Up to 75 percent of the increase in body weight that can occur in patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with pioglitazone is from water retention, researchers report the journal Diabetes Care. The drug also tends to reduce abdominal fat and blood pressure.
Increased levels of dietary folate from food, but not from supplements, appears to reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to results of a large population-based study of Swedish men and women.
Stroke patients who partake in a therapeutic exercise program may experience a reduction in depressive symptoms, according to the results of a study published the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Two risk factors that place males at greater risk for heart disease than women appear to be influenced by genes on the X chromosome, report researchers at the NIH and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. The finding appears in a Research Letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Almost half of Hispanics over age 65 have high blood pressure, but many don?t know they have it because they feel just fine. Even though high blood pressure doesn?t cause symptoms, it is a major health risk, and if it isn?t treated, it can lead to stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, and other serious health problems. The good news is that there are ways to prevent high blood pressure and the trouble it can cause. If you already have high blood pressure, there are ways to prevent or treat its complications.
When used with oral contraceptives, the male hair-loss medication finasteride (brand named Propecia) may also help improve hair loss in women, Italian researchers report.
Just in case the message wasn’t clear already, exercise helps – and rarely hurts – your heart.nA new study has found that sudden cardiac death during exertion is extremely uncommon in women, and perhaps even more uncommon in women who exercise regularly.
Women who are otherwise healthy, but have low levels of physical activity and high levels of weight, generally have less favorable heart health than their leaner, more active counterparts, Boston-based researchers report in today’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
For women with genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer, genetic testing has been a godsend. The tests allow them to learn if they carry mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes, and if they do, to decide what action to take, such as stepping up screening or undergoing a preventive mastectomy.
The use of attention deficit drugs rose nearly 19 percent among adults between the ages 20 to 44 in 2005, while the use of these drugs fell 5 percent in children under the age of 10, according to statistics released on Tuesday amid a U.S. review of the drugs’ safety.