Are You Destined to Get Your Parents' Illnesses?

By Stephanie Watson WebMD Feature Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS Have you been told you've got your father's eye color or your mother's curly hair? These physical traits are a product of genes you inherited from your parents. If your mom has heart disease and your dad has colon cancer, you might also have inherited a greater chance of getting these diseases. But don't worry, it's not a sure thing. With conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and heart disease, your genes aren't always destiny. You can likely overcome your heredity and...

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Can Low Cholesterol Keep Your Brain Healthy?

By Gina Shaw WebMD Feature Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH Most people think of heart disease when they hear the words "high cholesterol," but your brain's health may also be at stake. The evidence is still limited, but studies show that high levels of cholesterol may be linked to Alzheimer's disease or other kinds of dementia. The Role of Cholesterol Researchers don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. But substances found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, called amyloid plaques, may be part of it. Amyloid plaques form...

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How to Stop a Binge Before It Starts

By Marianne Wait WebMD Feature Reviewed by Joseph Goldberg, MD For someone with binge-eating disorder, the urge to overeat can be overwhelming. And while the first few bites can sometimes feel good, shame, guilt, and regret can quickly follow. But it’s possible to stop a binge before it starts, or even once it’s begun. Long-Term Strategies Follow a regular meal plan. “The most important thing to do is to get on a regular pattern of eating,” says Doug Bunnell, PhD, former president of the National Eating Disorders Association. Dietary restriction and...

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HPV-Linked Oral Cancers May Not Be 'Contagious'

Kissing doesn't seem to raise rate of viral infection between committed partners, study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Romantic intimacy in long-term relationships often suffers when one partner gets a diagnosis of mouth or throat cancer caused by HPV, the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. But new research suggests these couples can kiss as much and as deeply as they ever have, without worry. Spouses and long-term partners of patients with HPV-related oral...

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4 New High-Tech Tools to Help Control Diabetes

WebMD Feature Archive By Susan Bernstein WebMD Feature Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD If you have diabetes, you’ll want to know about some new, high-tech gadgets and tools designed to help you keep track of what you eat, your blood sugar levels, how much you exercise, and how you feel each day. Some of these include: Phone, tablet, or computer apps where you log your blood sugar or foods you eat Devices that test your blood sugar every few minutes Smart pumps that give you insulin as your body needs it Texts, calls, or emails that remind...

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'Breast Milk Banks' Gain in Popularity

Experts say they're safer than online milk-sharing sources WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A wave of new nonprofit breast milk banks are opening across North America, driven by research that has promoted the use of donated mother's milk for healthy babies. Five new milk banks are expected to open this year in the United States and Canada, joining four that opened in 2013 and bringing the total number of nonprofit milk banks up to 22, said Kim Updegrove, president of the...

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Type 2 Diabetes May Shrink the Brain, Study Suggests

Loss of gray matter can lead to dementia, experts say WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age, new research indicates. Surprisingly, this shrinkage doesn't appear to be linked to the damaging effect of diabetes on tiny blood vessels in the brain, but instead by how the brain handles excess sugar, the researchers noted. "We have known for a long time that diabetes is not good for the brain," said...

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Complications Common, Costly With Some Kidney Stone Treatments

Study found 1 in 7 patients has problems after certain procedures WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Kidney stone treatments cause complications in about 14 percent of patients and can be costly, according to a large new study. Researchers analyzed data from more than 93,000 privately insured patients in the United States who were treated for kidney stones. One in seven of the patients experienced complications that required hospitalization or emergency care within 30 days...

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4 New High-Tech Tools to Help Control Diabetes

WebMD Feature Archive By Susan Bernstein WebMD Feature Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD Diabetes can make huge demands on you. For many patients, the daily routine involves painful finger sticks, glucose tests, and insulin injections -- all in an effort to keep blood sugar and diabetes under control. But newer devices, such as continuous glucose monitors, may make it easier for many of the nation's 21 million people with diabetes to control the disease, according to Aaron Kowalski, PhD. Director of strategic research projects at the Juvenile Diabetes...

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Your Child and Alcohol

By Shahreen Abedin WebMD Feature Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS At some point, most likely well before he turns 21, your child will have to make a choice about whether to drink alcohol. Your role as a parent is to prepare him. But first, prepare yourself by learning the facts. Don’t Assume Your Child Won’t Try Alcohol 10% of eighth graders say they drank alcohol in the past month. 39% of high school seniors say they drank alcohol in the past month. Young drinkers are more likely do risky things. When kids age 12 to 20 drink, they often...

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Seungri and Gong Hyung Jin Show Bromance Chemistry on “Angel Eyes”

      The Zone Diets, Here's what's trending on Twitter this week.         @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) { table[class=outer] .t-s p { margin-left: -2px !important; padding-right: 10px !important; } table[class=outer] .t-i img { width: 32px !important; height: 32px !important; } table[class=outer] .m-c, table[class=outer] .mid { padding: 0 !important; } table[class=outer] .o-t, table[class=outer]...

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