Causes of weight loss

Friday, June 29, 2012

German court bans circumcision of young boys

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FDA approves Arena obesity drug; first in 13 years

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Possible outcomes in pending health care law case

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FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug

But new studies by Arena Pharmaceuticals found no increased risk of heart valve problems and only a small risk of cancer. And in May 2012, an FDA panel voted 18 to four to approve the drug, stating the benefits of Belviq outweigh the potential risks when used in a population of overweight and obese people.

"For the half of America that seriously needs some help in reducing energy intake, this has some promise," said Dr. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Other experts have expressed more caution.

"The approval of

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Health Tip: Stay Healthier as You Age

HealthDay – 31 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- There is no single secret to staying young, but there are things you can do to help ensure that you stay healthier as you age.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions:

Don't smoke, and limit alcohol use.Practice a regular, balanced exercise routine.Maintain a healthy body weight.See your doctor regularly.Engage in frequent social activity, and try new ways to have fun.Work on maintaining relationships.Challenge your mind by furthering your education.

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Health Tip: Living With a Pacemaker

HealthDay – 31 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- A pacemaker is implanted in the upper chest to help regulate an irregular heartbeat. Once you have the device, you should avoid "close and prolonged contact" with electronics and appliances that emit magnetic fields, the U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute says.

The agency offers this additional advice for people living with a pacemaker:

If your doctor recommends so, avoid participating in high-contact sports or activities that could damage or dislodge the pacemaker.Ask your doctor to inspect your pacemaker regularly.Have the pacemaker's battery checked regularly.Let any medical professional whose services you use know that you have a pacemaker.

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wednesday Is National HIV Testing Day

HealthDay – 31 mins ago TUESDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- More than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but 20 percent of them don't know they're infected.

Federal health officials are urging everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 to get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care.

And there's no better time to start than Wednesday, June 27 -- National HIV Testing Day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual testing for people at higher risk of HIV infection, including intravenous drug users, gay and bisexual men, or people who have multiple sex partners. Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from even more frequent testing -- perhaps every three to six months, the CDC said.

The CDC also urges pregnant women to get tested early in their pregnancy so they can take the steps necessary to keep from passing HIV to their babies.

As part of National HIV Testing Day, the CDC recommends:

Asking your doctor for an HIV test or finding a place to get tested in your community. For help in finding a testing place, go to www.hivtest.org, call 1-800-CDC-INFO or text your zip code to "KNOW IT" (566948). Getting tested once a year, or more often if you have more than one sex partner, inject drugs, or are a gay or bisexual man. Lowering your HIV risk by having sex with only one partner -- someone you know is uninfected. Or using a condom every time you have anal, vaginal, or oral sex. Getting medical care as soon as possible if you have HIV to stay healthier longer and to keep from passing the virus to others.

More information

To learn more about HIV/AIDS, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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To Improve School Nutrition, Involve Teachers and Parents

Surgeons Seek Repeal of Transplant Ban Between HIV-Positive People

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Fear of Childbirth Linked to Longer Labor, Study Says

HealthDay – 31 mins ago WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are afraid to give birth tend to have longer labor than women who are more relaxed about the process, new research suggests.

Researchers in Norway found women fearful of giving birth spent about an hour and a half longer in labor than other women (about eight hours compared to six and a half hours).

Fear of giving birth was also associated with a greater likelihood of an instrumental vaginal delivery or an emergency Cesarean section.

The study was published June 27 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 women pregnant women, about half of whom were going to be first-time mothers, about their attitudes toward childbirth. About 7.5 percent of the women were afraid of childbirth.

Even after taking other factors into account that could prolong labor, such as epidural anesthesia and labor induction, labor for the women who feared childbirth was longer than for more relaxed women.

But, the study authors pointed out that even though women who feared childbirth labored longer, 89 percent managed to deliver vaginally, compared to 93 percent of women who did not fear giving birth.

"Fear of childbirth seems to be an increasingly important issue in obstetric care," study co-author Samantha Salvesen Adams, of Akershus University Hospital, said in a journal news release.

"We found a link between fear of childbirth and longer duration of labor," Adams said. "Generally, longer labor duration increases the risk of instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency caesarean section. However, it is important to note that a large proportion of women with a fear of childbirth successfully had a vaginal delivery and therefore elective Cesarean delivery should not be routinely recommended."

Experts note that while this study found an association between fear of childbirth and longer labor, it didn't prove that anxiety about giving birth caused the longer labors.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on childbirth.

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Exercise Program Boosts Health After Lung Transplant: Study

HealthDay – 31 mins ago WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- A structured exercise program boosted the overall health of lung transplant patients and reduced their risk of cardiovascular problems, a new study reports.

Lung transplant patients often have weak muscles and limited physical endurance due to inactivity before the transplant and the drugs they must take after, the researchers said.

Many patients remain inactive after their transplant, and up to half develop conditions such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis, the study authors noted.

Exercise can help prevent these problems.

The new study included 40 patients with an average age of 59 who had single or double lung transplants. About half were assigned to a three-month exercise program while the rest (the control group) received usual care.

The patients in the exercise group did three 90-minute workouts per week after they were discharged from the hospital. The activities included cycling, walking, stair climbing and leg presses. Exercise intensity increased over the course of the training program.

The control group did not engage in the training regimen, but did perform daily mobility exercises -- such as walking, cycling and stair climbing -- for about six weeks after their surgery.

One year after being discharged from the hospital, patients in the exercise group were walking an average of 85 minutes a day, compared with 54 minutes for those in the control group.

The patients in the exercise group also had significantly more leg strength and self-reported physical functioning, could walk farther in six minutes, did much more physical activity and had lower blood pressure and better cardiovascular health than those in the control group.

The study was published in the June issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.

"Our study showed patients who had uncomplicated lung transplant surgery benefited greatly from supervised exercise training, which was initiated immediately after they were discharged from

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Fossilized Teeth Hold Clues to Early Human Species' Diet

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