Monday Is Deadline to Sign Up for Obamacare

By Karen Pallarito HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, March 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Today is the deadline for most people to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the controversial healthcare-reform law. More than 6 million Americans have already signed up for insurance coverage through online "marketplaces" created by the law, federal officials said on Thursday. Earlier last week, the Obama administration said that Americans who've started applying for health insurance but can't complete the process by the March 31 deadline will...

Read more →

More Evidence Weight-Loss Surgery Helps People With Diabetes

One-third of gastric-bypass patients kept type 2 diabetes under control without meds during three-year study HealthDay – Not on Site By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, March 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Weight-loss surgery might do more than help people shed pounds. For some who have the surgery, it may also put type 2 diabetes into remission for several years, a new study suggests. The success rate in controlling diabetes depended on the type of weight-loss surgery, the researchers said. Patients who had the more involved gastric-bypass...

Read more →

Blood Test Shows Promise for Gauging Heart Attack Risk After Chest Pain

More study is needed, but the screening method measures levels of a chemical signal tied to heart damage WebMD News from HealthDay By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter SUNDAY, March 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Though more study needs to be done, new research suggests that a simple blood test could help predict the heart attack risk of patients experiencing chest pain. The Swedish study found that patients with chest pain who have undetectable levels of a certain chemical signal in their blood called "high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T,"...

Read more →

The Zone Diets, find your friends on Twitter!

      The Zone Diets, Import your email contacts!         @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px){ table[class=outer] .cut { width: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .x-mid { padding: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .hide { display: none!important; } table[class=outer] img.cut { display: none !important; width: 0 !important; height: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .precut...

Read more →

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Approval of At-Home Colon Cancer Test

DNA analysis of stool boosts accuracy rate of Cologuard to more than 90 percent, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A panel of U.S. Food and Drug Administration experts on Thursday unanimously recommended approval of a new at-home stool test that screens for colorectal cancer with more than 90 percent accuracy. The 10-member committee said the benefits of Exact Science Corp.'s Cologuard test outweigh its risks, the Associated Press reported. The FDA is not obligated...

Read more →

Underweight Even Deadlier Than Overweight, Study Says

Death risk nearly doubled for excessively thin people WebMD News from HealthDay By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- It's said you can never be too rich or too thin, but new research suggests otherwise. People who are clinically underweight face an even higher risk for dying than obese individuals, the study shows. Compared to normal-weight folks, the excessively thin have nearly twice the risk of death, researchers concluded after reviewing more than 50 prior studies. Obesity has occupied center stage under...

Read more →

Smoking Bans Linked to Drop in Premature Births, Kids' Asthma Attacks

Smoke-free policies offer health benefits for people of all ages, study authors say WebMD News from HealthDay By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Bans on smoking in public places and the workplace in North America and Europe are linked to a 10 percent drop in premature births and the number of children going to the hospital for an asthma flare-up, according to a new study. The study authors said this positive trend occurred within one year of smoke-free policies being put into effect. They added...

Read more →

Marriage Does Help the Heart, Study Finds

Researchers compared cardiovascular disease rates in more than 3 million Americans WebMD News from HealthDay By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Marriage is good for the heart, yet another study has found. Married partners don't just have a lower risk of heart problems, the researchers said. They also have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease affecting the legs, neck or abdominal areas. "We found that being married was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease in general," said study...

Read more →

Many Kids May Have High Cholesterol, Regardless of Weight

Abnormal levels seen in 1 of 3 children, possibly raising future heart disease risk, researcher says WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- About one of three Texas kids screened for cholesterol between the ages of 9 and 11 had borderline or high cholesterol, potentially placing them at greater risk for future cardiovascular disease, a new study has found. Obese kids were more likely to have abnormal cholesterol levels, but a large percentage of normal-weight children also had...

Read more →

Underweight Even Deadlier Than Overweight, Study Says

Death risk nearly doubled for excessively thin people WebMD News from HealthDay By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- It's said you can never be too rich or too thin, but new research suggests otherwise. People who are clinically underweight face an even higher risk for dying than obese individuals, the study shows. Compared to normal-weight folks, the excessively thin have nearly twice the risk of death, researchers concluded after reviewing more than 50 prior studies. Obesity has occupied center stage under...

Read more →

Weight-Loss Surgery Cuts Risk for Heart Attack, Death: Study

People who are obese and at risk for heart disease should consider surgery, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Weight-loss surgery, such as gastric banding, can dramatically reduce the rate of heart attacks and deaths among people who are obese, a new study shows. Researchers in the United Kingdom said their findings suggest that obese people at high risk for heart disease should seriously consider undergoing this type of procedure to lose weight. The...

Read more →

OK to kiss Fido? If you’re willing to take on a bit of bacteria, then yes.

