5 or More Bad Sunburns While Young Tied to Higher Melanoma Risk

Odds for deadly skin cancer rise 80 percent, nurses' study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- White women who get five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 have an 80 percent increased risk for melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer, new study findings indicate. Researchers also found these women have a 68 percent greater risk for two other forms of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. "Our results...

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Obama Calls for More Youth Concussion Research

WebMD News from HealthDay May 30, 2014 -- More research into youth sports concussion is needed in order to better understand he scope of the issue and the long-term impacts of this type of injury, President Barack Obama said Thursday at a day-long summit on the topic at the White House. "We want our kids participating in sports," Obama said as he opened the event. "As parents though, we want to keep them safe and that means we have to have better information." The summit included medical experts, young athletes, parents, coaches, professional sports...

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Diabetes Drug May Spur Weight Loss in Obese Nondiabetics

One-third who took Victoza lost 10 percent of body weight, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A higher dose of the diabetes drug liraglutide (Victoza) may help obese people without the disease lose weight, a new study suggests. In this test of its effectiveness as a diet aid, people taking liraglutide for over a year lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight, compared with 2.6 percent shed by those taking a placebo (dummy drug), researchers found. ...

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Heart Risks Depend on Which Blood Pressure Number Is High: Study

Researchers also discovered lifetime heart risks were greater even with medications to treat the condition WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- When you have high blood pressure, exactly what type of increased heart risk you face may be determined by which number in your blood pressure reading is high, new research shows. In a blood pressure reading, systolic pressure is the top number and diastolic pressure is the bottom number. People with higher systolic blood pressure had...

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Many Pets Are Too Plump

Measure food portions and provide daily exercise to keep your furry companions in shape, vet advises WebMD News from HealthDay By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Much like their human companions, many of America's pets are overweight. Just over half of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, and 58 percent of cats are carrying too many pounds, according to a survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. And, like people, animals can face health consequences from excess weight. ...

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Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

Risk of obesity higher with 2 or more portions daily, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you're watching your weight, you may have to watch your white bread consumption, too. When white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you favor whole grain bread, according to a new study. Researchers tracked the eating habits and weight of more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates for an average of five years. Participants...

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Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

Risk of obesity higher with 2 or more portions daily, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you're watching your weight, you may have to watch your white bread consumption, too. When white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you favor whole grain bread, according to a new study. Researchers tracked the eating habits and weight of more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates for an average of five years. Participants...

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Sagging Eyelids More Common in Men, Fair-Skinned and Overweight: Study

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U.S. Measles Cases at 20-Year High

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Having Babies May Be 'Contagious' Among Long-Time Friends

Women tend to get pregnant soon after friends they've known since high school give birth, study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Getting pregnant may be contagious among long-time friends -- when one woman has a baby, her former high school classmates are more likely to intentionally get pregnant within the next two years, according to new research. "Our study shows that friend effects have a significant and strong influence on when a woman has her first child," said study...

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Many Delay Blood Thinners After Stent Placement, Risking Death

Going 3 days without Plavix triples odds of heart attack within a month, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Maureen Salamon HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients undergoing coronary stent placement don't fill their prescription for vital blood-thinning medication within the recommended time frame, a lapse leaving them much more likely to die within a month, new research suggests. Researchers found that 30 percent of stent patients neglect to start taking Plavix (clopidogrel) as directed within three...

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Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says. The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day. The investigators found that right after...

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Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

And United States is home to highest proportion of world's obese people, researchers add WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In the past three decades, the number of overweight and obese people worldwide has jumped from 857 million to 2.1 billion, a new analysis shows. Not only that, the United States is home to the highest proportion of the world's obese people, at 13 percent. The study shows that obesity is a major public health epidemic in both developing and developed nations,...

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Plan to Sell Cialis Over the Counter Announced

WebMD News from HealthDay May 28, 2014 -- The maker of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis on Wednesday announced plans to seek approval to sell the medication over the counter once its patents expire. The move, which would not come to fruition until Cialis loses patent protection in the United States and Europe in 2017, would allow men to buy the drug without having to first visit a doctor for a prescription, the New York Times reported. Under the proposal, the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi would buy the rights to seek approval...

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Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says. The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day. The investigators found that right after...

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Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

And United States is home to highest proportion of world's obese people, researchers add WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In the past three decades, the number of overweight and obese people worldwide has jumped from 857 million to 2.1 billion, a new analysis shows. Not only that, the United States is home to the highest proportion of the world's obese people, at 13 percent. The study shows that obesity is a major public health epidemic in both developing and developed nations,...

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Older Black Trauma Patients Fare Better Than Whites in ER: Study

Researchers found older white trauma patients were 20 percent more likely to die WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Older black trauma patients are 20 percent more likely to survive their injuries than their white peers are, a new study shows. The finding is surprising because studies typically show that black trauma patients have worse outcomes than whites, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers noted. For the study, the investigators analyzed in-hospital...

