A prescription for better health: go alfresco
Spending time outdoors is likely to improve your mood and concentration, encourage activity and fitness, and fuel your body’s production of vitamin D.
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Can aspirin do that, too?
In light of its success in reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke, researchers are investigating whether aspirin may offer protection against cancer.
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Elevating your HDL game
Taking niacin is an effective way to boost HDL cholesterol, but there are side effects to consider.
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Pessimism about pedophilia
Pedophilia, a sexual attraction to prepubescent children, is a sexual orientation that is unlikely to change, so the aim of treatment is to protect children by preventing pedophiles from acting on their urges.
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Ask the doctor: How does health care reform affect mental health parity?
How will national health care reform affect my mental health coverage? Does this new law nullify the parity bill that was supposed to take effect in 2010?
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Dementia syndromes in the elderly
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but other types, including vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia, may also affect the elderly.
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The evolving understanding of stigma
People with a mental health disorder often avoid seeking treatment for fear of being stigmatized. Researchers are considering this stigmatization in a sociological and moral context in order to advance the public’s understanding of mental illness.
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FDA Experts Back New ‘Morning-After’ Pill
A panel of experts has endorsed approval of a new “morning-after pill” that works longer than the ones now on the market. The panel voted June 17 to recommend approval of ellaOne, made by HRA Pharma. Canadian Press wrote about the vote. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not required to follow its expert panels’ advice. However, it often does. Studies done by the drug maker showed that ellaOne prevents pregnancy when taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Plan B, an older brand, can be taken up to 3 days after sex. It is made by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Generic versions also are sold. In a study, 1,700 women received either ellaOne or Plan B between 3 and 5 days after sex. The risk of becoming pregnant was 1.8% of women who took ellaOne. It was 2.6% for those who took Plan B. Abortion opponents have criticized the makers of ellaOne.
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In Brief: The Quirky Brain: Why people hear voices
There are several theories about why people with schizophrenia have a tendency to hear voices, but no consensus has emerged.
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Report Explores Cancer, Diabetes Links
Both diabetes and high insulin levels may increase the risk of some cancers, experts say. This finding is part of a new report. It was sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes. The two groups recruited a panel of experts who looked at previous research. The panel found that people with diabetes have an increased risk of liver, pancreas, endometrial, colon/rectal, breast and bladder cancers. Prostate cancer risk may be below average. The reasons for all of these links are unclear. But there are potential reasons that would make biological sense, the lead author told HealthDay News. For example, insulin and similar proteins in the body can promote some cancers. Many people with type 2 diabetes have high levels of insulin in their bodies. Obesity and some other factors also increase the risk for both diabetes and cancer.
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