By Suz Redfearn WebMD Feature Reviewed by Amy Flowers, DVM Do you smooch your pooch? Lots of dog moms and dads do. After all, his mouth is cleaner than yours, right? Nope. Think about it -- what he eats, what he licks. Common sense tells you it’s a germfest. But the truth is, those bacteria aren’t big health risks for most people. So kissing your furry baby is OK, if it doesn’t gross you out. Just have a healthy awareness of what could be in your dog’s mouth, says Clark Fobian, DVM, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. What...

Read more →

Obama Announces 6 Million Have Signed Up For Insurance

By Mary Agnes Carey Thu, Mar 27 2014 More than 6 million people have signed up for health insurance through the health law’s state and federal online marketplaces, or exchanges, since Oct. 1, the administration announced Thursday. President Barack Obama, who is traveling in Europe, announced the number in a conference call with groups that are helping consumers sign up for coverage. In a blog post, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said  the health law’s web site, healthcare.gov, and 800 number,...

Read more →

The Zone Diets, find your friends on Twitter!

      The Zone Diets, Import your email contacts!         @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px){ table[class=outer] .cut { width: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .x-mid { padding: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .hide { display: none!important; } table[class=outer] img.cut { display: none !important; width: 0 !important; height: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .precut...

Read more →

Spring Pollen Allergies

By Matt McMillen WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD March 27, 2014 -- A bitterly cold winter followed by a sudden spring warm-up might spell massive misery if you have allergies. “When pollen has been held up by cold weather, you can get a flood of pollen as the weather warms up,” says allergy researcher Kraig Jacobson, MD. “And that may indeed be happening now.” Allergy season is already well underway in parts of the Midwest, where many states have experienced some of the most brutal winters in history. Reports of extremely high...

Read more →

U.S. Autism Estimates Rise by 30 Percent for Kids

Researchers say increase could be due to better diagnosis of the developmental disorder WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- One in 68 American children is now diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, federal health officials reported Thursday. That's a 30 percent increase from just two years ago when the estimate was one in 88 children, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The number of children identified with autism continues...

Read more →

'Grazing' Appears No Better for Weight Loss Than Standard Meals

Daily calories, not how often you eat, are what matter, study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For weight loss, some swear by "grazing" -- eating several small meals throughout the day -- instead of eating fewer meals at more traditional mealtimes. Now, a small study comparing both approaches finds it doesn't matter which tactic you use, as long as you reduce total calories. Women who ate five meals on one test day and two regular meals on another (consuming the same...

Read more →

Exercise Affects Men's, Women's Hearts Differently: Study

Finding might have implications for standard cardiac testing, experts say WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The formula doctors use to evaluate treadmill stress tests, and thereby assess heart health, doesn't account for important differences between men and women, a new study contends. A revised formula would better determine peak exercise rate, or the maximum number of heart beats per minute, for each sex, the researchers said. "Exercise physiology has been known to differ...

Read more →

'Grazing' Appears No Better for Weight Loss Than Standard Meals

Daily calories, not how often you eat, are what matter, study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For weight loss, some swear by "grazing" -- eating several small meals throughout the day -- instead of eating fewer meals at more traditional mealtimes. Now, a small study comparing both approaches finds it doesn't matter which tactic you use, as long as you reduce total calories. Women who ate five meals on one test day and two regular meals on another (consuming the same...

Read more →

More Signs Autism May Originate During Pregnancy

Brain-tissue samples show differences linked to prenatal development WebMD News from HealthDay By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism show key "patches of disorganization" in the outer layers of the brain, according to a new study said to offer more evidence that the developmental disorder begins in the womb. Experts have long believed autism involves disruptions in typical brain development, going back to pregnancy. The new study, reported online March 27 in the New England Journal...

Read more →

Top Last-Minute 'Obamacare' Questions

March 27, 2014 -- If you want health insurance coverage this year, the last chance for most people to sign up is March 31. Sign up through the federal Marketplace, and you'll be given extra time to enroll -- as long as you start the process on HealthCare.gov by March 31, the Obama administration announced Tuesday. The only way you can enroll later in the year is if you have a “life event,” such as losing your job, moving, having a baby, or getting married. It may qualify you for a special enrollment period. To help readers in the final days of 2014 open...

Read more →

Tragedies Do Cause Broken Hearts, Study Suggests

Cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy -- or 'broken heart syndrome' -- jumped in Vermont, Missouri following natural disasters WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The stress of natural disasters can break people's hearts, according to a new study. Researchers found dramatic rises in "broken heart syndrome" in Vermont after a huge storm ravaged the state and in Missouri after a massive tornado. People with broken heart syndrome -- formally called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy -- suffer...

Read more →

Take Heart: Mediterranean Diet Combats Diabetes, Study Says

It's especially beneficial to those at risk of heart disease, researcher contends WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adhering to a so-called Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of diabetes, especially if you're at high risk for heart disease. That's the finding of researchers who reviewed 19 studies that included more than 162,000 people in different countries for an average of 5.5 years. The analysis revealed that a Mediterranean diet -- which is rich in fish, nuts,...

Read more →