Contrary to popular belief that carbonated soft drink consumption increases esophageal cancer risk by 350 percent, a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers has found that there may actually be a decreased risk of this cancer for diet soda drinkers.
Having a sibling with a history of cardiovascular disease carries the same or greater risk as having a parent with a history of the disease, according to a new report from the long-standing Framingham Heart Study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Personal risk of having a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease, may be raised by as much as 45 percent in middle-aged people whose brother or sister has had such an event.
As part of its continuing initiative to provide Americans with the information they need to make healthy nutritional choices about foods and dietary supplements, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that whole grain barley and barley-containing products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
A diet with a high intake of beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc is associated with a substantially reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in elderly persons, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.
Doctors should be aware of the health risks posed to teenage athletes who quickly slim down by forcing themselves to vomit or by avoiding fluids, or who bulk up by overeating, a report said.
Following are the best health articles in July 2005, arranged as per viewed frequency:
A new study finds that eating mostly meat, refined starches, and sodium may increase the likelihood of developing chronic respiratory symptoms, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers found that individuals whose diets are rich in meat, refined starches and sodium are 1.43 times more likely to report new onset of persistent coughs with phlegm than those who consume a diet high in fruit and soy.
The types of food eaten in an effort to cut down on saturated fat may make a difference in reducing heart disease risk, according to a study of people with either high blood pressure or prehypertension. The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Type 0 glycogen storage disease (GSD 0) is caused by a deficiency in glycogen synthase, an enzyme critical for adequate glycogen synthesis. As a result, there is a marked decrease in glycogen stores resulting in fasting hypoglycemia and post-prandial hyperglycemia. Dietary carbohydrates are preferentially converted to lactate.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is notifying health care providers and patients of a problem with blood glucose meters made by Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, Calif. The meters can unintentionally be switched from one unit of measurement to another, resulting in an inaccurate blood glucose interpretation by the user. Users in the United States should make sure that their meter reading is displayed as mg/dL because an inaccurate reading can lead to taking the wrong dose of insulin or dietary changes, resulting in higher levels of sugar in the blood or hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can be a serious and even life-threatening condition and several cases of hyperglycemia have been reported to FDA.