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Today's Heroin Abusers Often Middle-Class Suburbanites: Study

Problem often starts after prescription painkiller use, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Today's typical heroin user is a middle-class suburban dweller who started off with prescription painkillers, a new study reports. Once mainly a problem of teens living in impoverished neighborhoods in large cities, heroin use now more commonly affects whites in their early 20s, according to research published online May 28 in JAMA Psychiatry. "There really has been a shift,...

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Antidepressant Eases Menopause-Related Symptoms, Study Finds

Effexor nearly as good as estrogen therapy for reducing hot flashes, night sweats, researchers state WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Estrogen therapy and the non-hormonal drug venlafaxine (Effexor) are nearly equally effective in reducing menopause-related hot flashes and night sweats, according to a new study. "Our new findings provide critical data for physicians and women making treatment decisions for hot flashes/night sweats. Our data show that first-line hormonal and...

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10 Risky Jobs for Your Lungs

These jobs may have lung risks for some workers. By Pamela Babcock WebMD Feature Reviewed by Luqman Seidu, MD Your lungs work hard. Most adults take more than 20,000 breaths a day. But just how well your lungs do their job may be affected by the job you do. Chemicals. Germs. Tobacco smoke and dirt. Fibers, dust, and even things you might not think are dangerous can damage your airway and threaten your lungs. "The lungs are complex organs," says Philip Harber, MD, MPH, professor of public health at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "Occupational...

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Can Fire Retardants Raise Risk of Children Born With Lower IQs?

Study found higher levels of the chemicals in mom also upped chances of hyperactivity in kids by age 5 WebMD News from HealthDay By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study bolsters the concerns of some scientists that hazardous levels of fire retardants in furniture and other products may harm children before they are born. A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati, Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the chemicals in the retardants may penetrate...

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1 in 5 Elderly U.S. Patients Injured by Medical Care

Sickest patients at greatest risk, researchers say WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in five Medicare patients are victims of medical injuries that often aren't related to their underlying disease or condition, according to new research. The injuries included: being given the wrong medication, having an allergic reaction to a medication, or receiving any treatment that led to more complications of an existing medical problem. "These injuries are caused by the medical...

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Top Nutrition Tips for Athletes

By Peter Jaret WebMD Feature Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH When you exercise hard for 90 minutes or more, especially if you're doing something at high intensity that takes a lot of endurance, you need a diet that can help you perform at your peak and recover quickly afterward. These five guidelines will help. 1. Load Up on Carbohydrates Carbs are an athlete's main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar, and stores it in your muscles as glycogen. When you exercise, your body changes glycogen into energy. If you exercise...

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Your Income Might Influence Your Risk for Certain Cancers

Lifestyle-related disease, such as lung cancer, is more common among the poor, researchers find WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some cancers in the United States are tied to poverty, while others are more common among the wealthy, researchers report. In the poorest areas of the country, the incidence of cancer is generally lower than in richer regions, but deaths from cancers are higher, the study authors said. "Socioeconomic status is not something that appears on a medical...

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MERS Update: All Workers Test Negative

Florida, Indiana Hospital Workers All Cleared for Return to Work By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD May 27, 2014 -- All hospital workers in Florida and Indiana who were in contact with the patients diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have been cleared to return to work, hospital officials say. In Florida, follow-up testing on all 23 health care workers exposed to the MERS patient showed they didn't catch the virus, according to Dain Weister, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health....

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Men's Top 7 Abdominal Training Mistakes

By Michael Esco, PhD WebMD Feature Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD Even when you exercise extra hard for “six-pack” abs, you might not get the results you want. That’s because it’s hard to lose abdominal fat, especially if you’re not exercising correctly. Make sure you’re following these 7 training to-dos. 1. Go Beyond Crunches and Sit-Ups There's a good reason these exercises are a go-to for abdominal training -- they work! But your muscles adapt quickly to certain exercises. If this happens, they may stop responding altogether. Changing your...

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3 Ways to Cook Butternut Squash

By Erin O'Donnell WebMD Magazine - Feature Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD Butternut squash is low in calories (just 41 in a half-cup serving) and a good source of filling fiber. It's also chock full of yellow- and orange-hued antioxidants known as carotenoids. These nutrient powerhouses may help protect against heart disease and cancer, says American Institute for Cancer Research dietitian Alice Bender. Carotenoids include beta-carotene, which the body changes to vitamin A, a nutrient that supports the immune system. Other carotenoids...

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Obesity Gene May Explain Why Some Gain Weight as They Age

But experts say a healthy lifestyle can combat tendency to overeat WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A defective gene linked to obesity appears to affect impulse control and food choices. And this could explain why people with the gene have so much trouble maintaining a healthy weight as they age, a new U.S. study says. Middle-aged and older people with obesity-associated variants of the FTO gene tend to gain weight, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health....

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Intel Indonesia: 'Newest Godzilla Movie Would Have Taken 450 Years To Design On A Single Comp...'

      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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