotional well being.

More...
Parents' stress filters down to kids, not that Mom and Dad notice

Parents' stress filters down to kids, not that Mom and Dad notice

Parents' stress can take a toll on their kids. Ask children, not Mom and Dad, how they are affected by their parents' stress.

More...
On Veterans Day, a salute to those who care for them

On Veterans Day, a salute to those who care for them

Caring for an ill or disabled person is the most loving, if not the most taxing, of vocations. And those who care for the nation's veterans bear a particular burden, according to a new survey.

More...
Cigarette labels -- people are talking about proposed graphic warnings

Cigarette labels -- people are talking about proposed graphic warnings

Cigarette labels are about to get more graphic and, for now at least, those warning labels on cigarette packages are proving quite the talker.

More...

Lung cancer took his life; maybe others can be saved

Lung cancer took his life; maybe others can be saved

Lung cancer, found in later stages, offers little hope. Randy Zisook was one of those diagnosed with advanced stages of lung cancer. Toward the end of his life, he warned others about the dangers of cigarette smoking by sharing his diagnosis and his story in a very public way.

More...

The FDA approves Egrifta, the first drug to treat HIV patients with lipodystrophy

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Egrifta, the first drug designed specifically to treat lipodystrophy in HIV-positive patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. In lipodystrophy, fat deposits accumulate in different areas of the body, most notably around the liver, stomach and other abdominal organs. The problem is associated primarily with  protease inhibitors, the family of drugs that made cocktails of antiretroviral drugs highly successful.

More...
Sensa testimonials abound, including one from the 'Millionaire Matchmaker'

Sensa testimonials abound, including one from the 'Millionaire Matchmaker'

Sensa is apparently quite the fabulous product – or at least many users say so. One of them is "Millionaire Matchmaker" Patti Stanger, who claims to have lost 20 pounds on Sensa, those calorie-free flavor sprinkles that supposedly help you lose weight.

More...
Can sleep and alcohol co-exist?

Can sleep and alcohol co-exist?

Drinking alcohol is thought to interfere with a good night's sleep. But a new survey has found that most adults don't experience sleep problems due to drinking.

More...

College students may be packing on the pounds as they head toward senior year

College students may be packing on the pounds as they head toward senior year

So much for the freshman 15. A new study released Wednesday finds that college students may see their biggest weight gain in later academic years as they become less active and more sedentary.

More...
Combating obesity in teens to head off adult weight problems

Combating obesity in teens to head off adult weight problems

Obese teens are carrying more than extra pounds — they also carry the risk of becoming obese adults.

More...
Flu shots can pay off big for employers

Flu shots can pay off big for employers

Flu vaccinations for employees can help an employer's bottom line, according to a new study. Research presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Assn., found that for each employee vaccinated an employer can save $63 to $95 per person. Vaccinating an entire 150-person company, for example, could yield savings of between $9,450 and $14,250.

More...
So-called Twinkies diet shaved pounds, but maybe not for long

So-called Twinkies diet shaved pounds, but maybe not for long

The so-called Twinkies diet may have helped nutrition professor Mark Haub shed 27 pounds, but you're right to wonder whether the weight loss caused by a diet of, in part, Twinkies can stick.

More...

Failings of the government's dialysis program revealed in Atlantic article

The federal government spends $20 billion every year on kidney dialysis programs, but 1 in every 4 patients dies anyway. Investigative reporter Robin Fields of the public interest research group ProPublica Communications dissects the problems in a report appearing online in the Atlantic. Highly recommended reading.

More...
Latest egg recall over salmonella affects 228,000 eggs

Latest egg recall over salmonella affects 228,000 eggs

Egg recall? Again? Yes, again. The latest is from egg distributor Cal-Maine Foods, which issued an egg recall of 288,000 eggs from eight states because of concerns over potential salmonella enteritidis contamination, a Los Angeles Times story reports.

More...
Younger children may be most vulnerable to dog bites when left alone -- even from a family pet, study finds

Younger children may be most vulnerable to dog bites when left alone -- even from a family pet, study finds

Children may be most vulnerable to dog bites when they're left alone, a new study finds, and the guilty party may most often be the family dog.

More...
HPV vaccine is not embraced by young women [Updated]

HPV vaccine is not embraced by young women [Updated]

The HPV vaccine was approved in 2006 as the first vaccine that can prevent a type of cancer. The vaccine protects against several common strains of human papilloma virus, which causes genital warts and can lead to cervical cancer. However, a new study show that a majority of young women who are eligible for the vaccine are either not getting it or are not following the three-shot protocol to be fully immunized.

More...
Have questions about dining and diabetes? Ask them in a Web chat.

Have questions about dining and diabetes? Ask them in a Web chat.

Lifestyle changes may help the estimated 23.6 million Americans living with diabetes and 57 million at risk of developing the disease, according to statistics from the American Diabetes Assn. 

More...
Lung cancer in a smoker may be different from lung cancer in a nonsmoker

Lung cancer in a smoker may be different from lung cancer in a nonsmoker

Why does lung cancer sometimes take the lives of people who have never smoked? People like Dana Reeve, the wife of late actor Christopher Reeve and actress who died of the disease in 2006 at age 44? One possible explanation is that lung cancer in smokers may constitute a different disease than that found in nonsmokers.

More...

More Booster Shots...